A Fife pottery company known to be a personal favourite of Queen Elizabeth II has produced a unique ceramic figurine to help the fight to save a local community cafe.
The Village Cafe in Ceres is under threat of closure after the building’s owners put the property up for sale.
The charity enterprise has proved a huge success since it was started four years ago, winning praise for its efforts to combat isolation and loneliness.
Community bid to save café
It has become a mainstay in the small community with around 20 volunteers as well as a dozen other supporters who stock the Fife cafe with home baking.
Now, Griselda Hill Pottery, producers of the famous Wemyss Ware pottery which boasts the late Queen Elizabeth and singer Elton John amongst its biggest fans, has offered 10 specially made ceramic bunnies to help fundraising efforts.
The hand painted figurines, which won’t be commercially available, are to be auctioned off later this month.
Karen Young, a director at the charity, said she hopes the unique bunnies and pottery’s royal seal of approval will help boost the auction.
Wemyss Ware pieces to be auctioned
She added: “It’s a fantastic and generous offer from Griselda and her team who have been firm supporters of the cafe since day one.
“Wemyss Ware is famous around the world and the late Queen was one of its biggest fans and collectors.
“So much so that King Charles recently appeared on the BBC TV programme, The Repair Shop, with a piece of his mother’s Wemyss Ware to be restored.
“We hope that the recent publicity and the royal link will help boost the interest in the bunnies which will the boost the auction.
“With only a dozen made we anticipate a lot of interest from collectors.”
The cafe hopes to use the auction and other fundraising work to raise around the quarter of the cash it will need to purchase the property.
The charity has also submitted an application to the Scottish Government’s land fund, which is due to be determined by December.
Karen says they have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community, with over £20,000 of donations being received in just a few months.
She added: “The support for what we do from everyone has been quite staggering which shows people want the cafe to continue and to develop further,” said Karen.
“Taking it into community ownership will give local groups a space they can meet.
“We also want to expand the good companion scheme in which we taxi in people who may be isolated, lonely or live on their own, allowing them some company and social interaction.
“The bunnies auction will play a significant part in our fundraising that hopefully will allow us to achieve that in the future.”
The auction closes on December 10 and bids can be made online here or directly at the café.
Conversation