Meet the Better Space Community Team
This January the Better Space team has doubled in size with the arrival of Raine and Toni-Anne as Community Assistants! Get to know them better in these interviews with them. Better yet, come and meet us at Better Space!
First up…Toni-Anne!
What is your role at Better Space?
I am one of the new community assistants at Better Space. Or as Sophie calls us ‘CHO’s’ (Chief Happiness Officers). l assist with day-to-day operations welcoming members, offering tours and general admin. Behind the scenes I help with producing ideas and projects that we can workshop for the community. As well as working on content for our website and social media platforms such as newsletters, blog posts and announcements of upcoming events.
What do you do outside of work?
I am a huge makeup enthusiast, so I spend a lot of my time trying out different techniques and looks for fun. Sometimes doing looks inspired by different concepts or themes. At times I have filmed myself doing some and shared them on my socials. Other than that, I love to draft short stories or poetry. To express myself or explore different characters I create. Expanding on my writing skills I often abandon since graduating.
What are you looking forward to most here at Better Space?
The thing I am looking forward to most being a part of Better Space is helping to produce different projects that will benefit the community. Encouraging those who may want to start a business or are looking for ways to expand their skill set. Whilst discovering a whole new spectrum of businesses that aim to make a difference. Personally, I look forward to all opportunities to write; curating newsletters and blogposts.
Do you have any favorite local, independent businesses or startups in the social impact space that you would like to recommend to the community?
Luminary Bakery is a social enterprise based in Hackney & Camden. They sell a range of cakes and brownies with vegan options. Luminary ‘provides training, employment and community to women who have been classified as experiencing "multiple disadvantages", including gender-based violence. Women will have a safe and trauma informed space to train, alongside holistic one-to-one support from an allocated Luminary support worker, throughout the Luminary Programme: reaching goals and gaining independence.’ However if you do not have a sweet tooth, they also accept donations from individuals and organizations.
Next up, Raine!
Hi my name is Lorraine but am known as Raine
What’s your role at Better Space?
Better Space has welcomed me as a Community Assistant aka Happiness Ambassadors , I’m hoping to bring great energy, my knowledge of Islington and share the relationships I’ve made within the community with Better Space, as I’ve built bonds with some local charities, schools, retailers and residents.
What do you do outside of work?
Over the past few years I’ve taken an interest in photography, filming and directing allowing me to have a lot of fun producing promotional material for a friend’s wellness venture sparking the Spielberg within me lol.
I also have started a cookery/baking club within a local youth hub where the young people are designing and making some great cakes which has put a great big smile on everyone’s face through the lock down and have inspired a couple of the young people to bake more and possibly starting their own bakery.
What are you looking forward to most here at Better Space?
Meeting more people from the borough who have been waiting for an opportunity to build their businesses, seeing the skills that will be transferred and how they will blossom.
Do you have any favourite local, independent businesses or start ups in the social impact space that you’d like to recommend to the community?
I feel that Anemp & Co Solutions Ltd would be a great business to join the Better Space community as they have held really engaging events within Islington such as Go Africa Community Hub which had its first series of neighbourhood carnivals one in July within the Caledonian road area and the other on Upper street in October that really brought everyone out to network and have a great time.