Katakata pathways to wellbeing

.Katakata Pathways to Wellbeing is a 12-month project in Brixton, asking £42,000. It tackles mental health and access to healthy choices through creative workshops, cooking, gardening, welfare advice, and BSL sessions. We will support disabled and neurodivergent people, carers, young people leaving care, LGBTQ+ members, families on low incomes and Black and minority ethnic groups, helping reduce loneliness, improve resilience and increase access to healthy food

Katakata CIC has become a trusted anchor for Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, and marginalised residents in Lambeth. Our impact goes beyond providing food and creative activities; we change lives by reducing isolation, improving well-being, and creating pathways to confidence, employment, and community connection.

Our community café and warm space offer affordable, healthy meals and a safe, inclusive environment where people connect across cultures and abilities. For many, its the only space where they can communicate freely in BSL or find understanding for sensory or mental-health needs. Regulars describe the café as “a lifeline” and “a second home.”

Through our advice and guidance service, we have supported hundreds of people to successfully access benefits such as PIP, ESA, and housing support, reducing financial stress and preventing homelessness. Our work as part of the Lambeth Advice Network ensures that disabled residents receive fair treatment and representation.

We have seen measurable improvements in mental well-being and social confidence. Participants in our creative workshops and open-mic events report increased happiness, reduced loneliness, and greater self-expression. Many go on to volunteer or take up training roles, building personal and professional independence.

We also provide inclusive employment and training opportunities, offering supported placements and kitchen or barista training. Several participants with disabilities have progressed to paid roles within Katakata or other local cafés, tangible evidence that our inclusive model works.

Beyond individual outcomes, Katakata strengthens community cohesion. Our festivals, open-mic nights, and cultural events bring together people of all backgrounds, challenging stigma and celebrating diversity.

examples to show how our approach, combining creativity, empathy, and inclusion, transforms lives .

Sarah and Michael – Rebuilding trust and hope

Sarah, a single mother from Brixton, was referred to Katakata after her teenage son Michael began showing signs of withdrawal and aggression. Their relationship had broken down, and Michael, who is neurodivergent, had been excluded from school. The family felt isolated and unsupported.

our mentors provided one-to-one emotional support, creative workshops, and family mediation sessions. We used art, cooking, and music as ways to rebuild communication and trust. Michael discovered a love for performing at our open-mic nights, using rap to express his feelings. Sarah attended our parenting sessions, learning trauma-informed strategies to support her son without conflict.

Over time, the family began to reconnect. Michael started volunteering in the café and re-enrolled in school with improved confidence. Sarah said, “Katakata gave us our family back — they saw us as people, not problems.” This story shows how early intervention and creativity can prevent escalation, rebuild trust, and restore hope within families.

Case 2: Amira –Finding belonging and confidence

Amira, a young Deaf woman from Lambeth, felt isolated after leaving college. She struggled to find accessible workplaces where BSL was understood. When she joined our Silence Hands BSL Café, she found a community that embraced Deaf culture and inclusion.

Amira began attending creative coffee workshops and BSL sessions where Deaf and hearing people worked side by side. She took part in our barista training programme and quickly developed new skills and confidence. With support from our mentors, Amira applied for part-time employment at another inclusive café and was successful. She now volunteers with Katakata, helping new Deaf participants feel welcome.

Amira said, “Before Katakata, I felt invisible. Now I have friends, confidence, and a voice even without speaking.”

Our impact is measured not only in numbers but in restored dignity, connection, and self-belief, the foundations of a safer and more inclusive Lambeth.