The Sycamore Tree is an attempt to connect with and create community in Heidelberg. During the week we operate as casual coffee shop with a team of volunteers and a manager and deputy manager providing great coffee (from STREAT) and tea (from Larsen and Thompson) and a range of “nanna” food – think freshly made scones, sandwiches and a range of light breakfast and lunch dishes – in a warm and comfortable space where you can hear each other. The Sycamore Tree has an outlook that encourages conversation, friendship and good conversation, and we’d love for you to be a part of that.
The Sycamore Tree also serves as a space for different groups – the Café of Dangerous Ideas, the Theology Hub, Space and Common Ground – to do their thing. Café of Dangerous Ideas invites various speakers to challenge and provoke those who are interested in the intersections of faith and modern life. The Theology Hub, Space and Common Ground are all groups involved in seeking to know more about how we pursue our Christian faith in today’s world.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The Sycamore Tree opened in 1986 as an outreach of Scots Church Heidelberg. Initially trading for 3 days a week, it was an attempt to engage with the local community and was staffed by volunteers from the church. Over the years, many church folk and friends who staffed the Sycamore Tree contributed to a warm and welcoming environment and as the older folks lessened their involvement, new volunteers from the local community have stepped up to run the place. We now have a variety of volunteers who, whilst learning hospitality skills, also increase their confidence, gain references for long term employment, improve English language skills and make friendships. The Sycamore Tree has trained a variety of people in coffee-making, food preparation and front of house skills and we average about 350-400 hours of training per month.