PLEASE HELP US TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY!

“It’s really friendly. If I’m upset I can come in here. I’m a rough sleeper and to me it’s like a little family here….It’s homely…I can come here to read and write letters”.

“If I’m in a rut, a bit down, they’ll talk to you…don’t talk down to you…look after you…there’s nowhere else like this round here. They’re like the Samaritans. But Better than the Samaritans”

La Tour Cycle Café’s Pay It Forward scheme enabled you to donate cash for another person to eat/drink in a warm, friendly and kind place – giving not only something for tummies but also normalisation in often distressing and chaotic days. The size and breadth of La Tour Cycle Cafe's vulnerable community meant it also offered a way for agencies such as IHAG, Selig, ACT, Acorn Vulnerable Women's Maternity Clinic, to gently engage informally.

We at La Tour Cycle Café grew very fond of the wonderful and diverse community that developed in our space. Uncertainty of tenure at Tower House and being gifted an alternative premises, led to the difficult decision to close the café on 14th July. Since then, these folk have had nowhere similar to be.

We intend to pilot a twice per week project STARTING ASAP!

People need purpose, places to go and rhythm to their day that’s not all about attending appointments. People need dignity; somewhere comfortable to use toilets and enjoy a cuppa. We would host the hub from 8.30am when rough sleepers are woken and told to "move on" - but with nowhere to go. We believe Monday would provide a great start to the week and Friday a time to reflect and make last minute arrangements of support before the weekend, when many agencies close.

We need YOU to help make this HAPPEN!

We believe the value will not only be to the hub’s users, but to all users of our town centre. A pilot scheme would allow Ipswich to see if we can support this community and reduce the impact of rough sleepers on Ipswich as a whole