Public Living Rooms project launches with Pembury pop-up
New shared spaces open to everyone - known as Public Living Rooms - are opening in communities across England, creating welcoming places where residents can connect with neighbours, spend time together and feel less isolated.
Published: 11/05/2026
Unlike formal support services or organised activities, Public Living Rooms give people somewhere informal to drop in for a cup of tea, a chat or simply to be around others.
They are designed to feel like shared living rooms, where everyone is welcome to stop by, with no referrals, appointments or expectations. Some include sofas, music, hot drinks and board games, providing a friendly space to sit and relax for a while.
The project launched last week with three pop-up Public Living Rooms - in Hackney, Bow and Dalston - including one at our community centre on the Pembury estate.
Residents stopped by for a chat and a cuppa with their neighbours, relaxed on the comfy outdoor seating and even enjoyed a little live music.
A resident who joined the pop-up at Pembury said: "Just having someone to speak to helps because you carry so much. You just want to speak to someone and know that they listened”.
Better together
Grassroots social movement Camerados has teamed up with us, SNG (Sovereign Network Group) and Clarion Housing Group to deliver the initiative, backed by £228,000 from the Fusion21 Foundation.
The pop-ups marked the start of a two-year programme that will create up to 100 Public Living Rooms in neighbourhoods across the country.
Half of these will be delivered with the three housing associations, with the remaining spaces created alongside other Fusion21 member housing associations as the project expands.
They will open in community centres, shared lounges, offices, cafés - anywhere people naturally gather.
As loneliness and social isolation continue to affect communities across the country, the project aims to create simple opportunities for connection, conversation and informal support between neighbours.
Sahil Khan, Director of Community Strategy, Partnerships and Funding at Peabody, said: “We’ve lost too many of the everyday places where people naturally mix, listen and learn from one another. Public Living Rooms bring back those shared spaces, welcoming everyone, encouraging real conversation and making it easier to connect with people from different backgrounds.
“In a time when division feels normalised, creating places for meaningful human contact is a simple but important step.”
Maff Potts, Director at Association of Camerados, said: “Together we’ll create 100 Public Living Rooms in neighbourhoods across the UK alongside the communities that live there.
“In these no-agenda spaces, people can get a bit of company and mix with others across divides.”
Find out more about setting up a Public Living Room in your neighbourhood
