We want to build a welcoming, thriving, local creative & cultural hub where stories, books & art representing the local community are on offer for & about everyone! A bustling vibrant space that feels like a real community hub with a focus on the diversity & unheard cultural voices of the local people.It looks like a place where dual-language books in every language spoken locally are being read, celebrated & sold.A place where Chinese lanterns hang freely from walls next to African fabrics, toys & instruments&books from all over the world. A place that feels like home where all are welcome to find books,flags & toys that represent not only their own culture, but their neighbours too. People will come together share&find out about each others' cultures through songs, local author meet/greets, story sessions for children/young adults This cultural extravaganza will be a celebration of South Norwood’s unique local character where nobody's left out & everyone is represented.

What we'll deliver:

• Revive unused space
• Help improve literacy of the area
• To provide a local community space where everyone is represented and celebrate local character
• Provide a space where children and adults can come to learn to read be exposed to books they can buy
• Improve the look of the high street and shop front
• Help local economy by providing jobs and training
• Give training to young people
• Help with homework and reading

Why it's a great idea:

With a growing local community made up over 150 different languages + people from all over the world, a local hub where people can come together to share & understand/experience each others culture would unite. With such a vibrant and diverse community, to have a place to read and share cultures would be the ultimate community bonding experience. The average age of people in South Norwood is 35 - families are being made who need access to books in English and their first languages too like 1.8% Polish, 1.1% French, 1.1% Portuguese, 0.6% Urdu, 0.5% Italian, 0.5% Spanish, 0.4% Tamil, 0.4% Arabic, 0.4% Turkish..to name a few! The population is 33.5% Black in South Norwood and to be able to provide a space where books, toys and artefacts are on offer to reflect the local community and the languages spoken locally would be the greatest community bonding experience using the arts, job creation, volunteering and education and local artisans.

Steps to get it done:

• Creating a space where a book in every language spoken in the area is included

Whilst learning about each other, through multicultural books, inclusive content, music, storytime & toys from all the world the local South Norwood Community will be realising that there is more that unites than divides us. Bringing many different communities together in a disused space will show that there is a community keen to be together if there were an opportunity.There is a massive mosque just a few metres away, a buddhist temple + churches of many denominations nearby.This space will unite, educate & celebrate communities through multicultural books, toys and entertainment. Cultural Sharing is key to understanding! There is so much knowledge in books about us all is , but finding books, especially childrens' where there is representation is hard.Schools, nurseries+early years provisions will be able to benefit and it will make the local environment more enhanced. It will welcome and involve everyone + offer a space to read and learn about local cultures and languages together