Kingston Council Funds Community Cafe and Audio Bus Guides to Support Vulnerable Residents

8 September 2025

Kingston Council has approved funding for a free community café and audio bus guides, aimed at supporting vulnerable residents and fostering community connections. The funding decisions were made during the committee's meeting on Wednesday, 03 September 2025, as detailed in the Public Reports Pack, where Councillor Olly Wehring (Chair - Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee) and other committee members were present.

The Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee approved a £2,425 grant for New Era Community Projects CIC to operate its Square 1 Café North Kingston (Hawker Centre) project. The café will run weekly for 12 months, offering free meals, a warm space for socialising, and surplus food distribution to combat social isolation and food insecurity.

Additionally, the committee approved £3,000 for the Kingston Association for the Blind to create two audio guides for the Cromwell Road Bus Station. These guides will include one detailed version for totally blind individuals and another for partially sighted members, both developed with user input. They will be accessible via smartphone, USB, and email, helping visually impaired residents navigate the bus station with confidence.

The committee had £14,000 available in Neighbourhood Community Grants (NCGs) for the year, after already awarding £6,000. Besides the approved projects, the committee also considered an application from Association QMC School of Capoeira for Solta o Jogo 2025, a week-long cultural festival, but this application was refused.

The New Era Community Projects CIC is a registered UK CIC (Company Number: 13666464) and actively raises funds from other sources to ensure the café's continued operation beyond this funding period.

While the creation of the audio guides will be completed within the funding period (November 2025 to April 2026), the Kingston Upon Thames Association for the Blind intends to continue promoting and supporting their use through volunteers and general funds. The project is expected to benefit an estimated 50 disabled people, including older people, parents and children, young people, BAME individuals, refugees, people of faith, those with mental health needs, complex needs, and carers.

Councils Involved

Kingston upon Thames

Meetings Involved

the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council on 3 September 2025

People Involved

Councillor Olly Wehring Chair - Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee Liberal Democrat Norbiton Ward

Anne Owen Liberal Democrat Kingston Gate Ward

Councillor Rowena Bass Leader of the Conservative Group Conservative Coombe Hill Ward

Jamal Chohan Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Opposition Spokesperson for Leisure and Economic Development Kingston Independent Residents Group Tudor Ward

Councillor Emily Davey Portfolio Holder for Housing & Co-Chair - People Committee Liberal Democrat Norbiton Ward

Councillor Ian George Conservative Coombe Hill Ward

Councillor Noel Hadjimichael Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Liberal Democrat Canbury Gardens Ward

Patrick Hall Chair of Pension Fund Panel Liberal Democrat Tudor Ward

Councillor Sabah Hamed Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Equalities and Co-Chair - People Committee Liberal Democrat Kingston Town Ward

Councillor Roger Hayes Liberal Democrat Kingston Town Ward

James Manthel Liberal Democrat Canbury Gardens Ward

Councillor Nicola Nardelli Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Transport and Waste and Recycling and Co-Chair - Place Committee Liberal Democrat Kingston Town Ward

Farshid Sadr-Hashemi Liberal Democrat Kingston Gate Ward

Susan Skipwith Liberal Democrat Norbiton Ward

John Sweeney Liberal Democrat Kingston Town Ward

Topics

New Era Community Projects CIC Square 1 Café North Kingston (Hawker Centre) Kingston Association for the Blind Cromwell Road Bus Station audio guide project Chair - Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee Neighbourhood Community Grants (NCGs)