Our Community Hub - the heart of our social enterprise4 years ago
We're a not-for-profit vegan cafe and community hub incubating grassroots positive activism. We need to maximise our potential for social change by improving our spaces to better serve our community.
Just off Brick Lane in East London, The Canvas is a blank canvas for innovation, creativity and positivity that supports the growth of new ideas that improve the lives of others. We offer free space to community groups and charities in return for a small donation to our Pay it Forward board that feeds the homeless. We're 5 years old this year, and have achieved incredible things in our current space, enabling the growth of 50+ events and ideas every month. But, as our community have told us, much of our space is only just adequate... and that is not good enough. We have a commitment to the community ideas we are incubating, and they deserve an adaptable, fresh and welcoming space to grow. We asked our community what they'd like to see more of; recycling initiatives, a garden project, pay-it-forward childcare that feeds the homeless. All this is possible with your help. Please support us in maximising The Canvas' potential as a platform and launchpad for positive social change.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
London is amazing, but it's big and sometimes we can feel disconnected from others. The Canvas is proof that if you offer Londoners space to be amazing, they will be. We host 50+ events every single month, all of them around improving mental and physical health, tackling loneliness, encouraging creativity, and championing equality and sustainability. The Canvas offers Londoners a zone 1 event space, dedicated to being a platform for positive social change; and we're even feeding the homeless along the way. With our current facilities we can provide 200 meals at Crisis a month; we want to increase this to 400+, and partner with more shelters in the area. Since '14 we've enabled the launch of 100s of ideas to London. Our Community Hub hosts a different event every single day: mental health support for young people, community housing co-ops, LGBTQ+ peer-led groups, animal welfare meet ups, free mindfulness and family yoga. But the space isn't being used to its full potential... YET!
Steps to get it done:
The Canvas is completely independent, and owned by ex-actress and puppeteer Ruth Rogers. Launched in '14 as a space for the community that could be a blank canvas for positivity and creativity, it has evolved over the years to become a living, breathing embodiment of all the best parts of humanity: generosity, positivity, kindness, hope and love. We are striving to build a successful business model based on generosity, and believe that humans are amazing; you just need to give them space to be so.
Gallery
Journey
Follow this project You are following this project for updates to your inbox
Click on the pink tape measure to see the report!
Hi everyone - and big apologies for the radio silence, but a global pandemic sure throws all your plans up into the air! But we're back open - and providing regular free home cooked meals to people in need in our local area (soon to be 250 meals every week!), thanks to the new kitchen equipment your support enabled 💪 - and there are hugely exciting plans being drawn up for the continuation of our refurbishment. Our newly renovated Community Hub will be reopening for events in the autumn, subject to government guidelines, and we'll start the large work on the basement space, garden and cafe by the end of the year - expect changes much larger than we ever dreamed, thanks to the input of an incredible design team, offering their services free of charge. We are so incredibly lucky, and will be posting photos on here as the work starts. Much love and thanks, Ruth and Team Canvas x
How will the money be spent?Target (inc. fees) £20,906
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Target (inc. fees) £20,906
Our Volunteer List
Want to help?
Do you have stuff or skills to contribute to this project? Use this tool to offer something to the project creator.
VolunteerWhen we opened in 2014, we were a team of just five.
We wanted to create a space tackling loneliness and isolation, and so invited customers to share their thoughts, ideas, secrets and stories on the walls; our ever-evolving piece of live art that makes us a true blank canvas to everyone who walks through our door.
In 2015, we became London's first Happy Cafe, making a commitment to Action for Happiness' 10 keys to happier living.
In 2016, we opened up the room next to our garden and gifted it to the Museum of Happiness for a year-long residency.
In 2017, we launched our Community Hub, creating a free events space specifically for Londoners with great ideas that will improve the lives of others.
In 2018, our Cafe became 100% vegan, because it's the most cruelty-free option for ourselves, animals, and the planet. It's a form of positive social action, which is what we are all about.
Towards the end of last year, we launched our Hot Meals for the Homeless campaign, providing much-needed hot meals for the homeless members of the Crisis Skylight Centre. So far, we've provided over 400 meals and have many more to come.
Now, in 2019, we're a team of fourteen passionate people, running a multi-faceted Community and Creative venue that hosts between 50-60 events every month. We're a thriving vegan Cafe serving home-made, locally sourced and seasonal breakfasts, lunches and treats, and - crucially - we are a vision for the future, where hope and humanity are prioritised over profits.
Project Owner: Gossip Projects Limited The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
Contractor: Darren Keene The team responsible for building or installing the project.
Find me at:
