COMMUNITY

Umbrellas COSY HUB

First Annual report for Umbrellas Cosy Hub – December 2020

As someone who has shown an interest in Umbrellas Cosy Hub, either through a financial gift, through prayers, or simply by coming along and supporting us, we wanted to share our annual report with you – even though it’s not quite the annual report we would have anticipated writing this time last year!

We took over the lease for a under-used, old fashioned small community building in September 2019 which then was transformed into Umbrellas Cosy Hub. The work started in November for all the internal renovations (of which there were plenty).  Gary and Ricky (Barson) did an absolutely amazing job of completing the internal building works on time, on budget, and all to a high standard.  Although the building wasn’t finished, we managed to be ready enough for the building to be used as a polling station for the general election in December.  We also held a Christmas Celebration here, in conjunction with New Life Church, with over 50 people attending.  We hosted a dinner, on Christmas Day, with 22 of us enjoying a meal together, with people from the local estate, as well as some folk from New Life Church.  It was a really great day, with people still talking about it (and originally looking forward to coming again this year, till Covid put an end to that suggestion)!

January 2020

We started the year having the rest of the carpet laid, and finishing off all the decorating and interior work, then on Friday January 24th, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire officially declared us open!  Whilst we had started some of the groups prior to that date, this was our formal opening.  The building was open every week day, from 10.00am – 4.00pm, generally for people to call in and have a cup of tea or coffee, some cake, homemade soup and bread,  whatever they needed.  The main point was for people to have somewhere to come to that was safe, welcoming, accepting and open to all.

We started up various groups for people to come to – Mondays was chair based exercise; Tuesdays our carer and toddler group, Cosy Cubs; alternate Wednesdays was a crafting group; once a month on a Thursday was BBC – Bingo, Board Games and Cake; and on Friday afternoons there was an upcycling/recycling/restoration  with representatives group.  New Life Church used the venue on a Sunday evening to run an open Café Church.  The hub was also used by a variety of different groups for meetings.  As well as people just dropping in, we began to get individuals specifically referred to us as they were in need of social interaction – and friendship!

By the end of January, and not including the 40+ people who came for the official opening, we were having over 50 people a week in the hub.

 February 2020

The groups continued throughout February, and more individuals also started coming along.  We were beginning to build a family of friends and started hearing stories of how us being there was becoming a real support for folks.  We were the venue for a couple of events run during the half term holiday by the RAY project (Rother Action Youth), which seeks to provide activities and food for children in the Rother Ward – Grangewood, Boythorpe and Birdholme.  We hosted a cooking session for children and adults, and had 22 people attending.  We also provided a dry space and refreshments for the children who had joined in with the BMX group – which took place in a downpour!  We were used as a base for the distribution of Pantry Bags, a pilot project run by Gussies Kitchen in conjunction with Fare Share. 

By the last week in February, we had about 90 people in the hub during that week.

 March 2020

At the end of the first week in March, we hosted a benefits and advice day, with representatives from a wide range of organisations, from the Council, to the Police, to the Citizens Advice Bureau, giving people answers to specific questions, or inviting them to come and have a chat about any issues they might have.  It was well attended, and we were looking forward to following up with some of these individuals.  We were going to host a three week CAP Finance course, starting on 19th March, helping people learn how to budget and find out the different ways of managing their finances.  However, the threat of Covid was becoming more and more of an issue, so we took the decision to close the hub. Although we were only the first full week in March, and this includes those attending the benefits day, we had over 150 people through the doors of the hub that week!  We really felt that this was confirmation of the necessity of having the hub there, so shutting the hub down seemed totally wrong, although we knew it was the right thing to do. During that first week of March, we had had an acrostic poem written for us by one of the people who had started to use the hub on a regular basis, for help and support.  This is it:-

Unite

Meet

Befriend

Relax

Enjoy

Love

Laughter

Advice

Social

By the end of March, George had worked very hard with a website designer and so we were able to go live with our excellent new website – www.umbrellascosyhub.org.uk.

 April 2020

The hub was empty for the first couple of weeks in April and it felt like it was such a waste of a super resource.  However, from 15th April it was being put to good use again.  The office of the community nurses from one of the local surgeries had been commandeered to be used as a Covid base, so they were technically ‘homeless’.  We were able to offer them the use of the hub as somewhere they could work from, make themselves refreshments, and generally use the facilities.  They were really appreciative, and it proved to be of great benefit to them.

