So it was the people who kind of had somehow been attracted to it for other reasons, kind of outsider people who were very political, yeah? So it was always an interesting mix of people … those were reasons that attracted me to the club. Richard Claxton It was like a community. And I think that’s really important. It was at that time and it still is today: to feel like you’ve got a community with people that you can talk about things with in a safe space and not be judged. Harry Hamer So it was a welcoming space. You know? It was like people didn’t just go, “Oh, you’re not punk enough.” It was like, “We’re not quite sure what the fuck you are. But come on, come and do a gig.” Emma Adams And the other thing about organisations like the 1 in 12 club, they’re not afraid of welcoming in people who are feeling on the fringes or maybe don’t fit in in other spaces. You know, they’re incredibly tolerant safe spaces. Jenny Harris When I was, like, growing up at school, I felt like a bit of an outcast. I didn’t really feel like I fit in that many places. And when I got involved in politics and started listening to punk, and then when I found, like, this community of people and this space, I really just felt included for the first time ever. And I think that’s a really beautiful thing about the club, is that people, you know, anyone comes here and they’re made to feel welcome. It’s really important. Laura What I liked about the cafe was this idea that it was, you know, it’s food. And food is massively important as a way of reaching out. And I think the thing for me, you know, a kid who grew up in the late 70s or early 80s, a lot of those kind of punk and radical things always appealed to me, but there was always a kind of barrier. And I think this is what I like about the potential of the club … actually there’s, you know, the soft underbelly of the cafe and the library, and that these things are for everyone … I really wanted to be able to bring in people who wouldn’t come into that space naturally. Anika Easy
PART TWO: A PLACE OF COMMUNITY
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