Milk began as a lifelong dream for two friends. The cafe-turned-community space has transformed the lives of migrant and refugee women in Glasgow. It is a place that has created a sense of belonging, support and empowerment for the most vulnerable in our society.
Written by Jasmine Mohamed
“A relaxed, warm place where people can just meet others and make use of networks” is how the co-founders describe the atmosphere of Milk Cafe. The story of the cafe that turned into a social enterprise began with Angela Ireland and Gaby Cluness being best friends. Before the idea of a cafe came to fruition, they both worked in hospitality together and were fond of the industry. After years of friendship and travelling abroad together, they eventually returned to their roots in Glasgow. They started Milk’s journey on Victoria Road, a central street in the Govanhill area on the south side of the city.
Beginnings of Milk
Angela and Gabby focused solely on bringing something that would contribute to the established community in Govanhill, a vibrant neighbourhood on Glasgow’s south side. When the idea of the café came together, they were flatmates. They promptly quit their permanent employment to fully venture out and turn this idea into a reality. First setting foot back into Glasgow, it took around a year to find the right venue, and within two weeks, they signed the lease. To get started, Milk needed a solid foundation to establish itself. To achieve this, a crowdfunding campaign was organised to financially support it.
Expanding Spaces, Deepening Connections
Initially, Milk was only a cafe before the decision to expand it as a community-led space, including free workshops and classes. They offer various classes, including yoga, crafts, board games and language classes. Milk has also added a course on the UK’s asylum and refugee system, which educates individuals on the heart of the problem.
The pandemic made it much harder to run the café altogether. With the cost of living suddenly high, Angela and Gabby realised that this was not working in its present conditions. Seven years after turning their dream into reality, slight changes began to emerge in how the business was operated and managed.
A relaxed, warm place where people can just meet others and make use of networks
In addition to the venue at Victoria Road, the co-founders have another unit where their catering kitchen is based. Their catering services range from a buffet at conferences to a lunch for an office. They also cover any other celebrations that you can think of. Their catering menu is displayed on their website, and there is a form to fill in whether you require this service.
During the transition of transforming the café into a community space, there was “more pressure on the other space to generate the income to support this one”, Angela admits. All in all, this resulted in them having to be more creative on how their income was generated, as they did not want to take their funding for granted. It also meant that the community would need to come to terms with the change from a cafe, where drinks and cakes were regularly served, into a social enterprise hosting workshops and events.
The community’s response to the change was quite positive; however, it led to a few confused passers-by. “It was confusing for sure, people still come in now, like ‘can we get a coffee’? ‘We just want to get some lunch’”, laughs Angela. Even though Angela reminisces on how the space used to be, the community aspect of the enterprise is truly where her heart lies.
A community space’s standing against discrimination
Challenging stereotypes and prejudice is an ongoing work in progress. The community activities and training courses on this topic delivered by Milk truly benefited the attendees.
According to Angela, this makes people realise that facing discrimination as a migrant or a refugee is “really dehumanising and creates a really hostile environment to come into, and there is a lot of misinformation in the media”, says her.
The far-right riots in England last July and August led to a decline in numbers, which could have been seen among activity attendees, as refugees and asylum seekers felt unsafe stepping out their doors and faced increased discrimination.
When reports surfaced that the riots might reach Glasgow, panic grew over the potential impact on Milk and its attendees. While this may have been true and reduced the number of attendees, Milk proved once again to be a life-changing space for migrants and refugees.
Angela shares the story of a woman whose life was transformed by Milk. She had entered the door at Victoria Road two years ago accompanied by her daughter and did not speak any English. Her life was recently turned upside down by the passing of her husband. “Now she comes in and is one of the regulars”, Angela smiles. “She is very eager to get involved and always says yes to anything going on. She’s a changed person”, says Angela. “The amount of confidence she has gathered is interchangeable and would not be if not for Milk and the encouragement of her daughter”.
It provides a welcoming space for these women, and they feel that they can come in without judgment.
The women who come along to these events and workshops have one thing in common. They are all homesick, including their children, who feel they do not fit in. One of the members, Shaimaa from Egypt, says, “My children [sic] not happy here, watch TV and sleep, no friends and family”.
Milk brings a sense of home to them and improves their English, as Sifae from Kurdistan says, “In here, if I have a question [sic] Glasgow, I [sic] go here, learn English and listen”. It provides a welcoming space for these women, and they feel that they can come in without judgment. In return, they enhance their language skills, learn a craft and become members of the community in Govanhill. “Sometimes they pop back in to let us know their daughter got married, or someone’s had a baby, so the relationship is really nice, but bittersweet”, highlights Angela about the journey of the once-called regulars.
Where Community Grows, and Opportunities Begin
Several staff members have moved on to other community and cultural places around the area, such as The Govanhill Baths, The Hidden Gardens, and other organisations with which Milk maintains a close relationship. “They’re more confident in new spaces and are not reliant on what we do; they are able to spread their wings out,” says Angela.
South-East Integration Network (SEIN) is a network made up of member organisations across the South East of Glasgow that also helps smaller organisations such as Milk and keep their connections alive. Through the network, Milk can figure out what everyone in the area is up to and can engage more people and allow them to find further opportunities.
Angela highlights that “there are loads of people who have areas of expertise that we can’t support”. As a result, the SEIN network ensures that the guests of Milk can reach more people in the community that they otherwise would not turn to for support or could not get in touch with as swiftly if it were not for SEIN.
The Well, which is just around the corner from Milk, is involved with advocacy, advice and signposting. They are up to date with Scottish politics and visa applications and the lack of housing in Scotland.
Angela says it is sad to see her customers go after they outgrow the space and no longer participate in classes and workshops.
Each event aims to create a sense of belonging. The founders of Milk do not believe in using titles because, in the end, everyone is equal, no matter their title. The point of the space is to encourage everyone to speak up and talk to everyone. “The connections that are made are quite organic”, confirms Angela. The outcome of any workshop is not the craft itself but the friendships made as a result of doing it as a collective. “The whole group genuinely [are] like “yay you’re back!”; it makes people feel connected in an environment that can be very isolating”.
Milk is where the true connections are made and where the magic lies. The modifications from a cafe to a social enterprise require more space, as well as their catering services, led them to move to Cathcart Road. They have passed on their original space to a friend, who will run her own cafe there called Peachy.
The magic of Milk will follow them through to their move to their new premises in Glasgow, as well as wherever they go from here on out.
Jasmine Mohamed is a Fashion Communications graduate working towards her NCTJ qualification at Glasgow Clyde College. She has previously completed internships for the Alloa Advertiser, TheSocialTalks, and Sustainable Fashion Scotland.
