Report transcript in: Cafe Conscious and the CRF

Please Report the Errrors?

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,

you were allocated a portion of funding,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

yep,

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.

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

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

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,

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,

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?

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

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,

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,

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,

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 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,

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

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,

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.

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

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 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

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 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 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.

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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Posted By

Author

LaurenWT

Post date

04/11/2025