Back in early 2020, we met with the Poolie Time Exchange to share a vision of bringing the building that LilyAnne's C.I.C is based within back into life. At the time it was just an idea.
We simply wanted to bring the area of Hartlepool back to life, we wanted to work with a few people who we knew could make this dream happen.
Very quickly those plans moved ahead, and we expanded our little coffee shop with the support from the Poolie Time Exchange into the ground floor of the old jobcentre to create a fantastic new coffee shop layout which was blended with the new Poolie Time Emporium to bring together two community-focused business.
Since the building has opened there is a great community feel that begins on the ground floor and emanates throughout the building, The most amazing thing about this project that is made up of LilyAnne's C.I.C, The Poolie Time Emporium and Bovis House Business Centre is these were planned before Covid hit and despite knowing Covid was here the bulk of the work happened during the first national coronavirus lockdown.
LilyAnne's C.I.C with the support of The Poolie Time Emporium and Bovis House Business Centre had expanded and re-opened as a bigger coffee shop focused on supporting our community in collaboration with some great community-focused people and groups.
BEFORE
We transformed the entrance and an area of the building that would not really have that much use as anything, without knocking down lots of walls into the extended.
AFTER
What the great year 2020 has been for the future of Victoria Road and our long term partnership and friendship with The Poole Time Emporium and Bovis House Business Centre.
We also made a few changes within the main area of the coffee shop, because the new area simply showed it up, and after 2 and a half years of trading needed a little refresh.
Before
We launched LilyAnne's in the summer of 2017, opting for a fresh clean look, with a mix of lighting. we wanted to create a small but cosy environment, where lots of community support happened.
After
LilyAnne's quickly outgrew out space, we looked at a number of options one of those was to move away from the area to a bigger unit, but in the Covid Lockdown 2020 we created a new look and feel to the coffee shop, with an entrance into Bovis House and extended seating.
What a great year 2020 has been for the future of Victoria Road and our long term partnership and friendship with The Poole Time Emporium and Bovis House Business Centre.