Small Dreams Lego play cafe opens in Havant's Meridian Centre
From small dream to reality for Havant couple
What started as a “small dream” for Steve Stanhope has transformed into a Lego play cafe in Havant helping to bring different generations together and supporting neurodivergent children.
Small Dreams is run by Steve and his wife Paula in the Meridian Centre with the non-profit organisation opening in the former Wilko unit. The new site has proven to be a popular spot for families who are able to utilise the free Lego play areas while grabbing a coffee and a sweet treat.
The initiative has been building for the past few years with it all starting with a dream Steve had one night. From there the idea formulated into an after school club before branching out to community centres.
Paula said: “It was when we started to work with the community centres that we really found our place. We started with a Lego after-school club and then we found that there were more families with neurodivergent children that wanted a place they could build but also feel safe. If they wanted to be on their own they could, or if they wanted to build together they could, that is where we started to find our footing.”
The couple have six children of their own and know he benefits that playing with Lego can have, especially for young neurodivergent people.
Steve said: “We knew we wanted to help people but not necessarily those that are already in the system as they are getting help. There are so many out there are not diagnosed but are on the spectrum.”
Paula added: “There is a ling waiting list for everything at the moment and for a lot of the parents and care givers it is up in the air, they are just waiting and they don’t know what to do in the meantime.”
What Steve and Paula have found is that Lego helps everyone.
Steve said: “I think it is the creativity, the build side of it, and it has been around so long that parents remember it. So there is the nostalgia side of it for parents and brings them together with their children to play. It is off a screen, it is fun and it involves everyone. Everyone has memories of Lego.”
Those memories are not just restricted to parents either.
Paula said: “We get so many grandparents coming with their grandchildren and they sit and build together. We have quite a community of builders now.
“We have some elderly people that come in here in the afternoon to have their coffee and that is amazing. They don’t play with the Lego but we talk about Lego and what they had when they were younger. It brings people together and gets people talking to each other no matter where they come from. That is my favourite part.”
As well as offering free Lego play, there are also a range of Lego sets available to purchase. The couple will also be introducing Lego hire to enable people to sit in and build a set without having to worry about having the space to store it at home.
More details on Small Dreams and the sessions they run can be found on their Facebook page.
The interview with Steve and Paula can be found in the video embedded in this article.