Former drug user opens community cafe in memory of friend in Stockton-on-Tees

Sam Elliott, who gave up drugs after the 2015 death of her best friend, has opened a community cafe in Stockton-on-Tees aimed at supporting people struggling with addiction, loneliness and the cost-of-living crisis.

Elliott, 50, said she stopped taking drugs the day her friend died of a heart attack caused by crack cocaine use. "That day, I swore I'd never touch it again — and I didn't," she said. "I'm 10 years clean now and in her memory I've just helped everybody I can."

The Caff, created by Elliott and run with manager Gemma Davis, operates as a "safe space" where people can get an affordable meal or a friendly chat without judgment. "We see a lot of drug addicts down here, and we don't judge anyone. They're the people that need us the most, because not everybody's out there for them," Elliott said. She added that some of the cafe's regulars help by handing out flyers for the business while staff provide hot meals or coffee.

In April, Elliott and her mother, Lynne Russell, opened Helping Hands, a shop selling donated goods, in the unit next door. When the neighbouring unit became vacant and was offered to her by its landlord, Elliott converted the space into The Caff to expand support for local residents.

Russell, who now runs day-to-day operations at Helping Hands, said keeping both businesses open "is a struggle" but described her daughter as someone to be proud of. "I'm really proud of what she's achieved," she said.

Elliott said the cafe welcomes everyone who needs a warm space to vent or a place to connect. Community cafes and grassroots projects are increasingly cited by local health and social care workers as low-threshold points of contact for people who might not access formal services, offering practical support and reducing isolation.

The Caff and Helping Hands are funded in part by donations and by sales from the shop; Elliott said the aim is to keep prices low and the atmosphere non-judgmental so that people who feel marginalised can access food and company. "We just aim to help people and provide a little safe space and warm space for people that just need somewhere to vent," she said.

Staff at the cafe said they regularly meet people affected by substance misuse as well as older residents and families pushed by rising costs. Elliott and her team do not provide formal addiction treatment but they signpost visitors to local services and aim to offer immediate practical help and social contact.

Elliott framed the project as part of her ongoing recovery and a legacy to her friend: "A lot of people need it," she said, "and we're just here to help."