Black pen drawing on white paper showing the design of a shop front. There is cafe seating, flowers in window beds, a bookcase and a tree inside the shop.
Kind Places & Spaces by Rob Young

The Shop of Kindness

The Shop of Kindness by Rob Young is one of six micro-commissions from People United’s Kind Places & Spaces project that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
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Rob Young is a writer and artist, The Shop of Kindness is a proposal for reopening empty retail spaces as welcoming community hubs that focus on connecting the skills and generosity of local people.

Rob was inspired by one of People United’s earliest research projects Welcome – a guide published in 2013 to help cultural spaces create welcoming spaces.

Building on the research, Rob created a pitch for The Shop of Kindness which pays attention to important details, such as a drinks station, a quiet space, and a book exchange. His aim was to design a space where people can make new friendships and feel connected to their community.

The Shop of Kindness was first presented online in October 2020.

Funded by

Canterbury City Council