Tottenham Cafe Connect is a project in Down Lane Park to turn a disused bowling green and club into a multi-purpose community hub and indoor and outdoor cafe for Tottenham. Local charities Living Under One Sun (LUOS) and HAIL partnered for the project and won the lease from Haringey Council.

The transformation is already well underway but they are on the look out for volunteers with varied skills to help reach completion by Spring 2018. The space is intended to be a place to meet neighbours, share skills and ideas, make new friends, have fun, be fit, grow food, showcase talent and hold regular festivals and events.

Leyla of LUOS explained, ‘Everyone is welcome. We can all contribute in different ways, bringing the positive changes we want to see in our neighbourhoods.’

LUOS have been working in the local community for over 12 years creating community meeting and growing spaces for health and well-being.

In the autumn of 2017 they launched a Spacehive crowd funding campaign, successfully securing further support from the community and the Mayor of the London, raising £45,000 to help refit the building and create community gardening, carpentry and healthy eating activities.

‘It’s been an incredible journey working closely with the nursery next door, the park’s staff, residents and Haringey Council to do lots of repairs, lights, heating and hot water, ventilation and the shower rooms. We’ve had fantastic contributions from volunteer architects in particular Simon. Diamond Build local Tottenham builders have been on site since January.’

If you’d like to get involved in making Tottenham Cafe Connect a vibrant community hub, you can contact volunteer@tottenhamcafeconnect.org or call Leyla on 07435 969312. You can keep up to date with the project via their Facebook page.