It wasn’t just about setting up in a location. It was about being welcomed into a vision that matched our own one rooted in connection, openness, and community.
Before Streets Ahead had a home, we had been searching for a building for a long time with no funding and constant knockbacks. Doors kept closing, opportunities fell through and it often felt like the right space simply wasn’t out there for us. Then everything changed.
It all began with the kindness and belief of Julie Dodd and Suzanne Folkard, landlords of the Castle Street empty Saffron Café, and an empty building a space that would later go on to become Chatterbox Community Café.
Before the coffee machine, before the tables, before the name on the door, there was simply an open space and a generous invitation. Julie and Suzanne believed in what could be created there, and more importantly, they believed in giving us the chance to explore an idea that was still finding its feet.
They offered us that empty space not just as a physical place, but as an opportunity to experiment, to imagine, and to create something for people to come together around. That belief gave Streets Ahead its very first home.
For six weeks, that empty building became our testing ground. Our first real chance to bring Streets Ahead to life, the space was run by students from EKC College Art Department, working alongside artists, designers, and Catching Lives clients. Together, they brought the space to life and turned it into a safe, welcoming space for everyone.
We watched the building slowly transform not just with paint and displays, but with people. Strangers became familiar faces, conversations sparked through creativity. Art became a reason to pause, connect, and explore.
It wasn’t just about setting up in a location. It was about being welcomed into a vision that matched our own one rooted in connection, openness, and community.
After our six weeks came to an end, the space continued its journey and went on to become the much-loved and successful Chatterbox Community Café that it is today.
Those first six weeks were powerful. They showed us that what we were building really mattered, that people wanted spaces like this. That creativity could sit comfortably alongside everyday life.
And that’s where our story truly began.
