A former intensive care nurse has ditched the apron and is preparing to launch her own community cafe and ‘nearly-new’ boutique.

Newham Recorder: Mrs Nicci Yarnold and her daughter Eliza Aba outside their new shop The Rabbit Hold in Maryland which Nicci is preparing to launch.Mrs Nicci Yarnold and her daughter Eliza Aba outside their new shop The Rabbit Hold in Maryland which Nicci is preparing to launch. (Image: Archant)

Nicci Yarnold, 35, of Matthews Park Avenue, Stratford spent 16 years working up to 13-hour shifts, but after giving birth last year, wanted to do something she could base around her daughter.

She now plans to open The Rabbit Hole, on Leytonstone Road, later this month as a community hub and cafe, selling donated baby products.

“It’s been my dream to launch somewhere like because it will be really community-orientated,” she said.

“I’ve lived in Stratford for seven years and I’ve enjoyed the real sense of community shared with my neighbours, so it’s going to be great to give something back.”

“So far the local reception has been great and lots of people are getting on board in a huge variety of ways.”

The shop also offer locals a source of income by selling donated children’s clothes, books and wooden toys and returning up to 60 per cent of the costs back to the donators.

In addition to a cafe, facilities will also include a pram park, an enclosed baby area and library corner to facilitate play activity and learning.

Open six days a week, it will play host to various community events such as poetry classes and on-site hairdressing, through a mobile hairdresser.

The memorable name comes Vicci’s love of Alice in Wonderland, where the title character famously falls through a rabbit hole to find herself in the magical land.

She added: “The way the shop’s designed with a small front and wider interior will like feel entering a warren, into our very own Wonderland.

The initial funds for the project came from through a bank loan, after approaching the East London Small Business Centre.

She also set up a page on crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter, asking for pledges to further boost the business, but at the time of going to press still required £1,770 to reach her goal by .

For more information or to make a pledge visit kickstarter.com/projects/1738970817/creating-the-rabbit-hole-e15-for-space-to-meet-eat.

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