Big Lunch in Hale.
On Thursday 3rd September, the Hale Community and Youth Centre in Farnham threw open its doors for its annual Big Lunch. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Centre’s community and share the delicious food provided by Joyful Greens, a plant-based community cookery school based in Godalming.
The Hale Community and Youth Centre is a community hub for all who live in Hale and particularly those on the Sandy Hill Estate. It provides a warm, welcoming space and seeks to give a voice to those in an area where there are deep levels of deprivation, helping them integrate with the wider community.
The Centre is located in an area of significant deprivation, but the overriding impression within the Centre is of an inclusive, warm and friendly environment. All of its services and activities are aimed at reducing loneliness and isolation; improving lifestyle, diet and health (both mental and physical); developing new skills and strengths; providing advice, help and support; building confidence; and giving a sense of purpose and worth to individuals.
Many of the initiatives offered are entirely led and run by volunteers, e.g: a community fridge and cupboard; “Stay-and-play” sessions for parents with pre-school aged children; a clothes bank; an art club or a weekly “Sing for Joy” adult choir. A large number of volunteers first came as beneficiaries and the great majority come from the immediate neighbourhood. Since they understand the needs of local people, they are able to initiate new services and activities to meet those needs and to adapt them to meet changing needs. This has been particularly evident with the arrival of migrant families on the Sandy Hill Estate where initial tensions have been greatly reduced through opportunities to meet socially at the Centre.
It was very uplifting to meet both the outgoing manager Melissa Salisbury and her successor Jonny Marshall, as well as the Chair of Trustees John Lewis and a great many of the wonderfully dedicated and energetic volunteers. My tummy felt rather “uplifted” too after all the delicious food…
https://www.halecommunitycentre.org.uk
