1. A Place to Belong - Phabulous Café

The Big Sparks funding will be used to support the delivery of the Phab Life Spectrum-Friendly Café project by purchasing resources and materials that will create a more inclusive, welcoming and interactive community space. Funding will be used to purchase reusable table-top activity resources, including LEGO sets, board and card games, simple craft materials, colouring resources and sensory items. These will be selected to be durable, inclusive and suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities, ensuring they can be used repeatedly over time. A proportion of the funding will be used to provide storage and organisation solutions so that activity resources are easy to access, well maintained and safely stored when not in use. This will help ensure the café remains tidy, welcoming and practical for all customers. Funding will also support the creation of clear, friendly signage and visual information to explain that the café is a spectrum-friendly, judgement-free space. This will help set expectations, reassure visitors and encourage people who might otherwise feel anxious about entering the café.

Some funding will be used to support staff and volunteer preparation, including basic awareness support and guidance to ensure everyone understands the aims of the project and how to welcome and support customers with different needs. A small amount of funding will be allocated to local promotion and outreach, including support with social media promotion and targeted local communications. This may include paying for specialist support to help reach families, carers and neurodiverse individuals in the neighbourhood who would benefit from the project but may not currently use the café. All funding will be used directly to deliver community benefit. The resources and materials purchased will remain available for ongoing use, ensuring the impact of the project continues beyond the initial funding period and provides long-term value for the neighbourhood.