Relocation and Development of Coleshill Community Hub
Awarded: £75,000
Region: Central
Coleshill Town Council is a Town Council in Warwickshire.
The Coleshill Hub was established in 2012 and provides facilities and services to help combat social isolation and promote health and wellbeing to encourage a sustainable, cohesive and supportive community. They also work with a wide variety of partner organisations including the Citizens Advice Bureau, Carers Trust, Age UK, Wellbeing for Warwickshire and the NHS to offer a range of services, advice and information.
The project involved the relocation of the Hub to the ground floor of the Town Hall building. This has enabled them to improve accessibility and the Hub now has separate access which allows them to be more flexible with opening hours and the times available for activities and services. They have also employed a part time Hub Coordinator who manages the new facility, bookings and programmes.
Support, Information and Signposting
The Hub provides a safe, inclusive place to come for support, information and signposting. They also offer company, companionship and volunteering opportunities. As a result of the project, they can facilitate and support a wider range of services to help improve local people’s health and wellbeing. This includes memory cafes, mental health drop-in sessions, walking football sessions, keep fit groups, an art and craft group and a Knit & Natter group.
There are also laptops for general use with internet access and they run computer classes to give extra training and support for people to develop and improve their IT and computer skills. It is the place to visit to find out what’s on in the local area, signposting its visitors to local events and activities and helping to support local tourism. They also hold tickets for local amateur dramatics, community shows, pantomimes, and Coleshill Town Band concerts.
Additionally, there is a HS2 Information point which focuses on specific works, disruptions and traffic flow in and around the Coleshill area, as well as providing information on archaeological finds from local HS2 excavation sites.
“Coleshill Town Council decided to apply for the HS2 CEF grant to move the Coleshill Community Hub to an accessible downstairs location, to offer more information, support and services to more Coleshill residents.
“Previously, the Hub was located on the first floor and this limited accessibility and thus the capacity to reach many of the most vulnerable residents in and around the area. By moving downstairs and opening up accessibility to wheelchairs and people with other limitations and/or challenges, the town council were able to reach more people who needed additional, sometimes bespoke, support within this local community.
“The Hub allows the Town Council to offer help beyond its statutory regulations, offering services that are above and beyond those in other parishes. This facility thus builds strong community relationships, ideal opportunities for organisations to work together and collaboratively with other local groups, businesses, schools, churches etc to enhance the wellbeing of all and enrich the experience of living in and around Coleshill Town.
“This CEF funding has therefore helped the survival and longevity of Coleshill Town particularly with the significant changes that are occurring and impacting on the physical environment in the area, with the arrival of the HS2 network.”
Coleshill Town Council
