Tee Fabikun, known as Mama Tee, is the founder of the Carpenters Café, located on the Carpenter’s Estate, which aims to help members of the local community. The charity was founded in 2007. The chain Pret a Manger agreed to help Tee and started to give surplus food from their shops to the charity, after which other donors followed. The charity offers free meals, drinks, clothes, household items, books, IT training, and job search support to people in need.
In this interview, Tee Fabikun recalls her childhood in Nigeria, surviving cancer, and finally setting up the Carpenters Cafe in East London. In 2020, Carpenters Café received the Team London Award; in 2021, Newham Community Champion Award and in 2023, the Charity received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE for volunteer groups.
