Stirling residents will now be able to have a coffee and panini contributing to the work of Strathcarron Hospice at a new café – The Papermill – which opened in The Bellfield Centre, Stirling Health & Care Village today (Monday 22 Sept).

The new café was officially opened by Stirling Council Provost Elaine Watterson.

The Strathcarron Hospice Papermill Café is a social enterprise harnessing the skills of Strathcarron’s catering team to create the high quality, nutritious home cooked food that the Hospice is renowned for.

By choosing to visit the café, customers will be supporting their local Hospice, as every penny made from the service is reinvested into Strathcarron.

The Papermill Cafe was set up in response to the rising need to diversify and significantly increase Hospice funding. This innovative catering business plays to the skills of Strathcarron’s teams, as the strength of the model is that it will help fund the £19,452 daily cost of specialist end of life care and services the local Hospice charity provides to individuals and their families across its communities.

Strathcarron Hospice was successful through a tender process to deliver the cafe in the Bellfield centre. In addition to providing high quality food, the Papermill Cafe will also strengthen partnership working with NHS Forth Valley and the community the Hospice serves.

Mags McCarthy, CEO Strathcarron Hospice: “Strathcarron’s catering team are viewed as the heart of the Hospice. The delicious and nutritious food that they make with care for patients, as well as their families and visitors is always thoroughly enjoyed.

With rising costs and growing demand for hospice services, as a charity leadership team, we have a responsibility to future proof the availability of these valuable services for future generations. We needed to be creative on how we not only raise our funds, but raise awareness of these services and the positive impact they have for people living with life limiting conditions.

Alongside our amazing community of fundraisers, we have our more ‘transactional’ and profitable operations in retail and our social enterprise care at home service ‘Creative Homecare’, where all money we receive assists the hospice to provide vital services, which are FREE to those who use them across these local communities”.

By being in The Bellfield Centre in Stirling, it also opens up opportunities to raise awareness of the Hospice services, as Strathcarron’s aim is to reach people significantly earlier in their illness as their mission is to enable people to live well and die well.

Strathcarron relies heavily on charitable donations to keep our doors open, and hospice care wouldn’t exist without YOU, all our local communities.

Strathcarron Hospice needs to raise over £19,452 every single day and this figure will continue to rise as costs increase. With only one third of Strathcarron Hospice funded by the Government, the charity is incredibly grateful to every generous supporter who make up the significant shortfall.

This is the first satellite café for the Hospice with plans to expand into other locations in the future. Strathcarron’s café within the Hospice building near Denny, which caters for residents, staff and their loved ones, was relaunched as ‘The Papermill Café’ earlier this year.

The café name originated from the successful papermaking industry in Denny on and around the site of the Hospice. This started with Herbertshire Mill in 1788, followed by Carrongrove Mill in 1825.

Carrongrove Mill was initially owned by several individuals before being purchased by William Wallace, who built a house on the site which would later become Strathcarron Hospice.

Joanna MacDonald, Chief Officer of Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are delighted to welcome the new Strathcarron Hospice Papermill Café to The Bellfield Centre. This is a fantastic addition that not only provides staff, patients, families and the wider community with high-quality, nutritious food, but also supports the vital work of Strathcarron Hospice.

“The café is a brilliant example of partnership working in practice, creating a warm and welcoming space while helping to sustain essential hospice services that make such a difference to local people and their families.”

Stirling Lord Provost, Elaine Watterson said: “I was delighted to attend today’s opening of the Papermill Café and meet with representatives and staff from Strathcarron Hospice who help to provide such a precious resource for families across Stirling and the Forth Valley.

“Every penny made by the new café is reinvested into the hospice in a wonderful initiative to encourage local people to give their support to Strathcarron. I would highly recommend anybody who would like to sample delicious home-cooked food that tastes good and does good to pay a visit.”

The Papermill Café will be open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.30pm.