Winter Warm Hub 2024/5

Thanks to BCP Food & Energy Support funding of £5,056 and £500 BCP Grassroots funding we were able to purchase equipment for our hub kitchen and pay to heat the spaces. We needed to get our office and a door to our Art Studio installed. The door was enabled thanks to BH Coastal Lottery for allowing us to repurpose some of their grant, following an underspend on storage due to volunteers constructing timber storage solutions.

With the work complete we were able to offer warm spaces for activities for a shorter than planned offer. But a good start-up six weeks, starting in the Spring Half Term holiday.

Seven new volunteers joined the existing team and we loved that Paula saw our broken and missing tiles our doorstep, saying “I’ve got some of those tiles in my garden. My Roger could sort that out for you”. The following week, Paula brings a tile to show us - a near perfect match. Then two weeks later … et voila! Our step is fixed and more protection from water ingress. Thank you so much Paula and Roger!

Then Paula connected with two other volunteers Mim and Julie, all who are near neighbours. Mim finding out that Paula lives in the house with the beautiful garden she and her boys always comment on when they walk past on the school run. Julie finding out that Mim lives only a few doors away from her, and forming a good connection.

We were able to progress our relationship with the Poole Communities Trust’s Turlin Moor Youth team to run some Youth Voice sessions to hear what young people want in their community. Lots of ideas, and many that can be facilitated to happen as part of the Turlin Moor Skatepark project.

Bel invited Cornerstone Patch volunteers in out of the cold and held one session a month with Penny. Making birdfeeders from sticks, plant labels, and signs for our Easter Egg Hunt, just some of the creative activities.

Attendees of our first Creative Wellbeing Sessions run by Community Arts & Wellbeing Practitioner Rachel Huggett stayed after their session to enjoy the warmth of the hub, it being warmer here than at home. One of the weeks, volunteer Jill used the remaining of our Patch produce to make her delicious soup.

We are thankful for this start-up project and look forward to building on this for our 2025/26 Winter Warm Hub programme.