The Grenfell fire destroyed a building but the local businesses have rebuilt
Many businesses closed after the fire at Grenfell, others rebuilt right in the shadow of the tower, writes Elena Siniscalco
If you find yourself in North Kensington on a cold, rainy day, you should pop into the warm Adriana’s Cafe on St. Helen’s Gardens. The cafe is small and cosy, the food on display mouth-watering – and the owner, Adriana, has a story to tell. It’s her own story, but it’s also the story of her community’s resilience in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. It’s the story of her neighbours, of the community that came together and the businesses which decided to stay put rather than start afresh somewhere else.
Over scrambled eggs, Adriana talks about moving to the UK in 1995 as a 21-year-old, to find work and support her family back in war-torn Kosovo. London became her home: she met her husband, who is also from Kosovo, and they moved to Grenfell Tower. They lived there for fifteen years.
Then the fire happened. In an instant, they lost everything they had; they moved in with Adriana’s sister, and were then placed in temporary accommodation. At the time, Adriana was working in the same cafe she now owns. “Everybody found their own way to deal with it. For me, it was work: I came back to work after five days”, she says. Shortly after, the cafe closed down and Adriana was jobless. The landlord of the property suggested she should take over the space herself, but she wasn’t sure it was the right time – it was only one year after Grenfell. Then she thought: “what do I have to lose? I’ve already lost everything”. The next day, the cafe was hers.
Adriana has been through a war, the inferno at Grenfell, but all she talks about is the need to give back to the community. She sends hot meals to local hospitals and works with schools to provide healthier food for children. She calls the cafe her “second home”.
She had no experience opening a business, so she sought advice from Stuart Woodrow of Portobello Business Centre. Woodrow was one of the consultants employed by the council to advise the businesses impacted by the Grenfell fire. When his work was finished, he didn’t leave; he stayed and now leads the North Kensington Business Forum, a group that connects and supports entrepreneurs. He still advises local businesses, including Adriana’s. He’s one of those who helped rebuild this scarred community, brick by brick.
Over 85 local businesses were directly impacted by the fire, due to reduced footfall, lack of premises, road closures and the psychological trauma. They were provided with initial financial support from the council, but that didn’t last long. Through the aid of organisations like Portobello Business Centre – and sheer force of will – many of them have now achieved long-term stability.
Another business advised by Woodrow is Holland Park Autos. The local garage is located below the arches right in front of Grenfell Tower. On the day I visit, the tower looms close against a grey sky – a reminder of a tragedy that could have been avoided. The owner of the garage, Jack, has been working in the local community for over fifty-four years. He’s over seventy, but comes in to work six days a week, and is a mentor for many young kids in the area.
“When Grenfell happened, I was standing here”, he says. The front of his garage was covered in debris from the tower, and the street where its business is located had to be closed. Everyone had to come in from the back of the garage, and it took the business a long time to get back to normal.
Local councillor Marwan Elnaghi speaks of communal trauma among those who were affected by the Grenfell tragedy. “We are a forgotten community, we don’t feel we are a priority”, he says. Supporting businesses post-Grenfell in an area that already sees high levels of deprivation should have been one of the council’s priorities. Yet everywhere you turn, people speak more of the support they’ve received from their neighbours and friends than from the council.
In his book ‘Show Me the Bodies’, housing journalist Peter Apps writes that “the world that gave us the Grenfell Tower fire looks irredeemably dishonest”. Yet he also says there is “another vision of humanity” available from the tragedy: everyone who provided support in the aftermath, offering a clean jumper, a toothbrush, or a bed. In short, the community. It is this same community local businesses worked hard to cater to and protect; and as they face yet another challenge with the cost-of-living crisis, their strength should be an inspiration for everyone who cares to look.