The group says it needs to raise £10k to keep the café and charity afloat
16:44, 14 Jan 2026Updated 16:53, 14 Jan 2026
The Tea Room is at risk of closure (Image: Friends of Victoria Park )
Owners of a beloved community café and charity say it is just days away from closing for good. Trustees of the Friends of Victoria Park (FOVPS) say they are in a race against time to raise £10k by the end of the month.
The news comes after bosses say they are facing challenges to keep their café opening amid rising energy, supply, and staffing costs.
FOVPS is a volunteer-led organisation headquartered in Victoria Park, Stretford. The group was created in 2003 by a team of dedicated locals who wanted to improve the once neglected park.
Since then, it has evolved into a charity that runs a popular café called ‘The Tea Room’ and also delivers community events, supports local businesses while working with residents and partners to ensure the park remains safe and inclusive.
Nadia says the building cannot survive a ‘temporary closure'(Image: )
Operational manger, Nadia Gubba, told the M.E.N that the team have carried out multiple methods to keep costs down in 2025, but to no avail.
She said: “In the last 12 months it’s been so difficult. We tend to do better in the summer months and there’s always a lull in the winter months.
“So, we try to put on events. We really cater for lower income families who are struggling with cost of living.
“They’re the families that are completely ignored. They’re the families who don’t have the disposal income to take their children to events and we work really hard to make things affordable.
“We came back from Christmas and our trustees looked at our finances and it was really dire. We all came back after a really busy December and the decision was, if we don’t raise £10k by the end of January, then it’s just not sustainable to keep the building open.”
According to the group’s JustGiving page, the £10k will prevent a ‘temporary closure’, Nadia told the M.E.N that should they fail to reach the target could see the end of an important community resource.
“The reality is, we wouldn’t survive a closure even for a couple of months. We’d understandably lose our staff.
“In this day and age, who can afford to be out of work for a couple of months?
“There’s no magic money tree, there’s no council fund to bail us out. We’re relying on people to bail us out.”
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “The Victoria Park Tea Room is a great asset and is very popular with dog walkers and park lovers throughout the Stretford community. We are sad to hear that the facility is struggling.
“The Council has a close partnership with the charity which runs the café and we will work with them to help them to try and find a solution to their funding issue. However, the council is not responsible for the day-to-day funding of the café.”