New Town Community Roots

18/05/2026

A little while ago, someone suggested that we should change the door colour because the brown didn't fit the new look.

We took it on board, and have been working with Lee Stammers who has done something utterly magical. New Town is so lucky to have so much talent around us. Watch this space, there will be a lot more to share soon ❤️

17/05/2026

Sunday Morning at the Rec

16/05/2026

05/05/2026

Something exciting is starting to happen at what used to be the cafe on the rec. We're moving forwards with the rebrand and wanted to share the new colour of the Hollyhock Café… 🌿

We’ve begun transforming the outside of the building, and already it’s starting to feel less like a closed café, and more like a space that belongs to the community again.

The new colours have been chosen carefully:
🌱 Soft, calming greens to feel welcoming
🤍 Light, clean tones to brighten the space
🌳 A deeper green fascia to give it identity and presence

Over the next few days you'll see more colour added, but today was a huge win for us. It might seem like “just paint”… but to us, this is about so much more.

It’s about creating a place where:
☕ People can pop in and feel comfortable
💬 Conversations can happen naturally
🤝 Connections can grow

We’re not just decorating a building, we’re building something for New Town and Old Heath to be proud of.

There’s still plenty to do, and we’ll keep sharing the journey with you as we go. We’d love to hear what you think so far 👇

03/05/2026

Honestly, thank you to everyone that came to support the cafe today. Everyone was so supportive and positive, it really was amazing.

We're hoping to have the Hollyhock Café open for good food and good coffee by the end of May, so please keep an eye out for any further updates. ❤️

03/05/2026

Theo and I are at the cafe, enjoying the sun and the community market. If you want to find out more about what New Town Community Roots means for the area come and have a chat 😁

(also check out the market, it's a real vibe!)

25/03/2026

Good morning you beautiful bunch! We just wanted to say a massive thank you for the amazing responses we've had to our ongoing survey regarding a new community hub in New Town.

You've all been overwhelmingly positive, and we utterly love the feedback you've all provided. If you've not had the chance to fill our our survey, it takes only 5 minutes, and could help shape a brand new community hub in our community.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ELCIHbqNcUWwlNpytip4WHq3UouZx2FGnoj5PU40CaxUMUswR0pVU0pKSEhFSDRIQ1lWUkUwNTFPWS4u

20/03/2026

🌿 Good Morning, New Town 🌿

We hope you’re waking up well this morning 💚

As we continue working on New Town Community Roots in the background, we’re taking a moment to listen, because this isn’t just our project… it’s yours too.

We want to create a space that reflects the needs, ideas, and voices of our community. A place where people feel connected, supported, and proud to belong.

But to do that properly, we need your input 👇

📝 Have your say by filling in our short community survey

Your feedback will directly shape what we build, how we run it, and what it becomes.
Whether you live in New Town, Old Heath, or nearby, your voice matters.

✨ This is where New Town thrives.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ELCIHbqNcUWwlNpytip4WHq3UouZx2FGnoj5PU40CaxUMUswR0pVU0pKSEhFSDRIQ1lWUkUwNTFPWS4u

15/03/2026

Thank you so much to all the people who have filled out our survey so far! The feedback has been utterly amazing, we're so lucky to have such a supportive community.

If you haven't yet, you can fill out our survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/NXmSD463ad

Please feel free to share with everyone. All of the feedback is fantastic, it only takes five minutes, and is utterly invaluable

14/03/2026

Have you seen the news about the café at Old Heath Recreation Ground?

This unique local space could be closing… but we’re working hard behind the scenes to make sure that doesn’t happen.

For us, the café is more than just somewhere to grab a drink. It’s a place where people meet, families gather, friendships form, and the community comes together.
Our long term vision is to build a thriving community hub connecting New Town and Old Heath, and keeping spaces like this alive is a big part of that journey.

We’ll be sharing more updates soon as things develop.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you 👇
What would you like to see happen with the café and the space around it?
Your ideas, memories, and support really matter as we shape the future of this space together.

Read the article here:
https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/25930398.cafe-old-heath-recreation-ground-close/⁠

💬 Comment below with your thoughts
🔁 Share this so more local people can join the conversation

The café at the Old Heath Recreation Ground could close at the start of next month as Colchester Council has now ended the lease with its current…

12/03/2026

Good afternoon all and thank you for joining us on our journey! We're running a short public consultation about the possibility of a community hub in New Town, and were wondering if you could spare five minutes to fill out our survey.

Help shape the future community space.

https://forms.office.com/e/NXmSD463ad