Volunteering at Braw Tea means being part of something truly special, a place built on kindness, support and community. I love helping create a warm and welcoming environment where women support and encourage each other, while serving wholesome homemade food made with care. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of a space that brings people together and makes others feel valued and welcome.
Quoted from one of the Braw Tea women ahead of Braw Tea’s 3rd birthday
Braw Tea CIC delivered accredited food hygiene and barista training for women facing barriers to employment across Dundee, Broughty Ferry and the surrounding area. The project combined practical skills training with personal development, confidence building and community support, helping women progress into employment, further education and volunteering opportunities.
Braw Tea was established to address isolation, low confidence, unemployment and poor mental health wellbeing among women in Dundee and the surrounding area. The organisation recognised an opportunity to transform a vacant council building into a welcoming community café where women could gain practical skills, build relationships and access support.
Women supported by the project included:
- Women experiencing unemployment
- Refugees and women whose first language is not English
- Single parents, retired women and women with challenging life experiences (abuse/criminal justice/addiction recovery)
- Women seeking new skills and pathways into employment
At the time, there was no local project focused exclusively on supporting women through employability training, confidence building and community connection. Many participants faced barriers including anxiety, low self-esteem, financial insecurity and limited access to work experience.
Mathew Trust funding enabled Braw Tea to deliver accredited food hygiene and barista training while investing in equipment that would create long-term sustainability for the organisation.
The grant covered:
- REHIS Level 2 Food Hygiene training
- Barista training for participants
- Contribution towards the purchase of the café’s first professional coffee machine
During the funding period, 32 women completed food hygiene and barista training. The coffee machine became a key income-generating asset, helping the café become more financially sustainable while creating valuable hospitality skills for participants.
Braw Tea also worked alongside specialty coffee supplier Modern Standard, who continued to support staff and volunteers through skills development and training opportunities.
Over the past three years, the programme has continued
to grow beyond its original funding period.
- 92 women trained through food hygiene and barista programmes with 100% completion rates among participants
- 24 women progressed into employment or further training
- 19 women employed directly by Braw Tea, 18 of those employees originally joined as volunteers
- 5 women progressed into further or higher education
- 100% of volunteer survey respondents strongly agreed they enjoy being part of the Braw Tea team
The project has created pathways into employment while also providing a supportive community where women can build confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging.
Following the success of the programme, Braw Tea has secured additional support from trusts, private donors and earned income through its café operations. The organisation has continued to expand its training offer and now serves as an example for other groups interested in developing social enterprise cafés.
The organisation has also strengthened its professional standards and operating model while maintaining its commitment to community support. Braw Tea has twice been shortlisted for Best Independent Café, demonstrating how a social enterprise can deliver both social impact and commercial excellence.
Since our support, the Braw Tea cafe in Broughty Ferry has gone from strength to strength – they were awarded the Courier Community Business Champion accolade in 2025, have a thriving popular cafe and have supported over 90 women at the time of writing. Braw work! You can see more about them on their website- brawtea.co.uk
Interested in applying?
If your organisation supports unemployed or re-skilling adults through education, vocational training or pathways into work, check your eligibility and find out how to apply.
