A RYEDALE charity is celebrating a cash windfall of £10,000 to help it keep up the good work at its hugely popular caf.

The Kingfisher Caf, in Malton, re-opened in February after a massive refurbishment saw it completely transformed.

Since then staff say the facility has been a runaway success, rewarded with the huge financial boost from the Lloyds TSB Foundation towards the salary of caf manager, Kelly Jasiewicz.

The caf is run by the Croft, a Camphill Village Trust community providing permanent residential care for adults with learning disabilities in the town.

And 22-year-old Kelly said Kingfisher's popularity had far exceeded anyone's expectations.

"It's going really well, we have been very busy," she said.

"Every day is different but we have done so well - I thought we would quieten down after the summer, but we haven't really.

"We have also been doing outside catering jobs as well and they have really taken off - we have been doing weddings and lots of meetings and business lunches."

Kelly said residents at the Croft were right to be proud of their work.

"Four of the residents have just got their basic food hygiene certificates which is something they did not have a chance to do before.

"I think it has made the residents' confidence grow through working in the new caf.

"Everyone takes much more pride in their work, and they are more involved than ever before."

The Saville Street caf sells homemade cakes and fresh bread, which are all made on the premises, as well as some of the home-grown produce which comes out of the Croft's gardens.

Caf director Julie Johnson said: "I think for me and Kelly the whole venture has just been amazing.

"I remember when we first thought about doing it, people asked if we were really sure about what we were doing." She added: "We have also had to employ Kelly's brother, Matthew, because it would have been impossible otherwise to keeo the customers happy."

Richard Gell, branch manager at Malton's Lloyds TSB, said he was pleased that the Foundation had been able to give such a big boost to a local charity.

"It is a great facility where the local community and residents of the Camphill Village Trust can socialise together," he said.

"Dealing with the public can be quite daunting, and it is a big personality-building exercise - a real confidence boost for the residents who work here."

Updated: 08:16 Thursday, October 03, 2002