A café in West Belfast that employed people with disabilities has closed due to the loss of over £1 million in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Loaf Café on Grosvenor Road, run by the NOW Group, opened ten years ago near the Royal Victoria Hospital entrance.

The NOW Group, which operates in Belfast and Dublin, supports neurodiverse individuals, autistic people and those with learning difficulties into employment. Maeve Monaghan, CEO of the NOW Group, stated that the funding cut forced a review of all operations, leading to the café's closure as it could not operate without losses in the current trading conditions.

Monaghan noted that the café lacked sufficient footfall to remain viable without the funding. The group purchased the building and expressed regret over the closure. Staff, some with disabilities who had worked there long-term, underwent a redundancy process.

The NOW Group's employment team assisted affected staff in finding new placements, with several returning to other services or securing jobs elsewhere. Other NOW Group cafés in Belfast City Hall, the Ewart Building on Bedford Street and Kilmainham in Dublin continue to operate.

Monaghan highlighted that the UK government promotes inclusive employment for people with disabilities, yet the funding reduction from London resulted in job losses in West Belfast. The group plans to maintain partnerships in the area and thanked the local community and Royal Victoria Hospital customers for a decade of support.