A community café in High Wycombe celebrated its first birthday this month.

The not-for-profit Hills Café, in Micklefield, was established by residents last year, who raised £35,000 in grant funding, and coordinated more than 1,200 hours of voluntary work, to transform the former Keith Hill Butchers into a “bright and airy” café.

Do-gooders Matt and Katharine Knight, Viv Barber and James Bush set up a community interest company and took over the lease of the shop.

The enterprise has been funded by One Can Trust, Marsh and Micklefield Big Local, Red Kite Community Housing and Heart of Bucks.

Matt, who is the Wycombe District councillor for Micklefield, said the café has helped to “put Micklefield on the map and challenged the incorrect perception some people have of Micklefield as a no-go area”.

He said: “Hills Café aims to reduce isolation, help people build confidence and skills through volunteering and training and raise the aspirations of the local community.

“About 30 volunteers have worked in the cafe over the last year, with many successfully gaining food hygiene qualifications and receiving training in barista skills. Several volunteers have gone on to gain employment or report having grown in confidence.

“The cafe has quickly become established as a valued meeting place in the heart of the community with regular customers saying that they come to the cafe because they always bump into people they know and have made new friends.”