Waltham Forest Street Café and ‘Chocolate and Chat’

In November 2018, the Waltham Forest Street Café was set up by Waltham Forest WIN member Jasmine Danish in collaboration with LoveLife Generation. Initially, the café was simple a few tables set up on a Sunday afternoon on a local street corner to offer residents an opportunity to stop and share a free hot drink and a chat. The project quickly grew, due to popular demand and extensive local support, to create a community on the street. Residents both young and old were able to connect over a coffee, a hot chocolate or a locally home-baked sweet treat, with chess and other activities also on hand, making the café into a bustling social hub. The project was paused due to the pandemic in 2020 but has since evolved into Chocolate and Chat led by Waltham Forest WIN Co-Chair Averil Pooten. This is run every Thursday during term time outside St. Barnabas Church in Waltham Forest and has become an intergenerational activity hub involving all faiths and none, where young and old locals are able to serve each other and connect.