We’re sure most of you are aware of the attacks on the HIVE and Coburg Crescent Learning and Disability Centre recently. Our much-loved community cafe has shockingly been the target of three break-ins in just three weeks, including on Christmas Eve. The third attack, which took place in the early morning of January 6th, saw 15 windows surrounding the cafe smashed. The Coburg Crescent was subsequently attacked in the early hours of the of January 9th.
HIVE Café isn’t just our community café — it provides work placements, volunteering opportunities, and paid employment for adults with learning disabilities, offering them vital experience and support in catering and hospitality. For the team and their trainees, this is more than a workplace — it’s a lifeline to our community and many more.
This devastating series of vandalism has left the café unable to open, with damages costing over £25,000 each time (damages include the broken glass replacement, but extend to salaries, food orders, and other bills still have to be paid, and closure losses).
Damages are currently £75,000 and sadly the staff have reported feeling abandoned by the police and unsafe at work.
The motivation of the attacker remains unclear. Despite detailed CCTV, the police have reportedly told the HIVE Cafe management there is nothing they can do to identify the suspect(s). The HIVE have requested increased patrolling of Palace Road, but claim police presence hasn’t improved. This has happened alongside increased reports of anti-social behaviour in and around the Nature Gardens including drug use and incidents of flashing.
There are fears that the continued targeting and cost could mean the permanent closure of the cafe which is backed by the Rathbone Society, a Lambeth-based learning disability charity.
A GoFundMe has been launched in an appeal to the community for support to repair the building. “The community has been great” said the HIVE cafe manager “but it shouldn’t be on the community to keep human beings safe”.
Update Thursday 9th January
The same perpetrator (s) came back in the early hours of Thursday January 9th and smashed windows on the Coburg Crescent Learning and Disability Centre (previously not targeted). We are at a loss to why anyone would want to do this.
And update from Cllr Liz Atkins and Cllr Rezina Chowdhury (from David Short at Lambeth):
The Crescent community service incorporates specialist day service for adult with learning disabilities, supported living flats and a community café open to the general public. There have been recent incidents of vandalism including repeated breaking of windows.
A brief timeline of events and actions being taken is provided below for information:
Lambeth Adult Social Care has been responding to support the residents and users of the building, including the operators of the services and café, and to manage the impact of the incidents and reduce the risk of further damage.
The recent incidents have been raised with the Police, and with the Lambeth Community Safety and Resilience team, who discussed it at the Hate Crime board on January 7th. Adult Social Care will attend the Joint Enforcement Tasking meeting with the police on 10th January to raise concerns about the incidents and request further Police support. The service will be visited by a designing out crime officer, who will undertake a survey of any measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of future incidents.
In the meantime, officers are investigating potential security enhancements that could be provided. The café is closed temporarily, but the day service and supported living flats continue to operate normally.
Community Meeting
Our MP Steve Reed and Councillors Liz Atkins and Rezina Chowdhury have organised a community meeting to discuss local issues including the ongoing vandalism campaign. **UPDATE Steve’s office is organising the registration. My understanding is that this meeting is just for the ABCD roads and the numbers are being kept to the capacity of the room.**
Friday 10th January
6:15pm
St Margaret the Queen Church on Barcombe Avenue