A partnership between Helsby Methodist Church and the local community, the hub is working alongside West Cheshire Foodbank to help people access the food they need and signpost them to other services that might be useful.
There are a range of other services available on site too, such as the popular baby and toddler group and the Friday morning welcome warm space, offering hot drinks, cheese toasties and companionship.
Nicola, Community Worker at Helsby Methodist Church, said: “We started noticing that there were people in need and, although the church had a basic foodbank offering, we thought we could do a bit better.
“We attended a foodbank day, gathered some volunteers from both the community and church and spent some time planning and agreeing how the hub could work, becoming a really valuable service for people.”
Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) has provided a wide range of support for Helsby Community Link Hub, including training, the opportunity to connect with other community organisations through the West Cheshire Food Partnership and funding like Cadent’s Centres for Warmth grants.
Nicola added: “It’s all about networking to find support for our community and, with being so busy, it’s really hard to keep on top of everything that’s happening in the area so being part of the CWVA membership provides us with those links.
“The newsletter’s great, telling us what’s going on, our volunteers have enjoyed the free training and it’s been useful to have access to a range of grants.
“The grant from Cadent has helped us offer people winter thermal packs and carbon monoxide alarms to keep them safe and warm over the winter period.”
CWVA can offer support for any community sector organisations, helping you be the best you can to deliver much-needed services in the local community.
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