Building and maintaining relationships, tapping into collective knowledge, and sharing resources are all crucial components for communities to flourish. However, these assets can only be effective when residents are aware of them. In order to promote neighbourhood wellbeing in Ultimo, students from the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion's Student Hub have been collaborating with local leaders to better identify the area's hidden strengths.
The Student Hub acts as an agency in which student skills and expertise are leveraged to support practical community initiatives. While conducting resident surveys, the students found that cafes and their owners play a central role in the neighbourhood.
On a typical Thursday morning, BnG Cafe owner Brian Logan greets parents of Ultimo Public School and commuters heading to work. He remembers his customers by name, to which many reply with an order for their ‘usual’.
He and his wife, Grace, opened BnG Cafe in 2019; since then, they have become a meaningful part of the daily routine for many Ultimo residents. As a local hub, BnG Cafe has given Brian an insight into the overall wellbeing and specific needs of his community.
‘Ultimo is a really mixed bag full of all sorts of people. There are people having a hard time, struggling financially; there are rich people, people from all over the world, students and families. It’s a melting pot,’ he said
Although the neighbourhood is diverse, the Cafe is an accessible space for everyone. As such, Brian and Grace have the opportunity to connect people within the community, many of whom would not otherwise cross paths.
BnG Café in Ultimo, Sydney.
Though Brian is in a unique position to observe Ultimo’s happenings, he is also well equipped to truly understand them.
'My daughter goes to Ultimo Public School, so I know a lot of people who stop by each morning. 90% of the people [who come in] are local and residential, and we get to be a part of that.'
The benefits of BnG Café as a community hub were especially evident at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We were here through COVID when so many people couldn't go anywhere and couldn't really do anything. We could give them a reason for a ten-minute walk, to get them out of the house and have a bit of a conversation with somebody. That really helped us to build up our relationship with the community.
– Brian Logan
With direct access to Ultimo's residents through BnG Cafe, Brian himself has become a community asset. When student interns from the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion's Student Hub needed local input for a project in the area, Brian was able to provide insights and support. In such a tight-knit community, Brian's credibility was key to making sure residents felt comfortable and eager to engage with students.
BnG Café serves as a reminder that businesses can be a powerful influence when they know their communities well. When local business owners invest in their neighbourhoods, they can become expertly and intimately in touch with individual residents and the community at large.
‘The people in Ultimo aren’t looking for formality. To be successful here, you have to be a bit humble,’ Brian said.
It is this relatability and accessibility that makes BnG Cafe an asset to the Ultimo community.