Cafe Conscious and the CRF

Right, good afternoon. um, thank you for sparing me some time. Um, I've known you for a while, haven't I, but just for purposes of the camera, can you state your name and your community interest company and what you provide for the community? OK, so my name's Denise. I'm the founder of Cafe Conscious in Barton Hill

Um, we've been established for 11 years, 10 years as a Jamaican restaurant, a year as a community interest company. Um, I suppose the reason why we started off in the beginning was when my son got diagnosed with autism. What a space that, um, parents could come with their children

He's got children with disabilities. OK, excellent, thanks. Um, so you applied for the Community Resilience Fund, you were successful, which is great

Um, so you were allocated a portion of funding, so what did you, um, dedicate the money to? What have you spent the money on? So as you can see around this place, yeah, we have decorated throughout. OK. We have new lighting

Yeah, I really love the lighting, yeah, nice. So furniture, yeah. We have this gorgeous

Counter that was specially made for us, wow, yes, absolutely gorgeous. Um, made to measure counter to go with the aesthetic of what we want in here, we want like a natural organic green type welcoming space. Yeah

Um, we've had a projector, so we are looking to hire the place out for events and things like that to bring extra income in. We have. Computer desk over here, made to measure

So we have a lot of um adults with learning disabilities come and elders who don't have access to technology, um. And also we've train up as well people here get qualified, so we've had this set up ready for them to come do courses, online courses, and also for adults with learning disability because we've noticed by what we do in the community, a lot have been scammed online. So we've set this up brilliant for people

So over here we've had our cupboards made. Yeah. Absolutely gorgeous, made to measure cupboards

So, to keep our stocking and everything. um inside is filled with. Oh, we, yeah, we've had it specially, oh, no, not at the moment, but we've had, we've bought a load of things to put in there

We've all got it separated for mops, brooms, chemicals, cleaning materials, and everything else to fit in, um. So Let me see, in there we've got a new baby changing station that's got to be put together cos we want it to be welcoming for everybody, so. We've got this shelf in to go up

We've had this made as well, along with the counter. So. Now we go, oh, extractor

That was really huge job, have an instructor. I didn't realise at the time. I thought when they come in they'll just fit the extractor and all the electrics is done as well, but that's not the case, it doesn't go like that

So we had to get that fitted electrics fitted afterwards. So new equipment. Marie Our new oven

Our new griddle, new tables to go on there. We didn't know as well that when ovens come, that they don't come with. What's it called, like a lead and a plug attached to it, so we've got to get the electrician out to have a lead attached to it

So really random. Also we've got some steel, um, I don't know what they're called, sheets, that's gotta go alongside here as well. Oh, to protect the wall from the heats, yeah, yeah, yep, so a lot of this stuff has still got all the, yeah, I can see covering on

Yeah, excellent. Yes, it's all new. Um, here we had all this made to measure as well, all our cupboards, this is yet to be sorted out, but we're still doing work in here

New toaster, um, new salad, cold bar. That's new. Oh gosh

Hot cupboards. We've had to get. Cause all of our um

Cut all our plates and stuff before was like um for at home, so we've had to get proper commercial all of that. I can see that it's quite durable, quite thick isn't it well it was all chipped and it's like who, we don't care, but people don't like chipped cups and stuff like that. So we've had to get a separate sink

Um, over here, I've made to measure again. So we've yet to wait for another plumber to come in and connect something else. That'll be coming over here, new cups, new trolley

Oh, this as well, so we had to get someone in to angle grind it down, the legs, cos we managed to get it secondhand. But because it was so high, we've had to um have things altered in here. So we didn't expect that to happen as well

um in there is a bit of a, oh, dishwasher. Yeah. But the thing is, is how expensive these things are, like so much different from what you have at home, like a commercial one

The price is just mad. So out here. So sink, we've had new fridges and freezers put in

Oh, what we didn't know when we took out the old kitchen is that this lovely thing here is sticking out. So we had to change all of our plans um because this was unexpected. We've had loads of plumbing work in here

Another thing that happened is the. Oh gosh, the boiler in the bathroom. So that was a boiler for like what you would have in your house, your home

So because of all the extra equipment and the wattage on certain things, that had to be upgraded, so we didn't expect that, um, which is a little bit annoying, it's that the people that we have got, the tradespeople, like they're really good. So we can't just phone them up and say, can you come, we've gotta wait for them to come. And And then they get delayed

It's just, yeah, it's been, they're in demand. They, yeah they are, but I'd rather go with someone that's like very good and trusted and you know they're doing a good job. So we've had the floor done

Nice. The floor, so this is meant to be um like a new LVT I think it's called. We were told it's commercial

