YMCA takes top honours for its Crewe community café

GLO Café, the award-winning social enterprise café at the heart of YMCA Cheshire’s Gresty Road facility has been named Best Community Café (Cheshire) at the England’s Business Awards 2026.

The award was presented at a prestigious ceremony held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Manchester Airport – and for the team behind the facility including staff, volunteers and the young who have passed through its doors, the win is a validation of its name: Growth, Life and Opportunities.

A spokesman said: “The story of GLO Café is, at its core, a story of courage and conviction. When the world locked down in 2020 and uncertainty gripped every corner of society, Fatima Perriman, Head of Business and Finance at YMCA Cheshire, saw not a crisis but an opportunity.

“She became the driving force behind the official launch of GLO Café on the 4th of May 2021, a bold, purposeful decision to open a community café at a time when most businesses were closing their doors.

“The vision was clear from the outset: GLO Café would not simply be a place to eat. It would be a sustainable social enterprise. It is designed as a commercial operation with a conscience, generating income that flows directly back into YMCA Cheshire’s life-changing services, from safe housing and mental health support to resettlement programmes and youth outreach.”

Every toastie sold, every full English served, every coffee poured contributes to keeping those services running.

Thousands of cups of coffee have been served across the café counter and through Deliveroo delivery. Hundreds of community members have walked through its doors.

They added: “What sets GLO Café apart from any other café on any other high street is not simply the quality of its food, though that quality is undeniable, with a near-perfect 5.0 rating on TripAdvisor and a 4.6 out of 5 on Google Reviews. What sets it apart is what happens behind the counter.

“GLO Café is a fully operational training ground. Every shift is an opportunity for YMCA Cheshire’s service users and volunteers both young people and adults who may be experiencing homelessness, unemployment, or significant personal challenges to gain real, transferable skills in hospitality, customer service, food preparation and professional conduct.

“For many, it is their first step back into the world of work. For some, it is the first time anyone has believed in them enough to give them a chance.”

Beyond its daily café operations, GLO Café has built a reputation as one of Crewe’s most exciting dining experiences through its monthly GLO Café Soirée: a themed, three-course fine dining fundraiser held on the first Friday of every month.

Priced at just £20 per person, the Soirée transforms the café into a restaurant-quality dining room, complete with live entertainment and the option to bring your own drinks.

The events serve a dual purpose that is entirely in keeping with GLO Café’s ethos – they raise vital funds for YMCA Cheshire while giving young people hands-on experience of working in a formal, high-pressure hospitality environment.

Past themes have included a St Patrick’s Special, a Good Friday Feast and a sold-out Greek Soirée.

YMCA Cheshire has also celebrated a soft relaunch of GLO Enterprise, which is the wider social enterprise family that also includes GLO Maintenance and GLO Hub, with a community meal that brought together staff, volunteers, supporters and the people they serve.

Michael Ronan, Hospitality Manager and Head Chef at YMCA Cheshire, said:

“Every day, our team strives to create a welcoming environment where people can enjoy great food, excellent service and a genuine sense of community. We are passionate about using hospitality as a way to create opportunities for others, whether through volunteering, or employment. To see that recognised through this award is incredibly rewarding and a testament to the commitment of everyone involved with GLO Café.”

The café operates Monday to Friday from 7am to 2pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm.

It serves a wide-ranging and affordable menu, and a rotating selection of daily specials.

The next GLO Café Soirée is a Greek-themed evening on Friday. Tickets are £20 per person. Call 01270 257673 or email micheal.ronan@ymcacheshire.org.uk.