The original idea for Bwyd Da Bangor (Good Food Bangor) originated from Glynne Roberts, the Programme Director with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) for Well North Wales, a multi-agency programme aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of the poorest communities in North Wales.
In 2019, Glynne and other representatives of the multi-agency programme visited the Café from Crisis in Shoreditch, London. Glynne wanted to replicate their model in Bangor, creating a café that would provide fresh, ethically sourced food, and also operate a food bank and provide training and employment opportunities for people who had complex barriers to employment, including people recovering from addiction and related problems.
Glynne asked James Deakin if NWRC would run the café, to be called Bwyd Da Bangor, if BCUHB ensured the necessary funding. James worked with the Project Steering Group—including Gwynedd Council, North Wales Housing, Adra (a housing association), Bangor University, as well as the Town Clerk for Bangor—to work out a revenue model for the proposed initiative.
Glynne confirmed to James and the Steering Group members that BCUHB would provide the required level of funding (£300,000) for Bwyd Da Bangor on an annual basis. BCUHB found a building on Bangor High Street and a source of capital development funding (£160,000) from the Welsh Government (Circular Economy Funding) to set up the café.
The NWRC team refurbished the building, hired staff, and brought in items required for the café. They also attracted £200,000 from the Brexit Transition Fund, but this money didn’t come through until after James had put in £30,000 of his own money to keep things moving before the opening on 1 November 2021.
Bwyd Da developed a strong reputation for serving tasty, healthy and affordable meals. It acted as a platform for marginalised groups, hosting weekly mutual aid (AA, NA, CA) and dementia group meetings, informal gatherings for those with a gambling problem, and an adult autism club. Periodic music evenings took place, as well as evenings specifically for families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Bwyd Da provided training and skill development opportunities, as well as paid employment, for people who were recovering from a substance use or mental health problem, the impact of homelessness, and/or criminal justice issues. The Surplus Food Club at Bwyd Da, run by Steve Collings and his partner Rania Al-Aqaas, had a membership of 190 households who paid £5 a week to receive £20 – £40 worth of nutritious food.
Despite their initial promise of ongoing £300,000 support per annum, BCUHB contributed only £128,000 total in the last three years. They argued they never made such a commitment, despite making it to members of each Steering Group organisation. Gwynedd Council provided £130,000 and the NWRC charity (a minuscule organisation compared to BCUHB) £100,000 in 2023-2024.
James used his personal funds on a number occasions to make sure salaries were paid on time. In 2024, Gwynedd Council commissioned a report on Bwyd Da, demonstrating its social impact and highlighting the awful financial situation and explaining why it had occurred. A campaign petition was launched on change.org in 2025. BCUHB remained in denial.
Given the financial situation, James arranged for Bangor First, a non-profit organisation run by local businesses, to take over Bwyd Da. They expressed a commitment to the same aims as those of NWRC.
