Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A new café in Lambeth’s Vauxhall area is being launched through crowdfunding to create a welcoming space aimed at bringing the local community together.
More than 150 people contributed £30,000 to Crowdfund Lambeth to transform a Vauxhall location—once a tavern and later a community center—into a welcoming cafe for families.
The Roam Café team exceeded their initial goal with the support of £5,000 in match funds from Crowdfund Lambeth. Anything over the goal will go toward funding the play area’s and role-playing area’s equipment.
The Roam Café, which got its name from local families who needed a place for their kids to run around, will also have a specially designed play area downstairs with a climbing frame, role-playing games, a baby-safe area, and a store selling used toys and clothes.
This will allow for a circular economy, which lowers waste and fly-tipping while also saving families money.
The shortage of funds available to start-ups that are not for profit is the reason behind the choice to crowdfund the initiative. Charlotte (Charlie) Gibb, the creator of the Crowdfund project, is an advocate for companies that have a social impact and ties to the community.
Since 2021, Charlie, Tamsin, the Community Connection advocate, and Naomi, the soon-to-be cafe manager, have assisted in managing the neighborhood Little Stars playgroup and established the Roam café as a Community Interest Company (CIC) through Crowdfunding. To keep parents enthusiastic about the area, they posted design concepts on Instagram.
“Anyone raising young children knows the days when everything feels overwhelming and lonely. For families in flats, there’s the added stress of trying to keep little feet quiet and toys from flying about. We’ve spoken to many families locally who share the same struggles, so we started to imagine what we could to do change this”.
For local women who are having trouble finding a job, all three Roam Café locations will provide employability placements that will help them develop their skills and confidence.
You might qualify for Lambeth Council match financing of up to 50% of your crowdfund goal (£5,000 maximum). You will be required to make a statement on your match-funding application form explaining how your project satisfies the requirements.
Read the Terms & Conditions and the related advisory notes carefully before submitting your application. The project must support one or more of the three goals and the Lambeth Golden Thread of Equity and Justice, which comprise our new Borough Plan Lambeth 2030 Outcomes.
How will the café measure its impact connecting the community?
Tracking the number of visitors to the café including families, children, and local residents to assess how well it attracts and serves the community. Monitoring attendance and feedback from events, workshops, and activities held at the café that foster social connections and community involvement.
Measuring the utilization of the play area and the pre-loved children’s clothes and toys shop as indicators of the café meeting family and sustainability needs. Recording the number of volunteers and staff from the local community engaged in running the café, reflecting community ownership and empowerment.
Collecting qualitative feedback through surveys and informal conversations to understand visitor satisfaction, needs, and suggestions for improvements.