A charity that offers rent-free space to community groups is to open a new ‘hub’ on the Almondsbury Business Park in the north of Bradley Stoke.
Care 4 Community, a registered charity which currently runs projects at a number of venues in the West Midlands, plans to open the hub later this year at Unit 11, Apex Court [map].
The unit, which is also home to the Napier Sandwich Bar, is owned by property company Lear Group Ltd which is providing the unit at no cost to the charity.
Abby Plumb, a trustee of the charity told The Journal:
“The main objective of the hub is to provide a vibrant focal point for the local community, bridging the gap that has been created by the closure of many community centres.”
“To facilitate the development of the hub, I want to recruit existing groups, organisations and activities running within the community to base themselves with the charity managed premises to provide a single point of access for members of the local community.”
It is envisaged that the hub will be sustained by pooling service providers’ funding streams, awards and grants in to a single budget.
Open days at the new community hub are to be held on Tuesday 25th October and Thursday 27th October, from 11am to 2pm.
As the focus is also all members of the community, the hub aspires to provide access to services, groups and activities for all ages and abilities; a proposed list of services that could operate from the hub is shown below:
- Advice services (e.g. CAB, legal, debt support, benefits, employment, financial planning and budget)
- Support contact centre
- Pre-School
- Out of School activity club
- Children’s breakfast, after school and holiday clubs
- Self help holistic and wellbeing courses
- Counselling
- Further education classes
- Youth club
- AA meeting
- Religion meeting
- Age concern group meeting point
- Quit smoking
- Mobile library
Groups and Activities:
- Weight Watchers
- Cooking classes
- Mother and toddler group
- Single mums’ group
- Single dads’ group
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual group
- Transgender group
- Faith / minority ethnic groups
- Arts and crafts groups
- Volunteer group meetings
- Brownie / Scouts meeting point
- DJ class
- Hip hop class
- Dancing class
- Women’s Institute meeting point
- Performance venue
- Post office
- Community café
- Martial art school
- Fitness classes
Floor space available at the new hub amounts to 622 sq ft (1st floor) and 926 sq ft (2nd floor).
Care 4 Community can be contacted by phone on 0121 288 3875 or 07920 000 810 or via email at AbbyPlumb@Care4CommunityCharity.com.
Photos: (upper) parenting class in Telford; (middle) homework group in Telford; (lower) unit 11, Apex Court, Almondsbury Business Park, Bradley Stoke.
