A Kingston couple hope to turn the shell of an empty boat on the River Thames into a thriving community hub with creativity at its heart.

Emese Farkas, 31, and Bryan Vaughan, 41, are appealing to the public to crowdfund £380,000 to transform the gutted boat at Town End Pier, in Kingston, into a buzzing destination that breathes new life into the riverside.

Bry, who runs music label Paper Garden Records, and Em, who owns bakery Em for Macaron, have combined their passions to design a space that brings people together and encourages their creativity.

The soon-to-be-married pair, who live in Surbiton, want the floating café, named The Place to BE, to become a community hub which welcomes everyone and platforms local artists, musicians and independent businesses.

Bry and Em outside the boat at Town End Pier, in Kingston. (Credit: Charlotte Lillywhite/LDRS)

Bry told MyLondon they want to build community spirit by making the venue a destination that celebrates what Kingston has to offer – "not just a stopping point between the outskirts and Central London".

He said: "Part of the reason we wanted to get so ingrained with the Kingston cultural backdrop is we very much see this place not as ours but as something for the community at large.

"It's not just a café where people come. It's that too, but it's a place where people can really talk with one another, feel like they're part of what's happening in Kingston as a whole.

"We know it can be challenging up and down the river, especially during winter time, but we very much want to work closely with other businesses that are around right now, Kingston Council, Kingston First, Kingston University and all these other partners so we can feel like… it's a place that's here for everyone and it's a place they can call their own."

The couple are dedicated to sustainability and would offer seasonal dishes and drinks with organic ingredients from local farmers at The Place to BE. It would also have special menus from guest chefs for limited times.

The venue would host a variety of entertainment and experiences, including live music, comedy, cinema nights, board games, art showings and more.

It would offer talks, workshops and crafting sessions, from bread and macaron making to gardening and needlework, along with wellness activities – including meditation, yoga and sound baths. It could also be hired privately for parties, weddings, content creation and other occasions.

Bry and Em already have an agreement with family-run business Turks Launches, which owns boats in Kingston, to rent the boat using a turnover-based model. They also have permission from the council for their plans.

The couple are speaking to investors and have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise £125,000 to get the project afloat, with a deadline for pledges of October 29. The funds would allow them to complete essential construction works and equip the kitchen to launch as a takeaway café next spring.

But they need £380,000 in total to turn their dream into a reality. Reaching this goal would mean they could fully furnish and equip the venue, open the lower deck, build a stage and roof deck, host events and offer space to other creatives.

"At this level, it's not just a café," they said. "It's a floating festival of creativity, joy and shared purpose."

The couple hope the boat will be their flagship venue as they plan to expand across the globe with similar floating venues in other countries over the next decade.

Em said they would like to expand to "raise more and more awareness of how you can live a more sustainable life, how you can connect more to yourself and to others around you, how you can be less online and have so much fun and so many valuable, meaningful moments with others not on your phone, not on the internet".

The couple's fundraiser can be found on the Kickstarter website.