It was in the easy, generally fatuous conversation of an impromptu Monday morning trip to Chestnuts Park that our idea was born. With the older ones safely at school, we were wrapped up against the unusually chilly early summer breeze, chasing the younger ones around the playground.
My working situation had recently changed and as my new, but good friend, Renee, asked me what was next, I expressed my long held desire to do something that was right here, right now, like use that old, recently empty building to start a community café. I expressed it wistfully, as if it were a pipe dream, never to come true. Renee’s reaction both started and settled our decision to go into this together. She has expertise and passion for nutritional health, particularly for communities and families and had already attended some seminars about how to start a social enterprise. I asked if I may jump on the band wagon and, with Renee graciously accepting, a partnership was born.
Our skills complement each other, our kids are good friends, we live close together, but what seems most important to both of us is the desire to do something that could and should be good for the community which we love.
One meeting later, I had been introduced to the true genius that is foodcycle and was as convinced as Renee said I would be that using surplus food to feed others, affordably, ethically, was definitely that way ahead. We are committed to doing this well and doing it right, or what’s the point. We will not compromise the rules we each try to live by. It might seem cheesy, but cheesy I am and the wonderful Gandhi quotation would not leave my mind: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world”. I have this stuck to my fridge. It might not be the world, but our little corner of N15 would be a start.
Many of the decisions we have made have been as organically natural as that first one. Our name, Filling the Gap, came into being over peppermint tea, caramel biscuits and fruit whilst sitting at Renee’s table with four smaller versions of ourselves after school one day. Unaware that we were brainstorming, Renee came up with this gem, which worked on so many levels; in our community, in nutritional needs, physically in tummies and to some extent, our careers, which have been consciously slowed for family reasons, we could not help but fall in love with it. We have even been blessed enough to be offered a free venue by our friend Louisa. It is well known by the young families we hope to see most of, has a great kitchen and it’s FREE. Ok, so it’s not that disused building, but it’s an amazing place to start. The bigger space will come in time and we have dreams to fill it; apprenticeships, cooking classes, tutoring, a real community space. We have had to reign in the dreams for now, if only to find a starting point.
I know that nothing is certain when you start a business, especially a social enterprise, but we both feel excited and confident. For me it’s a God thing, for Renee, I think it’s a sign that it’s meant to be also. Meetings are scheduled and black ball point pens are poised to fill in forms, we await the next development eagerly.
Any advice or contacts would be massively appreciated.
Please email us fillingthegapcommunitycafe@gmail.com
