More Than a Venue – A Social Enterprise Doing Good
Run by two local mums, The Hang Out Venue is an independent, family-owned social enterprise with community at its heart.
We 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 everything we do. No pressure. No expectations. Just a welcoming place to connect, relax, play and belong.
Relaxed, welcoming hanging out is always the aim of the game!
Growing With Our Community
We aim to complement, not replicate, the brilliant things already happening within our local community.
As we grow, we listen. We listen to children, young people, parents, carers and the organisations around us. What our community tells us it needs helps shape how The Hang Out Venue evolves.
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.
Profit for Good
We’re a social enterprise, which means we operate as a business and aim to be commercially successful. We sell goods and services, generate our own income and work hard to make a profit.
But what happens to that profit is what makes us different.
We have a permanent commitment to creating social and environmental benefit, and we reinvest our profits to further our mission and make a positive difference.
We’re not a charity and we’re not trying to be one. Our aim is to build something sustainable and self-funding that can continue making a difference for years to come.
We are PROFIT FOR GOOD.
That means making thoughtful, intentional business decisions so that our success enables us to create greater social impact. It means collaborating with other organisations, supporting our community and working towards a venue that is genuinely accessible, inclusive, sustainable, self-funding and inspirational.
Find out more about our social enterprise
Our Bigger Ambitions
We have some big dreams for what the success of The Hang Out Venue could make possible.
By the end of Year Two – The Hang Out Venue Foundation
Our ambition is to establish a foundation providing small grants to local community groups, children and families who could benefit from a little extra support.
By the end of Year Three – A Beach Hut for Local Families
We plan to buy a beach hut for local families to enjoy. We live in one of the driest and sunniest parts of the UK, surrounded by our wonderful coastline – and we’d love to see another beach hut filled with children’s laughter and family memories.
By the end of Year Five – The Pull Up
Our biggest ambition is to launch The Pull Up.
We plan to purchase a large house and create two separate flats, providing compassionate, supportive temporary accommodation for two local families who have fallen on challenging times.
Families would be able to stay for up to two years, giving the whole family – adults included – the time, stability and breathing space they need to pull themselves up and move forward.
These are big ambitions, and every family who visits us, every booking made and every person who supports our social enterprise helps us move a little closer to them.
Our Story – School Life Unpacked
We were delighted to be invited onto School Life Unpacked, where local mum Natasha spoke with us about the story behind The Hang Out Venue and how a simple idea grew into a thriving community hub for families.
The conversation explores social entrepreneurship, creating meaningful community connections, balancing business with family life and our hopes for the future.
It was genuinely lovely to talk to someone who really understood what it means to be two local mums running an independent social enterprise in Southend.
How You Can Help
We know there are lots of people and organisations who care just as much as we do about the future of our children, young people, families and community.
Whether you’re an individual, family, local business or community organisation, there are plenty of ways you can help us spread a little more happiness and make a difference locally.
We have the venue, the vibe and the determination – and we’d love to work with you.
Sponsor a Community Session
Sponsor a two-hour family, youth or community session for £250 including VAT.
Your sponsorship can help us create welcoming, accessible opportunities for local children, young people and families to spend time together.
Pay It Forward
Small gestures can make someone’s day.
Donate a child’s entry – £5.99
Help one child and up to two accompanying adults enjoy time at The Hang Out Venue.
Donate a tea or coffee – £2.00
Sometimes something as simple as a cuppa can make someone feel welcome and cared for.
Support Our Local Community
You can also use The Hang Out Venue to support other fantastic organisations in our community.
Donate food to our local Foodbank
We are a local community donation point.
Donate clothes to HARP
We have a clothing drop-off point supporting our local homeless charity.
Help People Find Us
One of the easiest – and most valuable – ways to support us costs absolutely nothing.
Leave us a review and recommend The Hang Out Venue to parents, grandparents, carers, youth workers, nurseries, support workers, friends and family.
You can also share our posts on social media or pick up some of our flyers and leaflets to share with local families and community groups.
Have Another Idea?
Talk to us.
If you’re a local business, organisation or individual with an idea about how we could work together, we’d love to hear it.
Pop in, have a look around and start a conversation.
Together, we can make good business do good things.
- We’d welcome donations of the items below, if you are having clear out.
