The Canvas Cafe E1

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The Canvas Cafe E1

Humans are amazing; they just need space to be so. The Canvas is that space. The Canvas for Change podcast: https://shows.acast.com/the-canvas-for-change

18/05/2026

Tomorrow we begin phase 2 of the co-design process for the Canvas Network - bringing together another group of wonderful independent cafe owners to help shape what this becomes.

Over the last few months we have been exploring how neighbourhood cafes can become community hubs, reducing loneliness, strengthening social fabric, supporting local economies - in a way that sustains the businesses themselves too.

One thing is clear: so many cafes are already quietly holding communities together.

We want to support and build on that - not through a fixed model, but by inviting cafe owners themselves to co-design what this network could become.

We are shaping this together.

Huge thanks to our phase one cafes:

Please join us in welcoming our next cohort of cafes into the conversation:

cafe
jam.collective

Watch this space 💛☕️

30/04/2026

The Canvas is back. Just… not as cafe. 💛

For eight years, The Canvas in East London became something more than a place to get coffee. It became a place to connect, to share, to feel part of something.

When we lost it in 2022, one thing became clear: This wasn’t about one café. It was about what cafés can be.

So we’re starting something new.

The Canvas Network – unlocking the potential of community cafés across the UK.

We’re bringing together independent cafés who care about their communities, to explore what more might be possible, together.

This is just the beginning.

🎥 Watch the film to get a feel for it

And, in collaboration with , support from and funding from The Rayne Foundation, we’re now launching a UK-wide pilot.

We’re so grateful to the incredible cafés already part of this first phase. More on them very soon 💛

If you run a café and care about your community, we’d love you to be part of this.

👉 Link in bio to find out more

If you know a community café like this, please tag them here!

29/09/2025

Tomorrow Ruth heads to with The Canvas Sofa to celebrate and connect cafes doing GOOD in the world - where are the spaces unlocking their potential for social change and community?

Caffe Culture at the is FREE to attend for cafe and hospitality businesses - head to www.caffecultureshow.com

18/09/2025

Where are the SPACES?

🌱 To host and grow the people-powered, neighbourhood-driven solutions to the polycrisis of prejudice, cost of living and climate we’re facing as humans? 🌍

🤝 For CONNECTION, LOVE and JOY? 💛

When I ran The Canvas, we were so much more than a cafe; we ran on average 60 community events every month; a Pay-it-Forward board; a food bank, and were a hub for change makers all over London and beyond.

That’s why I think there’s huge unlocked potential in neighbourhood CAFES.

So I’m spending the autumn visiting Coffee Festivals with The Canvas sofa, inviting people to share (on an unusual Canvas!) the cafes already doing GOOD in the world, with a view to connecting and uniting them to amplify their work and inspire others in a national network.

Look at these gorgeous images from . And the cafes shared - hope I’ve tagged you all!

Next stop, at the end of the month, followed by and in October.

❓ WHAT’S YOUR CAFE THAT’S DOING GOOD IN THE WORLD? Share in the comments; I’d love to talk to them. ❤️

17/01/2025

Ep.15 welcomes Chantal Miller, founder of Island Girls Rock , a community committed to empowering Caribbean women and girls.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

Chantal shares stories of the impact of Island Girls Rock’s events, and the importance of community engagement, emphasising the need for physical spaces for connection and healing.

This chat explores the historical context of the Caribbean diaspora, and the significance of mentorship, wellness and storytelling in fostering a supportive community.

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

10/01/2025

Happy new year! The Canvas for Change podcast opens 2025 with 2 positivity pioneers who have inspired thousands of people to change their lives for the better.

Ep.14 welcomes Dave and Emma Cornthwaite founders of the YES Tribe , a community fostering positivity, adventure and personal growth.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

Dave and Ems share the origins of The YES Tribe, which began as a simple camping invitation, and has since blossomed into a thriving community encompassing the YES Bus and Big Sky Hideaways, featured on Ben Google’s ‘New Lives In The Country’

The YES community has had a transformative impact on their community, and this is a conversation full of hope and affirmation.

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

18/12/2024

Ep.13 welcomes Laurence McCahill Co-founder of the Happy Startup School that helps business founders make money, do good, AND be happy.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

Laurence shares the journey of creating a community-focused business that challenges standard business norms, and how The Canvas served as a London home for their meet-ups, which - amongst their many other in-person events including the Summer Camp and Alptitude - foster a sense of belonging and connection.

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

11/12/2024

Ep.12 welcomes Ellis Ballard .Ballard and Bobbie Mills, two of the founding members of comedy improve group Just Friends who ran a monthly night called ‘Just Friends and Friends’ at The Canvas from Feb 2019 to March 2020.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

In this episode, Ellis and Bobbie share warm memories of The Canvas and its significance as a creative space in London, and the journey their improv group has been on since the pandemic, from monthly public nights to now sharing joyful and playful weekly sessions as, quite literally, ‘just friends’.

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

04/12/2024

Ep.11 welcomes Arti Lal, the coordinator of Inner Space , a meditation and development centre in Covent Garden that ran free Tuesday Talks at The Canvas from 2015-2020.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

In this episode, Arti emphasises the importance of community and the impact of meditation on wellbeing, highlighting the power of volunteers and the shared human experience that brings people together.

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

27/11/2024

Ep.10 welcomes Naomi Agyekum, founder of Kids Deziah Business , a business school for young entrepreneurs aged 7 to 17.

🎙️The Canvas for Change podcast 🎙️ celebrates the amazing humans, and their positive ideas that all developed and grew at The Canvas; a tiny cafe with a huge heart just off Brick Lane in East London.

In episode 10, Naomi shares her journey from being a child entrepreneur to creating a business school that empowers kids with essential skills like budgeting 💷, saving 💰, and creativity ✨.

Naomi’s reflects on motherhood and her own entrepreneurial journey, making this an inspiring story about resilience and empowerment 💪

👀 follow the link 👀 in our bio or search 🔍 The Canvas for Change 🔍 wherever you 🎧 listen to your podcasts 🎧.

Address

42 Hanbury Street
London
E15JL

Website

https://thecanvascafe.org/

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