I'm not happy with the floor at all, like I am absolutely, this is, I think this is the only thing that I'm really not pleased with is the floor. But um we had to have, we had to empty out everything out and get the floor, um, what was it, levelled? Yeah, so that was a really big job. That was a massive job, that was, that took a couple of weeks, just that alone

Yeah. Um, up here we've had, oh gosh, because we've had a new electric board fitted, we've had new electrics go throughout. Yeah

Yeah, we've had um I can't remember what lighting they call this, but we've had all new lighting put in to make it more, what's the word, I can't remember what the word is. Is it LED lighting? I know it's better for, I know it's meant to be better. I can't remember, sorry, didn't quote me on that

No, no, it's fine, but it's all. Yeah. Oh my gosh, I can't remember the bloody name of it, but it's all been done, all the electrics has been changed, all the, and all the lighting's been changed, and we've got

Is it, is it lights, yeah, is it different lighting that you that, that then you'd get in somewhere like Tesco because. Those lights are very bright and they cause a certain reaction in the brain, so for people that are sent, let's say, maybe this lighting is, well, this one I think is like better for the environment, I think it's out. Oh, that as well, yeah, yeah, yes, is that one, but what we have got, because we're very minor, mindful of like sensory needs, yes, like when he done the electrics, we can have all different kinds of lighting in here

And moods. Oh, I see. So if young people come and the lighting's too much, we can have different moods of lighting

So electrics have been all switched up and changed, so we can do that as well. Excellent. Yes

Um, That's great, thank you for showing me that. Um, So the next question, uh, which you, you have answered in part, er, what difference has this funding made to the staff here and the wider community? So even if you're not fully functioning at the moment, what, what difference do you think it will make in the, in the coming future? This place has been like that hub of like Barton Hill and like. We've got alternate learning provision school right there which I am a school um counsellor for

I obviously send. We've got the doctor's surgery there. We have, um, high percentage of elders in the area, high high amount of people with um

Like, oh gosh, um, like there's a lot of people with addictions and stuff like that in the area and there's nowhere for them. So this has always been like the hub for people to come. This has been

But the thing is, we've been here so long and because of certain things that's happened in the area, we are the actual like hub. Of Barton Hill, yes, um, yeah, safe space. Yeah, excellent, excellent

How did you find um filling out the application form and the application process? God. Did you? Yeah, I'm not used to writing grants. No, no, the thing is we are, we've always been independent here

Like I don't, if, if we're independent, then we have like an independent voice, so. Yeah, I'm not used to writing grants out. Yeah, so you found it quite difficult, yeah, yeah, I did

Um, that, that's, that's fair enough. Um, what made you apply specifically for this grant opportunity, so for the CRF fund. To be honest, I didn't think I was gonna get it

Like, I filled out the application and I had nothing in, and I just thought I'm not gonna get it, so I just applied. So you were happy when you did get it. Oh my God, I couldn't believe it

Like literally, it's like, you know, when you see something you think, is that real? Like, let me read it again. Let me read it again. Let me read it again again, yeah, yeah, yeah, excellent

Um, so what has impacted the delivery of your project? So from filling out the form, receiving the funding, and then delivering the upgrades and changes which I can see you're doing, as you, have you had any setbacks? Setbacks from day one. Setbacks. Do you know what? I thought this refurb, I thought, yeah, it'd take, give me a week or two, empty out the shop, um, oh, it won't take long

Oh my gosh, like going on and on, yeah. We done our backs in because, yeah, there were things that I didn't think about like how heavy the counter was before. Like it was so heavy, we couldn't lift it

Um, we put a load of things outside that was meant to come back in the shop, that all got nicked. Oh no, yep, um, setbacks, oh. I, I don't even know where to bloody begin

I'm just glad it's nearly the end. Put it that way. It was hard work

Um, I totally underestimated what a refurb would be. Don't ever do a refurb when you've got, um, children were sent, where you work full time and you're a single mom. Don't recommend it to anybody

Next time I will get somebody in to oversee everything, everything, and start to, start to finish. And there was things that I didn't even think of, like, literally, I didn't even know it existed or had to be done that I've learned along the way. So no, do you know what, I take that back, it has been a good learning curve

Learning curve, yeah, very good, excellent, very good learning curve. Have your future plans changed since receiving the grant? Um, I would say yes, but not because of, um, I would say yes, only in terms of the bus gates that's now in front of the cafe, which have now cut off like all passing trade. So now I think we've had to change up the menu, um

Uh, change up the menu, and we've had to take a step back and like reevaluate because essentially we've had to start again from like a brand new business and look at it at a different angle as well. So from the perspective of receiving the funding and getting so much changed here, has the grant changed your future plans? Do you feel more optimistic about the future or so much more optimistic, even though it's like not. I'm not, we're not happy about what's happening out there, but for this place, absolutely more optimistic

