Case Study

How now or never turned into a dream come true

10 Sep. 2026

From single-handedly raising her four children to organising mum’s walking and talking groups, being there for others is a quality Betty lives by. When she in turn needed support to realise her dream of opening a community focussed café near her home in Clayton, the karma stars aligned in the form of Ingeus, Momentic, and the Restart Scheme. 

The Restart Scheme is delivered by Ingeus and its partners across Greater Manchester, providing help, including self-employment advice, to jobseekers. Wanting to combine her past hospitality experience with her faith-driven skills helping others, Osaretin – fondly known as Betty – realised it was ‘now or never’. After two years’ unemployment, she enthusiastically began planning with her Restart self-employment advisor, Austin. 

“I spent years working as a barista and just loved talking to people,” says Betty, who also founded a hugely popular daily walking group for mums at one of her children’s schools. 

“I met people from all over the world. Some would share their stories, their problems, but I’d always feel the pressure to get back to work. I want to combine the two – to create a welcoming, inclusive space where I can give time to people who need it.” 

With Austin’s support, and specialist self-employment advice from Andy at Ingeus’ partner, Momentic, that space soon became Café Bee Earth Angel CIC at Clayton’s Sure Start Centre. Named after one of Betty’s walking group described her as an ‘earth angel’, the café is open Monday to Friday, providing light snacks and drinks to families, care providers and other local residents. 

Betty continues: “I’d never set up a business before but just knew I had to follow my passion; to build a community where people could come and know they’re not alone. Parts of my life have been very difficult but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel – I want to help people know that.” 

With help from Austin, Betty was provided with a laptop and mobile phone, completed her business documentation, and acquired a till. Andy assisted with registering the business as a community enterprise and provided licensing guidance, and Momentic also hosted webinars on business panning, and social media. The café opened on 1st April 2026 and is already an established favourite for many of the family hub’s visitors. It is hoped that Betty will soon train care leavers at the café, providing volunteer work experience. 

“The help I had from the Restart Scheme was amazing,” concludes Betty, who hopes to soon invest in a professional barista coffee machine. “They were there for me when I needed it, and Austin is still in touch to make sure everything’s running smoothly.  

“They listened and believed in me. They gave me practical help and encouragement. I am so grateful. That gentle support pushed me to where I wanted to be. It’s a dream come true.”