Be part of it.
Helping community cafes thrive, together
Running a community cafe takes care, energy and imagination. It helps to have people around you who understand both the possibilities and the challenges.
The Canvas Cafe Collective brings independent community cafes together to share ideas, support one another and strengthen the work they do locally.
Membership is free and by invitation, following a nomination from a customer or another community cafe.
What being part of the Collective offers
People who understand
Connect with other cafe owners and teams who care about their communities. Share a challenge, ask a question or talk through an idea.
Ideas and inspiration
Discover what’s working in other neighbourhoods and share what you’re learning in yours. Our seasonal online gatherings and WhatsApp group give us space to learn from one another.
Your stories shared
We celebrate our members through cafe profiles and our communications, helping more people see the contribution you make.
A stronger collective voice
Together, we’re showing why community cafes matter and helping them gain the recognition, support and investment they deserve.
What makes a Canvas Community Cafe?
A place where people feel welcome. Where neighbours connect, support is shared and local ideas have room to grow.
Every cafe is different. You might host a local group, run a community pantry, offer pay-it-forward drinks or make space for people to take action on something they care about.
Our members share three guiding principles: Belong, Connect and Amplify. How these come to life will reflect your cafe and your community.
You keep your own name, identity and independence, while becoming part of something bigger.
What taking part involves
The Collective grows through what we each bring to it. We ask members to:
Join four seasonal online meetups a year to exchange ideas, experiences and encouragement.
Contribute to our WhatsApp group, sharing questions, ideas and updates between gatherings.
Help us learn what’s making a difference, through reflections on progress, stories from your cafe and customer feedback.
We want this to be useful to you as well as the wider Collective. Together, we can understand what’s working, learn where more support is needed and show the difference community cafes make.
Members also help shape what the Collective becomes.
Know a cafe that belongs here?
If you’re a customer of a community cafe, or part of another community cafe, we’d love to hear your recommendation.
Please ask the cafe owner’s permission before nominating them.
How it works
1. Tell us about the cafe
Complete our nomination form. Share what makes it more than a place to buy food and drink, with a story or example of its contribution to the community.
2. We explore the fit
Steph, our Operations Manager, reviews nominations and contacts cafes that look like a good fit for a conversation.
3. An invitation to join
If it feels right for the cafe and the Collective, we’ll invite them to become a member and help them get started.
Nominate a cafe
Have a question about taking part? Get in touch