Craftea was inspired by friendship, creativity, and a love of community, and good coffee of course. As a parent, Laura spent countless hours in traditional soft play centres with her own children, often finding them noisy, chaotic, and stressful, where adults ended up squeezing through climbing frames or chasing kids down fireman’s poles. Fun for the kids, yes. A break for grown-ups? Not so much. That sparked the idea for something different, a space where kids could play freely and adults could actually sit down, sip a hot coffee, and maybe even finish a conversation. From day one, the vision was simple: imaginative, stimulating play for children, paired with a calm, welcoming, homely environment for adults.
Craftea started as Imagination Station in October 2023, a mobile children’s events business. But hauling a building’s worth of toys around every weekend quickly became unsustainable. A permanent home was needed.
When Laura stepped into The Old Chapel, she knew it was the one. With elbow grease, creativity, and a love of second-hand treasures, it was transformed into Craftea. Old hospital curtains and pallets became role-play enclosures, tables came from house clearances and charity shops, the castle started life as an old bed, and the stage and castle walls were built from more pallets. Many items were donated, found, or literally pulled out of skips. The result was a quirky, imaginative, one-of-a-kind space where every corner has a story.
Since January 2025, Laura has been running Craftea solo while also working as a mental health nurse, juggling two very different kinds of chaos. With a background in substance misuse and criminal justice, she qualified as a mental health nurse in 2018. Her passion for community wellbeing and social inclusion shines through in every detail of Craftea, making it a safe and welcoming place for all.
Families can enjoy specially designed craft packs during play sessions. They can be completed in-house as a fun activity or taken home to continue the creativity, or at least buy five minutes of peace. Each plaster-shaped pack is handmade by Laura, adding a personal, thoughtful touch to every session.
Craftea is about more than play, it is about community. Laura’s values shine through in every aspect:
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- LGBTQ+ rights and visibility
- Maternal and perinatal care
- Combating social isolation in the elderly
With new support groups and community initiatives always on the horizon, Craftea has grown far beyond a café. It is a hub of connection, creativity, and care, where people can gather, connect, and feel at home.
