Run by two local mums, The Hang Out Venue is an independent, family-owned social enterprise putting children, families and community at the heart of everything it does.

A welcoming community venue created by two local mums is offering children, young people and families a different kind of space in Southend – somewhere they can simply relax, connect, play and belong.

The Hang Out Venue launched in November 2024 with a simple idea: to create a relaxed, welcoming place where children and young people of all ages can hang out, gently stretch their boundaries and build confidence, with the reassurance of their adults close by.

Enhancing the lives of children, young people and families is at the heart of the social enterprise. There is no pressure and no expectation to take part in particular activities – instead, families can spend time together in a comfortable, home-from-home environment and enjoy the venue in a way that works for them.

“Relaxed, welcoming hanging out is always the aim of the game,” say the founders.

A home-from-home for all ages

The Hang Out Venue has been deliberately designed to feel different from a traditional children’s activity centre or formal meeting space.

Its wonderfully relaxed, welcoming atmosphere gives children, families and friends somewhere to spend quality time together – whether that means playing, creating, chatting, reading or simply relaxing.

There is plenty to discover, with traditional toys, arts and crafts, knitting, crochet and sewing, table tennis, table football, air hockey, gaming, an eclectic collection of board games, chess, a book exchange, cosy reading areas and much more.

With activities and spaces designed to appeal across generations, there really is something for all ages.

Stay, Play & Get Together

Alongside its family play rooms for Stay & Play, The Hang Out Venue offers a family-friendly meeting room and flexible spaces available to hire.

The aim is simple: spaces with soul, designed with children, families and the community in mind.

Finding somewhere welcoming, flexible and genuinely family-friendly for a meeting, workshop, family contact, play therapy, support session or community get-together isn’t always easy.

At The Hang Out Venue, the spaces are intentionally neither corporate nor clinical. They are relaxed and comfortable, designed so that adults, children and young people can all feel welcome.

Flexible hire options range from a table for an informal drop-in or a quiet meeting room through to the whole garden cabin or exclusive use of the entire venue. This makes the venue suitable for community organisations, support services, workshops, informal meetings, groups and other local activities where a welcoming, family-friendly environment matters.

A social enterprise with community at its heart

The Hang Out Venue is more than somewhere to visit or hire. As a social enterprise, its purpose is to create positive social impact.

The team is proud to work alongside local community groups and services, building relationships rather than working in isolation.

Any profit generated by the venue helps it to do more good and further its mission to enhance the lives of children, families and the wider community.

The founders are equally clear about what they do not want The Hang Out Venue to become.

“We know we can’t be everything to everyone – and we don’t want to be. What we can be is genuine, inclusive, sustainable, inspiring and here for the long term. “Our aim is to complement, not replicate, the brilliant things already happening within our local community.”

Listening is central to that approach. As The Hang Out Venue grows, its founders continue to listen to children, young people, parents, carers, community groups and local organisations.

Their experiences and ideas help shape how the social enterprise develops, ensuring the venue continues to respond to the community around it.

At its heart, The Hang Out Venue remains true to the simple idea with which it began: creating a welcoming place where children, young people, families and friends can connect, relax, play and belong.

They welcome opportunities to collaborate with local businesses, community groups, services and families. They have the venue, the space and the community focus – and they’d love to explore how they can work you to enhance the lives of children, young people and our wider community.

Kasia (Phonetic Ka-sha) Zielinski-Rushforth (She/her)
Founder of The Hang Out Venue Ltd
Ground Floor, 62 London Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1PG
Website: www.thehangoutvenue.co.uk