Southeastern has provided £25,000 to help launch a community café supporting families in Woolwich.
Café 51 opened in June 2026 in partnership with Mama2Mama Baby Essentials, following funding from Southeastern’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund (CCIF).
Family support and community space
The café provides a meeting place for parents, carers and children, with affordable refreshments, a dedicated playroom, a children’s library and space for support groups and other community activities.
Planned activities include wellbeing sessions, parenting support and community events. The project is also intended to create work opportunities for young people, who will gain experience in hospitality, customer service and running a small business.
Zuzana Fratrikova, chief executive of Mama2Mama Baby Essentials, said: “Thanks to Southeastern’s investment, alongside the invaluable support of our other funding partners, we have transformed the space into a warm, welcoming and accessible community café that is already making a meaningful difference to local families.”
She added: “Café 51 is far more than just a café. It has been created as a safe, inclusive space where parents, carers and children can come together, enjoy affordable refreshments, build friendships and access support in a relaxed and welcoming environment.”
George Paterson, senior stakeholder engagement manager at Southeastern, said: “Supporting parents, carers and their children is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in our communities. By creating welcoming spaces where families can connect, access support and build confidence, projects like Café 51 help give children the best possible start in life while ensuring parents and carers feel supported.”
Eight volunteers helped prepare the café, assembling furniture, organising books and creating the children’s area before opening.
Southeastern said Café 51 had received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback since opening from families, volunteers and community partners, while creating opportunities for social interaction, peer support and access to wider services.
The café is one of 14 initiatives receiving support through Southeastern’s CCIF in 2026/27. The operator said this was the largest number of projects funded through the programme in a single year. The fund is aimed at charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations delivering projects that support local communities and reduce inequality.