Help Us Kit Out the Hub!

Today officially marks Day 1 of transforming our new Hub space in Nottingham City Centre. Right now, it’s a very empty shell with a lot of potential.

Over the next 40(ish) days, we’re going to try and turn this empty space into a fully functioning social, support, and learning space for the people we support through René House CIC and The Kyem Initiative — with (hopefully) as much help from the community as we can drum up!

Honestly, we have no idea if we can pull this off 😂 But we want to try.

But first, let’s rewind to the end of last year...

We decided to take a massive leap of faith and rent this little unit — an old bookstore right in the centre of town. It’s in a brilliant location, close to some of our central supported accommodation properties, which makes it the perfect spot for our residents to access. So when we were offered the space, we said "yes" pretty quickly!

If we’re completely honest, we didn’t sit down and fully map out all the logistics first. We led with our hearts and figured we’d make it work afterwards. And now that we’re in the “after” stage… we’re realising just how much there is to do!

The truth is, we don’t want this opportunity to go to waste. And we’re also learning that sometimes you have to ask for help when you actually need it.
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Our vision for The Hub

The Hub is being created as a dedicated space for learning, connection, creativity, wellbeing, and support.

Ran by René House CIC, a supported accommodation organisation who support people transitioning out of homelessness and into stability, and our The Kyem Initiative, supporting and building life skills, confidence, and positive lifestyles after homelessness and periods of instability.

The Hub will be somewhere our residents, and the wider community, can:

• attend workshops
• build confidence
• learn practical skills
• socialise safely
• access support
• take part in wellbeing sessions
• rebuild routine and structure
• and just spend time around other people
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We want it to feel warm, creative, flexible, and genuinely inspiring to spend time in. Not clinical, corporate, or overly educational –– a space that actually feels good to be in, and that promotes positive experiences.
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The challenge at hand

The issue is, we’re starting with a very empty box and a big vision!

It’s not the biggest of spaces, but we need it to work really hard. With around 20m² of floor space, we need the furniture to work hard, be multi-functional, and make the most of the space.

With a deadline of August, we’re actively looking for support with things like:

Furniture and layout:

• including a multi-use modular central table
• stackable or flexible seating
• soft seating such as window seating with storage if possible
• compact storage solutions for workshop materials and resources
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Tech equipment:

• including 8 laptops for digital learning, workshops and access support
• a projector and screen for group sessions and presentations
• and basic accessories such as chargers and adapters
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Trades and fit-out works:

• including commercial-grade flooring suitable for a high-use 20m² space
• a kitchenette installation with sink, worktop and storage units
• an undercounter fridge
• new electrical points including floor power points,
• a ceiling-mounted projector power and data point
• electrics, flooring, joinery, plumbing and security installation

Commercial Security:

• including external commercial shutters
• a smart lock system for secure access
• secure internal storage for laptops and equipment
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Creative and environment:

• including interior decor support
• artwork and wall pieces
• a branded hand-painted wall mural
• a interactive wall space for resident input
• internal and external signage
• external shopfront refresh with signage design and installation
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Workshop and wellbeing materials:

• including creative supplies for sessions
• wellbeing resources such as sensory items and materials
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Sponsorship and collaboration:

• sponsorship of specific parts of the space such as tech, furniture or the kitchenette
• local organisations who want to collaborate, run sessions or contribute services

As we’re asking for a lot, we want this to be more than just a request for donations.

We’d love local businesses, creatives, tradespeople, artists, makers, organisations, and supporters to really become part of building The Hub with us.

As a community coming together to create something wonderful, especially in a world that seems so divided these days.

Your support could look like:

• donating items
• sponsoring areas of the space
• helping physically to transform it
• creating bespoke pieces
• running workshops
• offering services
• or simply spreading the word
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Watch this space

As an extremely community-led project, it’s really important to us that we try and document the process as much as we can.

Over the next month or so you can expect us to share before and afters, fit-out progress, the wins, and probably a bit of stress along the way! 😂 Because we want people to feel genuinely part of building this space from the ground up, not just watching it magically appear at the end.

At the end of the day, however we get there, for us it’s about creating a space where people can reconnect, rebuild confidence, learn, grow, and feel part of something again after periods of homelessness, instability, isolation, or difficult life experiences.

That’s why getting this right matters so much to us.

So… Day 1 starts now.

Let’s see if we can actually pull this off 👀

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Want to chat with us about how you, or your company, can get involved in building The Hub? Drop us a message.

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