I think taking that step back and not rushing as well because there's been many times that I've had to wait for a tradesperson and I've had to wait weeks for another tradesperson who cancelled and just all the way through and I've just taken that step back and thinking actually what do you actually, what would you love to. Because there's so much things missing in Bristol and this now is gonna be the place where things that are missing in Bristol is gonna happen and we're gonna make it happen here, not just Bristol, all over. So I'm really looking forward to running workshops with our new projector and our new furniture

Like I'm really looking forward to the projects that we that we got coming our way. Excellent. Um, if you hadn't received the grant, where would your organisation be? What would you have done if you hadn't received the funding? Um, I gotta be just totally honest, I think I would have given up

Really? Yeah, wow, yeah, I think I would have given up. I think the amount of it's been, I mean it's been a tough couple of times for a couple of years for a lot of people, but I think I would have like walked away, yeah, so I think this has given me like a purpose and something to focus on as well, yeah, so I definitely, I think, yeah, I. Honestly, I probably would have walked away

Wow, OK, so it's made a quite a big impact then massive, massive, I mean look at it. Like it is absolutely gorgeous. This is how, when I first had opened a shop, this is how I envisioned how it would look, but of course, like, didn't realise the amount of level and money

Everything was secondhand, free to collector. So now the shop is how I envisioned how it would look like 11 years ago. So yeah, I'm very happy, very happy, um

If money was no object, so it's time to just dream crazy, if money was no object, what would your priority be for the future, where would you like to take this organisation to? So, I mean, Just dream big, would you like to put another level on? Would you like to buy the shop next door, um, absolutely anything, anything, yeah, just dream, like imagine you won the lottery. If I won the lottery, yeah, so we've got an allotment, yeah, and that is for young people with who's in alternate learning provision to work on and stuff like that, and people who um. There's so many lonely people out there and isolated people out there

So my, my, if I had the money, if I had the lottery, I would buy a little small holding and we would be off grid and it'd be a healing centre retreat. And we would have people come here and have work experience and get qualifications. Uh, we would set people up to like have their own business, young people

Um, especially as vulnerable young people, that's what we would do here. And we would have somewhere. As well that children could come and be barefoot and be in nature, especially children with sand, and we would have rescue animals, so that's what I absolutely love that would be amazing

Yeah, I, I regularly tell my daughter, well, she, she always wants to take her shoes off and I'm like, yep, because connecting with. Grass and the mud and electrolytes, electrolyte, yeah, and the thing is children would send like in nature literally, so I would love a heat and retreat because I'm a trained alternative therapist as well, so that's what I would love to do and I would have little yurts and little cabins. Yeah, brilliant

Um, was there anything different or unique about the resilience fund? Application or process compared with other funding opportunities that you might have applied for. So did you, did you find it more clunky, difficult or easier and more straightforward? I found it difficult because I'm not used to writing grants. So I found it really difficult

Like the only grant I got before that, I think was like for 500 pounds for like a community grant. We've always, always always, always been independent here. So I found it really difficult

Yeah. Did you find the support was um on hand or was it difficult to get hold of people or I just say Sona with BSWN is my rock. Like she is my sona if you're watching this

I absolutely love you. Like literally when I was like really down at times when it was getting too much, she picked me up. Like she has been absolutely amazing, um, like really amazing

Um, Natalie as well at BSWN has been absolutely amazing. But Sona, you've been my. Uh, she's held me up

She's kept me going. Excellent. I, I spoke to Sona

She knows her stuff. She's, she's just amazing. Like I don't know what I would have done without her help and support

Brilliant. I'll pass that on. I'll pass that on

I can, I can see how much I don't think I would have done, like got through all of this without her. Right, yeah, brilliant, yeah. Uh, lastly, last question, how do you feel about the Community resilience Fund? Has it met your expectations and would you apply again if the opportunity arose? Yeah, absolutely

Um, I suppose I've never heard of it before I applied. I can, I just remember seeing the application because, um, I didn't know anything about it, and I know I got turned down first of all, and then something happened, someone else they were meant to give the funding to. Um, they wasn't able to get it, and that's how I come in

So it's just purely, it was meant to be. It was meant to be, absolutely. Yes, very grateful

Um, that is it. Is there absolutely anything else you wanna show me, tell me, put forward, say, absolutely anything. Anything at all

So I'm just really happy. We're nerdy there, we're nerdy there. Um, I'm very, very optimistic, um

Don't ever underestimate a refurb, like literally it's hard work. It is very hard work. Yes, um

And also life gets in the way as well. So. I would, do you know what, look at it, that's all I can say and what we're gonna do here as well and who is gonna benefit and who this is for, like, really, like it's gonna be amazing

Excellent. Alright, thank you so much for your time. Thank you, cheers

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