‘Deprived’ Essex community once had ‘bad name’ now completely transformed
The owner of Mother’s Kitchen in Basildon has taken the business from being a simple café to a community hub
In one of Essex’s most deprived communities, a sign on a cafe reads: ‘No strangers here. Only family you haven’t met yet’.
The owner of Mother’s Kitchen in Basildon has taken the business from being a simple cafe to a community hub which supports families in need, hosting community groups and organising events.
Now outgrown, Mother’s Kitchen is expanding its operation through a planned new community centre in Parkside off Northlands Park which owner Maz Salih says will be able to host events and group – such as Mind, and bereavement support groups.
Maz, who has been running Mother’s Kitchen for 5 years, says the area had a ‘bad name’, but he had been part of those who eradicated the area’s drink and drug problem. Maz said: “Felmore’s had a bad name previously.
“When we moved in we did have a little problem with drugs. We sorted that. That’s a non-existent problem during the day. We will not allow anyone to drink or smoke a joint here or do anything of that nature here.”
He added that night-time can sometimes be punctuated with noise and fighting. “During the day it’s totally different. We won’t allow it. We have been in a few confrontations here. And we’ve said ‘you’re not moving us’.
“They’ve tried to scare us off and I’ve said ‘no you’re not, we’re not going anywhere mate, you’re not intimidating us and you’re not doing drugs around here. Full stop. This is where it ends’.”
Mother’s Kitchen supports roughly 60 families a month with food and it also supports the Foodbank and Changing Pathways in Felmores who deal with domestic violence cases and vulnerable families. Maz added: “The café is not a café anymore – it’s more like a hub.
“Some people have called it a godsend. Some people have called it a lifeline. Some say it’s the beating heart of the community. But we have outgrown the café in a way. We have now acquired a building not far from here and we are going to turn that into a community centre.
“Everything that we are doing from the café here will move to that community centre. The cafe will still do the things it does but on a smaller scale.”
He added: “The bottom line here is we have a really good community here. From that, way up to seniors. We have a really good bond with these people and when something happens around here everyone pulls together – whether it’s from a family in crisis, or if a fire happens, anything.”
The bail hostel, an unwanted presence for significant time, is blamed on a lot of the issues. Sue Fowles, who has lived in the area for 15 years, said: “We hate that bail hostel. We have been trying for years to get rid of that bail hotel.”
But she said the community is what makes it special. She said: “The community here is great, we like it round here and we don’t need anymore shops selling alcohol. All we need is a post office – we don’t need anything else.”
She added: “I like the people here and the company. People around here are nice. Everyone says hello to everyone else, even if you don’t know them. That’s what it says in the cafe – No strangers here. Only family.”
Kay Carter, 70, who has lived in Felmores for six years, added: “We all have a support network here. This is like our little support network.”
It’s not just Mother’s Kitchen who is working to make people’s lives better. John Hailes runs the community supermarket – described as a bridge between a supermarket and the Foodbank – offers groceries at 30 per cent cheaper than a normal supermarket.
Funding – including from Essex County Council – helps make up the difference. He said: “What I like here is the community of it. There’s a community about it with really nice people. It’s always had bad press. But it’s had bad press from the outside without people really knowing the people in it.”