Cambridgeshire ACRE’s network of community hubs is making a real difference to people’s lives – especially when it comes to health and wellbeing. Our hubs are more than just meeting places; they’re trusted local spaces where vital services and support are brought directly to the heart of rural communities.

Recently, our Grantchester Community Hub hosted a successful vaccination clinic in partnership with the Community and School Aged Immunisation Service (CSAIS), making it easier for older residents and regular visitors to get protected without the stress of travelling far. As one visitor put it, “A lot of older people don’t drive so this has saved so much time and effort trying to get an appointment with my GP in Cambridge and then getting there and back.”

But the support doesn’t stop there.

Our hubs are also helping people get online, thanks to friendly Digital Champions who guide attendees through the basics of using the internet and accessing resources like ‘Learn My Way’. Thanks to funding from Connecting Cambridgeshire, we’ve been able to supply digital devices like laptops, tablets and printers for use in the Hubs and even provided broadband connections for venues without one.

We’ve worked in tandem with partners like Living Sport, to bring physical activities into our Hubs, allowing people to activities that have helped them to have fun and keep mobile. So many of our Hubs now have indoor kurling kits that we could almost start our own league! At one of our Hubs, it’s gone even further, with Living Sport training up some of the volunteers so that they can lead activities themselves, which makes for greater sustainability in the longer term.

We’ve also worked with colleagues at South Cambridgeshire District Council to bring specialist Cost of Living Day events into our Community Hubs. Using their Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) software, the Council has been able to invite residents to drop into their nearest Hub for free advice, refreshments and help to access important benefits. BBC Look East attended a recent event at the Girton Community Hub and produced a smashing news item that highlighted how having a safe, trusted community space for people to come along to, allowed people to access benefits that they might otherwise have missed out on. You can watch the news piece here.

By bringing health services, digital skills and practical support closer to home, Cambridgeshire ACRE’s community hubs are helping people stay healthy, connected and confident, right where they live.

If your community would be interested in hosting a Community Hub, then talk to us about how we might support you.