Natalie's Story

I have a long herstory with Coin Street spanning over 35 years. I walk through Gabriel's Wharf and remember my shop, "Cherub," full of original womenswear. I think about the fabulously creative women I spent my early twenties with, making outlandish clothes. I was even in a photoshoot with the iconic ID magazine. Life was more carefree then. 

I reminisce about drinking in Studio 6, run by Gerry with his wild New York tales, full of expletives. We watched the Waterloo sunsets with fellow lost souls on a derelict industrial waterfront, now Ernie's Beach, feeling how vibrant London was. 

A few years later, I moved into the Redwood Co-op flat with my one-year-old and pinched myself; how on earth did I deserve this amazing home after being homeless? I poured myself into community work and built the family around me that I never had, and still have around me today. 

For 16 years, I served as a trustee on the Coin Street Community Builders and Coin Street Centre Trust boards, learning from some of the best souls and minds in London. I didn’t speak at any meetings for the first two years, just soaking up all the complexity that makes Coin Street tick. 

For the last 20 years, inspired by Coin Street, I have had the blessing and curse of being a grassroots community worker. It's the most challenging, exciting, and innovative job I’ve ever had, and it has shaped me into who I am today. 

I poured myself into community work and built the family around me that I never had, and still have around me today.