Transforming a community one click at a time: How the Waffle Hub’s Digital Café bridges the gap for Burnham-on-Sea Residents.
Caroline is CEO of The Waffle Hub in Burnham-on-Sea, a community space addressing food poverty and financial instability. She got involved in the hub after visiting the on site café which was operating as a warm space, rather than working from home. Realising she could help, she became a trustee and has since seen Yhe Waffle Hub grow into a vital community resource.
The area, like many faded Victorian coastal towns across the UK, is facing many challenges. As one of the most deprived wards in Somerset, many Highbridge and Burnham South residents need to travel out of the area to the larger towns of Bridgwater, Weston-super-Mare or Taunton to access basic services such as the Job Centre. This creates barriers that prevent people from getting the help they need, when they need it.
“Here in Burnham and Highbridge, there’s a lot of isolation. That’s why it’s so important we have spaces like the Waffle Hub,” Caroline explains.
An integrated model that works
The Spark iT Digital Café has become an essential part of the hub’s mission. Run by volunteer Q, it works seamlessly alongside the hub’s other services including the food café, clothing bank, and partnership sessions with Somerset Community Employment Services and Citizens Advice Bureau.
“Q has many regulars, and once they come in, we’re able to signpost them to the additional services we offer, and it works two-ways” says Caroline. “Somerset Community Employment Services refer people directly to Q as an immediate referral. When Citizens Advice holds sessions here, if people need help filling in forms or accessing the internet, Q is there to help them. It’s been hugely beneficial.”
This integration prevents people from falling through the gaps between services. Someone might come in for digital help and discover they’re entitled to benefits. Another person accessing the food bank learns they can get employment support. It’s wraparound care in action, delivered in one trusted local space.
Understanding dignity and shame
The area has a large aging population, and Caroline has witnessed the emotional toll that digital exclusion takes, particularly when public services have moved online or to phone-only access.
“Too often I’ve sat here and watched people walk in with that look about them, they’re ashamed. Maybe they’ve inherited a grandchild’s phone and have no idea how to use it. Technology has moved on, but Q supports them and makes it obvious it’s not their fault. He doesn’t mind if they forget and keep coming back. He understands that people face change, and technology can open up a world, but it needs someone with patience.”
What Q provides is more than technical support – he restores dignity. He makes people feel capable rather than stupid, supported rather than judged.
Growing community capacity
The impact extends beyond individual support. Q has gone from volunteering once a week to running sessions across four days. He’s a valued member of the staff team and is setting up a youth club. The Digital Café hasn’t just served the community, it’s identified and developed community leadership.
The value for statutory services
For commissioners and statutory services, the Waffle Hub represents exceptional value. It’s a single local access point where vulnerable residents can get comprehensive support without travelling, reducing pressure on centralised services while meeting needs in the community. The immediate referral pathway from employment services to digital support means people get wraparound help that understands the real complexity of their situations.
Without this local provision, the costs would be significant: people unable to access employment support would remain on benefits longer; those unable to pay bills online would face debt and enforcement action; digitally excluded residents would experience deepening isolation with associated health impacts. The Digital Café prevents these escalations before they become expensive statutory interventions.
Digital Cafés like the one at the Waffle Hub are part of a wider initiative across Somerset, aiming to help people build confidence online. Run by friendly volunteers, they’re free to attend and open to anyone who would like to learn how to navigate the internet safely, access online services, and improve their health and wellbeing
To learn more about Digital Digital Cafés in Somerset, click here.
