L'Arte Central Social Enterprise Café, Florist & Art Space

We believe in second chances.

Everyone needs them. Not everyone gets them.

It’s our mission to make sure those who have suffered severe and enduring mental health challenges can find hope for their future.

Many of us know about the increasing rates of severe anxiety and depression in our community. But we’re not all personally familiar with the debilitating impacts mental health issues can generate.

The unrelenting pain, anxiety, shame and self-hate that can accompany mental illness has life-altering consequences. The journey from a low point in mental illness can be simply too hard to face alone.

For many people, the gap between illness and employment is too great to overcome alone

Enter L’Arte Central. A creative, collaborative setting dedicated to the simple joy of good coffee, with the greater purpose of building good community. A place for understanding and empathy, while young men and women, mothers and fathers, friends and neighbours undertake the hard work of starting over. People who need a chance to upskill and land that first job. To support themselves. To support their families.

We offer a trajectory that is different to the isolation, fear, hopelessness and oftentime suicidal outlook that can take hold when mental illness is unsupported and opportunity is withheld from those who need it.

By replacing despair or frustration with a sense of hope for the future, we believe our training and employment options in a caring environment can be the catalyst for enduring change in many lives.

HOW WE SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY

With good coffee as the cornerstone, we support our community in the following ways.

1. Helping marginalised people with recognised training, employment skills and on-the-job experience.
2. Mentoring and lifeskills for a brighter future.
3. Facilitate creative programs for self expression.