Uplift, the Stretford café described by customers as a lifeline and the heartbeat of the town, will leave its current home in the basement of the Christian Life Centre when its lease ends on Saturday, August 22. Owners Georgie and Paul Grzesiak are hoping to move into an empty unit on King Street and are also hoping to become a Community Interest Company (CIC) to help fund the café's social and community activities.
From a simple question to a community hub
The couple opened Uplift around eight years ago in Chester Road, near the former Stretford Mall, after Paul was made redundant and Georgie asked him what his dream was. Georgie said she "laughed [her] head off at first" when he said he wanted his own café, but they took the leap.
Georgie recalled: "It was going really well. We started off as a health café and then it just evolved into like a community hub. We started story time, a knitting group, all different things like that, and it just evolved. It was a lovely space and then Covid came. Obviously we couldn't serve people, so that was a bit of a nightmare, and we got into a lot of debt because we still had to pay the bills even though we couldn't open."
Covid debt and the move to Stretford Mall
The early years were rocky, with debts mounting during the pandemic. The couple went to developer Bruntwood, which has been leading the regeneration of Stretford town centre with Trafford council, and were offered help with their debt and a move into Stretford Mall. Georgie said Bruntwood were "brilliant".
That started what the couple call Chapter Two. Georgie added: "It just kept growing and growing. Everyone [from Chapter One] came back and it just got bigger and bigger because we were more visible."
The mall was always meant to be temporary because the shopping centre was slated for demolition as part of the wider regeneration. About two years later, they were told it was time to move on. They had hoped to move into one of the new units in the regenerated town centre, but were told this would not be possible because of their previous financial difficulties.
From a funeral to a church basement
Chapter Three came about after one of Georgie's former hairdressing clients died and Uplift catered the funeral at the Christian Life Centre. Georgie then messaged the pastor about running the church's café.
Georgie said: "I remembered this beautiful space. So I messaged the pastor and said 'look, you've got a café, we need one. How would you like us to run it?' We met that night, and we've been there a year now. It's been lovely. It's in the basement of a church, the windows are all boarded up, and I thought we're not going to get people coming because it looks a bit derelict. But it's been the busiest, the most financially rewarding space yet. So people have followed us into the basement of a church."
Why the church lease is not being renewed
The café's success, though, means it has outgrown the basement. A few weeks ago, Paul and Georgie were told their lease would not be renewed. Georgie said: "We were heartbroken because we've loved being there, but because we're so busy and we're underground, the sanitary flow for the toilets are domestic, so they'd need commercial toilets. Plus someone fell on the stairs and broke her ankle, so they're claiming liability from the church, and they're a bit worried that other people could fall because it's all stairs to get in. So there's like numerous reasons, but, so we've got to find a Chapter Four. It's not a bad reason why we're leaving. It's because we're so busy."
A spokesperson for the Christian Life Centre described Paul and Georgie as an "amazing couple" who "pour their heart and soul into everything they do for the community". The spokesperson added: "Uplift has proven to be a great place for Stretford and its residents who deeply appreciate and love and support Uplift greatly. It is unfortunate that the building has proven to be unsuitable for them and we hope they can find a forever home very soon and wish them every success in the next chapter of their journey."
Looking for Chapter Four
With the lease ending on Saturday, August 22, the couple want to move into one of the empty units in King Street and are hoping to discuss this with Bruntwood. They also hope to become a CIC so they can fund the activities Uplift currently runs, including language learning groups, knit and natter, affordable haircuts, breakfast clubs during school holidays, bingo, arts and crafts, and a pay it forward board.
In a few short weeks, they have gathered 18 pages of testimonies from customers. Georgie said: "I think we've got the whole of Stretford behind us, we've got an army of Stretfordodians. It's not our café, it's for them more than anything [...]"
Paul added: "It's not like we set out to do this. It's just, I don't know, a smile, a warm heart and a hello starts everything, doesn't it?"
Customers call it a lifeline
Customers have described Uplift as a "port in the storm", a "lifeline" and the "beating heart of Stretford". One said: "Uplift is the kind of place where everyone is welcomed with open arms and made to feel comfortable. It is more than just a café—it's a home from home for so many in the community and would be sorely missed. Everyone is rooting for Georgie and Paul to find a permanent home and continue what has become a port in a storm for so many of the Uplift family."
A second added: "Uplift isn't just a café—it's a lifeline. It is a place where people who may otherwise feel lonely, isolated or struggling can come together, feel welcome and know they belong. Places like this are rare, and once they're gone, they can't easily be replaced."
A third said: "Seven years and three chapters later, Uplift has become the heartbeat of Stretford. It's a welcoming escape from your four walls at home. It's given people a purpose, a lifeline, a break from everyday life. It's fed hungry kids, given affordable haircuts, free crafting and arts, a place for those who get overwhelmed to have a quiet space and a place to join in if they feel more social. It's provided comfort in cakes, breakfast with Santa, story times, afternoon teas, art exhibitions and a nice warm place to sit with other people their age who also get lonely. It's life-saving, life-giving and life-enhancing. Without Uplift there will be no heartbeat in Stretford."
