The Cann River community celebrated a major milestone on Monday, August 31, with the official opening of the Fern & Feather Community Owned Training Cafe, designed to address the challenges of regional isolation by providing local education, hospitality training, and employment pathways.
The official launch was attended by several special guests, including local State MP Tim Bull and Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester, alongside local residents, volunteers, and project partners.
Cann River Community Centre Manager Tiffany Russell said the cafe represents a practical, community-led solution to the limited training and job opportunities often faced by remote towns.
“This cafe started with a simple idea — that in a small, remote community like ours, we need to create our own opportunities,” Ms Russell said. “We know that living in a rural community can sometimes mean limited access to employment, training, and education opportunities, particularly for our young people. We wanted to create something that would help change that — something local, practical, and community-led.”
Ms Russell explained that Fern & Feather is a space where locals can learn, gain confidence and develop foundational workplace skills.
Through the cafe, the community centre will deliver hands-on hospitality experience, including barista and food safety training.
A central element of the program is a partnership with Cann River P-12 College, which will allow local students to gain real-world workplace experience.
The initiative focuses on building essential skills such as communication, teamwork, responsibility, and customer service.
As a community-owned venture, all profits generated by the cafe will be reinvested directly back into Cann River to support local employment, youth programs, arts and crafts, social gatherings, and community events.
The establishment of Fern & Feather was made possible through support and investment from the East Gippsland Shire Council, the Fire to Flourish Resilience Grant, the Gippsland Community Foundation and Cann River P-12 College.
Ms Russell acknowledged the collective effort of the community in bringing the project to fruition.
“We are incredibly grateful – we also want to acknowledge everyone who has contributed along the way – our staff, volunteers, partners, local businesses, school community and, of course, the people of Cann River who continue to support the Community Centre and the work that we do,” Ms Russell said.
“We hope Fern & Feather becomes a place where people feel welcome – whether you’re here for your morning coffee, learning your first barista skill, meeting a friend, supporting a local trainee or simply being part of the community.”
