‘Overwhelming’ community response to Barton House crisis

When Deniece Dixon heard about the hundreds of people being displaced from their homes in an emergency evacuation, she threw open the doors to her Barton Hill cafe.

She, along with her team of volunteers, have been working around the clock ever since to provide support, information, essential supplies, hot meals, drinks and a safe space for those affected.

Located on Avonvale Road, just a stone’s throw from Barton House, Cafe Conscious has become a hub for the community and provided a lifeline for the hundreds of people who still don’t know when or if they can return home.

On Thursday afternoon, more than a week after Bristol City Council initiated the sudden mass evacuation after “serious structural issues” were discovered in the tower block, the cafe is a hive of activity.

The sound of pots clatter in the kitchen while, on a table by the window, bags are being filled with sensory kits for children with autism. One resident sits quietly with a steaming mug of tea and the door is frequently opening as people drop in to leave donations.

“Without the community, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’ve been doing here,” Deniece tells Bristol24/7.

Deniece, the founder of Cafe Conscious was due to open the venue as a community cafe but she and director Gabby Gillespie have temporarily put that on hold to focus on the emergency support effort.

“It’s been overwhelming the level of care and number of people who have come in and donated, and small businesses that have donated. Everyone’s been so kind and there’s no way we would have been able to do this on this scale without the support of everybody,” says Deniece.

Cafe Conscious has provided a community hub for the hundreds of residents evacuated from Barton House

On the Tuesday night after people were displaced from their homes, Deniece stayed at the cafe until 1am and was back in at 8am on the Wednesday. Cafe Conscious has been open every day since providing hot food and drinks, taking in medication for residents, collecting essential supplies and so much more.

Her team have provided phones with credit, helped with translations, supplied baby bottle warmers and just a listening ear if needed.

“This is the hub. This is where they come for hot meals. This is where they come to find out the latest information because we have it printed out in different translations as well and we keep it updated every day,” says Deniece.

“We even had a taxi company offer their services – the poor guy came in to offer his services and he ended up staying the whole day and then cooking for like 40 kids.”

Volunteers Sally and Derek have been on hand helping daily, as have many others.

Sally Roberts has been volunteering in Cafe Conscious every day since the Barton House evacuation

Deniece is a mum of six and has a child with autism. She works for Autism Independence and the charity has been in the cafe providing much-needed support for parents and children with autism through the week.

Deniece knows from her own lived experience how particularly traumatic it is for people with autism to have such a sudden switch from their routine and to be displaced from their homes and communities.

“We’ve had mothers coming in and breaking down,” she tells Bristol24/7.

“I understand what it’s like to have a neurodiverse child. A lot of the families said they just need a breather – they can have that here. It’s just a space where they can be looked after, have something to eat and, if they want to talk, they can talk. We’re here to listen.”

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Read more: ‘Failures at every level of government’ led to Barton House crisis

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She said many residents of Barton House are still in shock. “What’s going to happen next? Nobody knows and it’s the not knowing,” adds Deniece.

Sally Roberts lives in Eastville but has been coming over to Barton Hill every day to help out.

“The community has been broken and I feel like I need to help them to get back on with their lives,” she tells Bristol24/7, adding: “We have all got to stick together in a crisis.”

Residents of Barton House have to wait two to three weeks before they know if they will be able to return home

Deniece says she hasn’t had much time to process the Barton House crisis or the huge community response but she is incredibly grateful to her friends for keeping her going.

With residents facing a wait of two to three weeks before they know if they will be able to return to their homes, it is unknown how long a community response will be needed.

Deniece says that one thing to come out of the situation is a renewed sense of community.

“I feel that even though something like this happens, we do pull together,” she says.

“Everybody does hits the ground and helps. I don’t want any of the politics that’s going to distract from what we’ve created here because it’s really lovely.”

Just some of the donations left for residents in Cafe Conscious

The Cafe Conscious Facebook page is updated daily with items needed so Deniece is asking people to check there before bringing items in.

A crowdfunder to raise funds to provide essentials and support for the residents of Barton House has raised more than £11,500.

All photos: Ellie Pipe

Read next:

• Apology for residents of Barton House
• Council criticised for handling of tower block evacuation 
• Fear and uncertainty in wake of sudden evacuation of Barton House

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