Help Preserve Norwich’s Historic 'Hidden Street'

Aim: Help us buy our building so we can continue operating our Community Hub and guided tours of the historic 'hidden street' below the premises

Last chance to donate - our campaign will close 30/04/24.

Help Us Retain Norwich’s Historic 'Hidden Street' and The Shoebox Community Hub for the long term!

We are on a mission to secure the long term future of The Shoebox Community Hub and the historic 'hidden street' below our premises that offers a fascinating glimpse into Norwich's past.

Who We Are:

The Shoebox Enterprises CIC is a social enterprise that empowers people to connect with their communities and lead fulfilling lives. We have been operating for over eight years, primarily in Norwich, and fund our community work by running guided tours and experiences in our historic city.

Our most popular tour is of the remains of Norwich’s historic ‘hidden street’ which is conveniently located beneath our Community Hub on Castle Meadow. The street was originally built into the Norwich Castle ditch and it still has its original 15th century buildings which are now underground. 

Tours of the ‘hidden street’ have operated since 2017 and have been enjoyed by over 50,000 customers. We consistently receive glowing five star customer reviews and we’re currently number one on Tripadvisor for tours and activities in Norwich. 

What We Do:

Our Shoebox community hub hosts and supports a wide range of community groups and activities including:

• coffee mornings
• board game groups
• creative writing sessions
• arts and craft groups and lots more!

We offer a supportive environment for individuals to connect, share, and uplift each other. Our members can escape the cold and enjoy a friendly chat with like-minded people over a hot cuppa.

Our popular budget-friendly baking and cooking sessions promote well-being and build confidence with maths and budgeting. 

Age UK Norwich hosts regular drop-in sessions within our hub for members aged 55+ to access advice on various aspects, including debt and financial advice.

We currently have over 330 registered community members aged 18+ and last year we had over 3000 community hub visits. 

Many of our members have experienced loneliness and social isolation, mental health issues and have been long term unemployed due to health reasons. 

For many, The Shoebox is the one place where they can go to connect with others, build confidence and gain new skills.

Why We Need Your Help:

Towards the end of last year, we faced an unexpected challenge - potential eviction by our landlord. Following the outpouring of support from the community and our loyal customers, we’re pleased to share that our landlord has had a change of heart and we have now managed to secure a three-year lease. 

Whilst we’re delighted about this, we don’t want to be in this position again. We want to try and buy the building so we can retain it as a community asset for the long term and continue to run our popular tours and support our vital community activities. 

We need your support to help raise funds towards a deposit for a commercial mortgage, so we can secure the space for our community and preserve the unique, local history for years to come!

If we’re unable to buy the building, we will use the funds raised to secure an alternative long-term home for our community hub. We will also improve the current tour experience to help raise more funds to support our community activities.

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Join us in this crucial mission! Every donation could be matched on a £1 to £3 basis up to a maximum amount of £450 by the Cost of Living Resilience Fund (subject to meeting eligibility criteria), meaning if you’re able to give £10, the total value of your contribution could actually be £40. Update: Aviva are now providing additional match funding so any new donations could also be matched on a £1 to £1 basis up to a maximum amount of £250 per unique supporter.

🔗 Support Us Now!

Thank you for being a part of our journey to 'empower people to connect with their communities and lead fulfilling lives.' Your support means the world to us!