Who are we?
Hi, Andy here! I'm part of a team of people who care about community-led change, about human connection. We're really an ecosystem of interesting experiments in community. We host Public Living Rooms in neighbourhoods across Teesside - especially in Middlesbrough town centre.
Our work is nurtured by local charity 'Synergy Teesside' but the team responsible for these actions is FreeStyle.
Community impact
We work to help spark community-led change and make the conditions for people in Teesside to flourish. We are all the answer to each other's problems and great potential opens up when we make space for human connection. Through our public living rooms, there's room for hundred of people to feel moments of community and mutuality, in a safe space. And you'll often find great energy forming when people get to be honest about what they'd like to see change. We reimagine abandoned spaces together, and celebrate the coming together of diverse sections of our community.
This crowdfunding pitch follows a hugely successful series of Public Living Rooms, supported through the Co-Op Local Fund (as Urban Rebirth)
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are committed to finding creative solutions to community transformation, especially during this cost of living crisis. During the cost of living crisis we want to expand the amount of public living rooms and the times they can be open. We want to model and celebrate more human ways of connecting:
- so that individuals can get through these tough times together, and
- so that we reimagine the patterns we're experiencing in public spaces.
Help us by donating today and we'll put it straight to good use in hosting spaces.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Public living rooms can be pretty cheap. Drinks, biscuits, hot water. Some simple homely decorations. Keeping the heating on is a priority at the mo, isn't it! We often get room hire for free but it sometimes costs. We also pay hosts to open the doors and make the space feel nice when people arrive. Each hosted 'PLR' is costing around £100 per week. The more money we raise, the more PLRs we'll sustain - especially through the cold months.
Thanks for taking the time to read more about what we're doing. Cash can be really valuable, but you might also feel inspired to just pop-along to find community near you. Or even start your own PLR.