"Since coming to the community hub and being in such a comfortable, welcoming and lovely place that instantly brings so much love and positivity to our day it's made a difference and you don't feel alone especially with being a SEN parent and having limited places to go to where my son who is very complex and challenging is accepted and treat so well and can be cheeky and run about and laugh and squeal without not even a dirty look like alot of places which is horrible, it's a place where each child no matter what their need is can explore, eat and play and the parents can sit and chat and relax with so much ease! I've known the 2 kindest, caring and amazing ladies that own the cafe/community hub since riley was 2 and he's not nearly 6 and the relationship that has blossomed throughout the years is fantastic ❤️!"
Alisha Richmond
We feel it’s important to share our testimonial with everyone about Marc and Shane
We first met Marc when he was an East Marsh PCSO in 2022. He regularly visited the shop in Freeman Street and we quickly built a rapport with him. We found his dedication to the community was something special and he’s taught us most of what we know now. We’ve all become friends. He spent a lot of time in our space talking to children and parents. He included us in setting up a youth football team and various other things like NELheros. He’s since moved jobs and works with Veterans but checks in daily and pops in and out still giving us any help we might need.
Shane
We met Shane around the same time when him and his wife visited for uniform for their daughter. I then cut her hair for them.
He then visited for staff uniforms and we told him about our toy appeal. £96000 worth of toys to be collected and distributed. That was it off he went and organised it all. Bloody amazing, children from park house was all involved. Since then he’s also helped us with so much and never asked for anything in return. Maybe a sausage bun. Kerrie suggested we made him a Director of the CIC and well that’s that he’s now fully invested in building our community. Shane puts 110% into supporting children in the community and truly deserves recognition for it.
Great things from great
people
Kerrie and Rebecca
"As a woman on her own I really enjoy coming to the community hub as you always have someone who you can talk to and have a coffee you are always made welcome and I hope I have made some friends by coming it doesn't matter how busy they are you can always rely on them to have a smile and are always ready to talk I call this my safe space because I know I can always just pop even if I just have one cuppa and nothing else we need a place like this xx"
Rose Bell
Cafe Delight is a welcoming, inclusive space at the heart of our community. It’s used by people of all ages, from children and parents to older residents and has become a trusted community space for connection, support, and local events at a reasonable price, making it affordable for all to enjoy.
What sets CaféeDelight apart is how deeply it’s connected to the community around it. Parents regularly use the space to run groups that help tackle loneliness and create support networks, especially for those who might otherwise feel isolated. Local initiatives like SEN Superheroes and the Uniform Event have been able to grow and reach more people thanks to the support offered by the café.
The support that both Kerrie and Rebecca and Cafe Delight as a whole have given to other local events, like the Uniform Event, has made a real difference across the community. Their willingness to share the space, their time, and their encouragement has helped grassroots projects thrive. They support a whole system of local groups, and the effort they both make helps improve everyday life for many within their community.
The cafe itself is warm, open, and full of potential. With the right support, it could expand what it already does so well offering more sessions, reaching more people, and strengthening its role as a vital community resource.
Angel High
East Marsh Community Space is a fantastic venue, with an inclusive, relaxed, friendly atmosphere and 2 wonderful ladies at the helm, who nothing is too much trouble for. They cater to everyone's requests, go out of their way to ensure the local community has accessible events and offers and work with local organisations to ensure that no one goes without. The space and equipment available to hire is wonderful and can be made to fit any event, from a children's party to a calming, sensory friendly environment for those who are easily dysregulated. I always know that my needs will be met, whatever I ask for, with a friendly face an positive attitude. I couldn't ask for more.
Claire Sheppard
My first dealings with the two entrepreneurs who run the East Marsh Community Hub was as head teacher of a local school . They came to me with a with a simple but powerful idea: to provide families with affordable school uniforms. What started as a practical solution to ease financial pressure quickly revealed a deeper truth—local people were in need of much more than uniforms. They needed services that were local, familiar, and rooted in trust.
Through listening to residents and being present in the heart of the East Marsh, they discovered that many community members felt disconnected from services that were either too far away, too complex to access, or simply not designed with their needs in mind. They responded by changing the role of the Uniform Hut into a welcoming, accessible space where everyone is treated with dignity and understanding - hence the East Marsh Community Hub was born!
Today, East Marsh Community Hub offers a wide and growing range of support:
• Warm, friendly drop-in sessions that reduce isolation and foster connection.
• Support navigating services like housing, benefits, and mental health care.
• Activities for children and families, ensuring the hub is a place for all generations.
• A trusted environment where people feel safe asking for help.
We continue to grow by listening first and acting with care. Any funding they receive means they would be able to expand and strengthen their services, and provide consistent, high-quality support that meets people where they are—right here in East Marsh.
I feel privileged to be able to say I was there at the very start of their amazing journey and have supported them as they supported the families of my school.
May 2025
Sarah Pollard
I have known both Rebecca and Kerrie for many years; infact, I used to teach both of their children. Our relationship has changed considerably over the years; moving from one of parent - teacher to now one of mutual supporters.
We began our professional relationship when the ladies approached me to start producing leavers hoodies for my year 6 pupils. I loved the idea and immediately got on board. The uniform side went from strength to strength. They were such keen community supporters that they started to provide us with free uniform items for vulnerable families. With school budgets being so tight, this was a lifeline for our families. As the business began to develop into the community hub, we started to benefit from the most amazing donations for our families. The list ranges from uniform, to food, to Easter eggs, to Christmas presents, to sanitary products - you name it, they can find it! And most recently the move towards the community cafe has developed our relationship even further with them inviting pupils to the cafe for a VE Day celebration and now providing us with 80 free lunches for May half term for vulnerable families.
In summary, I don’t know what we would do without them. They’re the best of the best!
Kate Steward - Principal OSPA
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