Every Wednesday afternoon, the Brighton Civic Centre car park comes alive with music, laughter, and the comforting aroma of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches served from the Communities for Children Activity Van. It’s all thanks to the launch of the ‘Night Café’, a weekly pop-up designed to give local kids a safe, welcoming place to hang out, catch up with friends, and simply be themselves.

The idea came from local resident Ann Sutcliffe, a passionate young advocate and member of the Brighton Youth Action Group (BYAG). The pop-up café is her brainchild, originally conceived as part of her participation in the Loreto Housing Inspiring Future Leaders Program.

“I know there are plans to build an amazing youth hub in Bridgewater,” Ann said, “but what are people going to do in the meantime? There is nowhere in our area for young people to just chill, have some food and enjoy some fun activities. So I came up with the idea of a pop-up youth café. It is scaled back to basics as a ‘test it and see’ idea.”

The concept is simple but powerful: a place where young people can drop by for a hot Milo, a ham and cheese toastie, and a chat – no pressure, no judgment. It’s a way to bridge the gap while larger infrastructure is in the works and to build community from the ground up.

To make the idea a reality, Ann approached John Flack, Youth Worker at Brighton Council and Coordinator of BYAG. With support from Council in partnership with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service (TALS) and use of the Communities for Children Activity Van, the Night Café now pops up every Wednesday afternoon and evening at the Brighton Civic Centre car park in Bridgewater.

“Ann’s idea is exactly the kind of locally led initiative we love to support,” said John. “It’s about creating real opportunities for young people to connect, feel safe, and be part of something positive.”

It has been incredibly well attended through a ‘soft approach’ of just letting the word spread. Each week between 10 to 20 young people drop by, from primary school age to teens.

The café doesn’t aim to be flashy – it’s in­tentionally low-key and youth-led, provid­ing a sense of consistency and approach­ability. Ann has submitted an Expression of Interest for funding through the Youth Justice Reform Taskforce, which is cur­rently offering small grants to support community-led, strengths-based projects for young people.

Ann is realistic about the road ahead, but remains committed to the long game. “It will take time for people to know you are going to be there and are genuine. This will come from us showing up every week. It is not about miracles. Even if it just helps one person through the night by having a chat, something to eat and a hot drink with no rules hanging over them,” she said.

Ultimately, Ann hopes the space evolves into something run by the young people themselves – a community-led hub where they feel a sense of ownership and belong­ing.

The Night Café runs every Wednesday from 4pm at the Brighton Civic Centre car park in Bridgewater. Everyone is welcome – no sign-ups, no expectations, just a warm drink, a toastie, and a friendly face.