A Nantwich woman has launched a £10,000 fundraiser to open the town's first cat café.

Kelley Phillips is behind plans for Café Purrpose, a welfare-first café which would combine a community space with a dedicated lounge for cats.

The long-term aim is to partner with a local rescue and provide additional space for rescue cats to meet potential adopters and hopefully find their forever homes.

Kelley has been planning the idea behind the scenes for some time and has now taken the first major step towards making it happen.

She has registered Project Purrpose Ltd, carried out research and planning, tested the idea with the local community and received what she described as an "overwhelmingly positive response."

Kelley told Nub News: "I have loved cats all my life. I have a passion for the little creatures. I've really enjoyed visiting cat cafés in the past and knew it would be a great hit in a small town like Nantwich.

"I have adopted from a local cat rescue before. I'm a constant supporter of the local cat rescues, especially CAFO, and donate frequently.

"When I saw that they were always in need of more fosters, and more assistance, and even potentially more visibility as a rescue, I knew that this was something that could potentially help them down the line with rehoming their cats."

Kelley has already viewed one or two potential premises in Nantwich.

She currently has her eye on properties on Pepper Street and Hospital Street, although she said there are a number of premises available and she needs to find the right one for the project.

The final choice will also depend on how quickly the necessary funding can be secured.

The £10,000 Crowdfunder is the first stage of what Kelley expects will be a much larger fundraising effort.

Kelley hopes reaching the initial target will build momentum and help her access further funding, with the goal of potentially being in a position to sign a lease by the end of the year.

The passionately self-employed singer-songwriter, burlesque performer and confidence coach wants Café Purrpose to be more than simply a business.

Kelley said the project could create a new community space in Nantwich, while also supporting local rescue work and cats needing homes.

"As someone passionately self-employed, I wanted to create something that would benefit not just me as a business owner, but the local community and most importantly - the cat rescues and cats in need," she said.

The Nantwich café would be designed around animal welfare, with the cat lounge operating alongside the café, rather than simply being a conventional coffee shop with cats.

Kelley said her experience of visiting cat cafés had helped shape the idea, while her links with local rescue organisations have influenced its welfare-first approach.

She is now appealing to local residents, businesses and cat lovers to get behind the project and help spread the word.

Updates on the Nantwich project are available through Project Purrpose Facebook page. Donate to the fundraiser HERE.

READ MORE: Nantwich cat rescues hit 'critical' as UK crisis sparks calls for urgent action.

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