A MUCH-CHERISHED Hexham cafe that provided work experience for people with learning disabilities and mental ill health is set to reopen on Tuesday.

The Tans, on St Mary’s Chare, closed a year ago when the plug was pulled on its NHS and council funding, prompting a public outcry at the loss of a valued – but financially failing – enterprise.

More than 1,600 people signed a petition demanding it be saved.

Realising the cafe was a perfect fit in terms of its own ethos, Hexham-based independent charity the Hextol Foundation stepped into the breach and took over the premises.

Founder and chief executive Chris Milner said: “It will be a year to the day on Tuesday since it closed, so it feels good to be opening the doors once again.

“Because it’s a listed building that needed a serious amount of refurbishment, getting the planning permission alone for the required work has taken many months, but thankfully we got there at last!”

Hextol, which has its head office on Gilesgate, has merged its existing buffet catering team with the new intake of trainees and volunteers who are based at the Hextol Tans.

Together they will provide the food for both the cafe and the buffet service. While its 100 per cent vegetarian motif is the cafe’s unique selling point, the latter does offer meat-based options.

Hextol’s takeover brought 12 new trainees in through the charity’s doors, including some of those who had been part and parcel of the original Tans set-up.

Known behind the scenes as the Opus Project and run by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, it provided work and rehabilitation for people suffering mental ill health for 20 years.

The new team now boasts 28 trainees and assistants, five volunteer supervisors – “we could do with some more,” said Chris – and three paid members of staff.

This week there has been a “soft opening” of the cafe during which the team has undergone training whilst catering for invited guests.

“All the way through the refurbishment phase and then even more so this week, people have been knocking on the door asking when we are re-opening,” said Chris.

“That’s the thing we liked about the Tans, it is a community cafe right in the heart of Hexham and it is very well supported by local people.”

That has been reflected in the funding and donations that have been forthcoming over the past year. Northumberland County Council, Hexham Town Council and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust itself have all contributed to the new start-up costs, along with Coun. Derek Kennedy, who made a donation from his county council member’s fund.

Rotary, the Soroptomists and Waitrose have all chipped in, and even one of Hexham’s twin towns has been supportive.

At the weekend, the charity was presented with £250 sent by Metzingen Town Council, in Germany.