EthyOn is a green & ethical café and community hub in the centre of Birmingham, and right now, the doors are locked.

Following a dispute over rent arrears connected to the COVID-19 period, Birmingham City Council has taken possession of our building at 13a Cannon Street. Overnight, this cut off a lifeline that hundreds of local people depend on. Shared food and goods support through Fareshare and MultiBank, help accessing essential digital services through DataBank, and a genuinely inclusive space for community groups, from youth peace groups and unions to LGBTQ+ networks, women's groups, refugees groups, Digital Cafe and the Arts & Book Club.

EthyOn has run as a self-funded, grassroots social enterprise for years, providing all of this at no cost to the taxpayer. Losing this space during a cost-of-living crisis doesn't just affect us, it affects everyone who relies on it.

We're now taking legal advice to challenge the situation and apply for relief, so we can regain access to the building and reach a fair resolution with the Council, including on the portion of the arrears that falls within the government's COVID-19 rent ringfencing protections.

The funds raised here go directly towards the legal costs of this case: solicitor's fees and the court application fee needed to make our case properly. We're aiming to raise £3,000 to get this moving.

Every contribution, whatever the size, helps us fight to keep this community space open. Thank you for standing with us.