SKY Café (South Kingston Young Carers)
Limitless Possibilities
The New Era SKY Café provides a warm, welcoming café environment for young carers and their families living in the south of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. While Kingston benefits from a strong sense of community, many families affected by disability, long-term illness, or mental health challenges experience isolation and hidden pressures. Within these families are young carers — children and young people who provide unpaid care to a parent, sibling, or relative — often carrying responsibilities far beyond their years.
Kingston Young Carers Project (YCP) offers outstanding support to young carers aged 5–18, including regular drop-ins and holiday activities. However, the main drop-in centre is based in Kingston, making attendance difficult for families living in the south of the borough, particularly for those relying on public transport.
Recognising this gap, Michele, Director of New Era Community Projects — who has successfully established three community cafés and a community fridge and pantry across the borough — wanted to create a safe, accessible, and welcoming space closer to home for young carers and their families. Working in partnership with Kingston Young Carers Project, and shaped by direct feedback from families, the idea of the SKY Café was born.
The SKY Café operates as an after-school drop-in, offering a calm and friendly café setting where families can sit together, enjoy refreshments, freshly made sandwiches, and snacks, and take time to connect. Children are invited to take part in creative activities — often decorating paper bags that they can later use to take home extra treats. Families are also welcome to visit the community pantry to select everyday items or special extras, all free of charge.
The café environment is at the heart of the project’s impact. It offers a safe, relaxed, and inclusive space where families can step away from daily pressures. For young carers, this means time to play, create, and build friendships with peers who truly understand their experiences. For parents and carers, it provides reassurance, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Regular monthly sessions create consistency, familiarity, and trust. Shared meals, games, crafts, and informal conversation help reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and build a supportive community that extends beyond the café walls.
Project Aims
The New Era SKY Café aims to provide a supportive, inclusive café environment for young carers and their families in Kingston, offering monthly opportunities for respite, connection, and enjoyment. By creating a space that feels welcoming, calm, and reliable, the café supports wellbeing, reduces isolation, and sends a clear message: young carers and their families are valued, understood, and not alone.