Hi Friends of Station South,

We wanted you to hear this from us first.

Station South is moving into its next chapter and we’re really excited about what it means for you, for Levenshulme, and for our little corner of the Fallowfield Loop.

Our Next Chapter: A People-Powered Venue with Stronger Events and Evening Energy

We’re not trying to become a big corporate night-time spot.

We’re growing Station South as a grassroots, independent home for creativity, cycling, connection and good vibes, where our evenings simply help to sustain the community magic we create every day.

To make that happen, we’re making a few changes to how and when we open and we wanted to explain them properly.

New Food Hours, Same Station South Heart

From 1st January our kitchen opening hours will be:

Daytime café & bar: as usual, from 9am with all your favourites

Kitchen open: 10:00am – 6:00pm

That means:

• Brunches, lunches, cakes and coffees are very much still happening
• It’s still a place to work from, meet friends, bring the kids, or just stare out at the Loop with a brew
• Our team are still here, with the same care, warmth and “how are you doing really?” energy

What’s changing is that we’re focusing our food offer in the daytime, so we can make our evenings more intentional, more special and more sustainable.

The bar will still be open in the evenings – but instead of quietly staying open and hoping, we’ll be:

• Hosting gigs, film nights, talks, bike socials and workshops
• Opening up for private parties and community celebrations
• Making more space for collaborations and takeovers with local creatives, organisers and neighbours

A Bit of Honest Context

We want to be straight with you.

Running a big, beautiful space like Station South as a community-focused, independent venue is joyful and it’s also hard in the current climate. Costs are up, people’s budgets are tight, and we’ve had to think carefully about how we keep this place alive for the long run.

By tightening up our food hours and putting more energy into events, collaborations and private hire, we can:

• Use the building better (especially on evenings and quieter days)
• Bring in more stable, higher-margin income that supports the whole project
• Keep saying “yes” to the things that really matter: community, cycling, creativity, nature and togetherness

Every ticket bought, every drink at a gig, every workshop or celebration we host helps Station South stay open and independent.

A Note from Abigail – A Change in Leadership

There’s another piece of news we want to share at the same time.

After 4 years heading up Station South, I’ll be stepping down from my role in the New Year..

This isn’t a goodbye to the place or the community. Station South will always have a big chunk of my heart but it is the right time for someone new to come in and help lead this next exciting chapter.

The Board and I have been planning this carefully:

• We’ll be recruiting a new CEO who shares our values and cares deeply about community, creativity and cycling.
• There will be a proper handover, so knowledge, relationships and projects are passed on with care.
• Our brilliant team in the café, bar, kitchen, events, cycling and garden will keep doing fantastic work day to day.

Station South has never been about one person. It’s always been about lots of people pulling together to turn an old station into a living, breathing home for community life. That won’t change.

We’ll share more about the recruitment soon and of course, there’ll be a chance for a proper “cheers and thank you” before I go.

With so much love,

Abigail x

(Current CEO, Station South)

Come Be Part of It

Here’s how you can plug into this new chapter:

• Come to an event. We’ll be sharing new gigs, film nights, bike talks, creative workshops and more over the next few weeks and months.

• Keep an eye on https://stationsouth.co.uk/events/ and follow us on Instagram / Facebook for announcements.

• Book your next celebration. Got a birthday, anniversary, wedding reception, community party or launch coming up? We’ve now got more evenings available for private hire, and we’d love to host your night.

• Check out our hire info here: https://stationsouth.co.uk/hire/   Or drop us a line at bookings@stationsouth.co.uk with the subject “Party at Station South”.

• Collaborate with us. Are you an artist, promoter, community organiser, bike person, maker or just someone with a brilliant idea?

We want Station South to stay people-powered – that means more space for your gigs, film nights, supper clubs, DIY workshops, meet-ups and wild little experiments.

Email us with the subject “Let’s collaborate” and a few lines about what you’d like to do.

Thank You for Keeping This Place Alive

Station South exists because people like you choose to back a slightly mad idea: turning an old station into a living, breathing home for community, cycling and creativity.

This next chapter – the new hours, the bigger focus on events and hire, and a change in leadership, is all about making sure we can keep doing that, with more focus, more intention, more nights to remember and more chances for you to make this place your own.

If you’ve got questions, worries, ideas or feedback, we’re listening. Just hit reply to this email or chat to the team next time you’re in.

With love and thanks,

The Station South team