We were contacted at this time by one of the apprentices from FORTEM, a national construction company who had been doing some major work for Chesterfield Borough Council in the local area.  Each year, teams of management trainees and apprentices from the three main bases throughout England are set a challenge to organise and complete building work which is of benefit to the community.  Through a variety of different connections, we were chosen as the project for the North of England (based in Rotherham), so we put forward some thoughts as to what else needed doing to the building.  We had done as much as we could to get the building open, but had run out of funds, so the Fortem trainees coming along like this, meant that several of the items on our ‘wish list’ (or Phase 2 as we called it), we able to be completed.

 May 2020

The nurses continued to use the hub, and we also kept in touch wherever possible with some of the people who had regularly used the hub prior to lockdown.  We wanted them to know that we hadn’t forgotten them.  On VE day we invited the immediate neighbours to stand on their doorsteps, and sing along with us as we led them in the 2 minute silence, then sang ‘We’ll meet again’ together.  We also gave each of the elderly people a little basket filled with cakes. 

 June 2020

This continued much along the same lines as May, but without the VE day celebrations!  However, we were in close consultation with Fortem about the work they were proposing to do, talking through some of the things that we knew needed doing, but also talking about things that were real issues for us – such as the enormous electricity bill because of the very poor heating system and complete lack of insulation. We were also concerned about the lack of access for people with a disability being able to enter the building easily.

July 2020

During July, we had to say ‘goodbye’ to the nurses, as very excitingly, Fortem trainees started the work!  They put fencing round the whole of the site, then began to complete the transformation of the building, doing most of the things we had originally said we wanted, and fulfilling many other things that we hadn’t even dared to wish for, - ‘more than we could ever have hoped or imagined’. 

 August 2020

We went up several times during August to make sure that everything was going according to plan, and each time we went up, we discovered that they had done things before we had talked about it – for example, we talked about getting a sign made to go up over the door once the fascia boards had been replaced, and Harry, one of the main leads in the team, went and got a large parcel, and inside was a fantastic sign, exactly as we would have done it, all ready and waiting to go up!  We had never discussed anything about signage, but they had worked out that we would need it, so had already sorted it.  They had to get the project completed by the end of August, ready for the judges to come and look round during the first week in September.  By completion, they had put in a disabled ramp from the car park; replaced all the fencing around the car park; replaced the windows and doors in the building to provide better insulation; replaced all the very old, bulky, inefficient storage heaters with modern, slimline convection heaters; provided us with an outside shed for storage; landscaped the outside of the building; replaced the fascia boards; bought and put up two large signs for the building; put in outside lights over the front and back doors; bought us a new fridge and a table top cooker to help when we do cookery classes; provided us with a router, five laptops and a tablet and three months internet access; and did lots of smaller bits as well.  They worked out, that if everything had been paid for at full price – all aspects of people’s time plus purchasing equipment, it would have come to about £40,000!  We don’t know if they have won the Trainee Challenge, as the official final presentation was postponed because of Covid, but in our eyes, we are already winners – and more importantly, so are the people of the area.

 September 2020

We held the official ‘re-opening’ of the building on 18th September, and then opened for people to come back in on the following Monday.  We took the decision not to offer any groups at this time, so that we were just opening for individuals, in order to help us comply with our Covid policies and regulations.  It was very strange, but we really enjoyed being back in the building, helping people on an individual basis.  One visitor regularly used the laptop for job searches, checking bills, sending emails etc; another couple of people came to chat, read, draw, just be quiet.  Others came to chat and see others face to face for the first time in a long time.  It very quickly became a real centre particularly for those who were isolated and lonely.  We also became a distribution centre for the Fare Share  foodbags from Gussies.  They were finding it very difficult to cope with the numbers of bags that needed delivering to people – particularly as many of their drivers were now back at work.  We took on having bags for people who lived in the local area and could come and collect their bags.  We started off with 26 households receiving bags of food.  The hub was also used by New Life Church to zoom their Sunday morning meetings from, as they were unable to use their normal venue to meet in.

 October 2020

The hub was being used more and more by individuals just calling in, but also as a place for people engaging with social prescribers to come to.  The workers would bring along individuals who had been identified as needing help to get out and socialise.  They came, sat with them, had drinks and a chat, and established relationships with us and their clients so that they would feel comfortable coming on their own in the future. On one day we had the meeting room being used for someone to have a confidential legal chat; a single mum with her young children came for a chat; someone was using the laptop; others were coming to relax; a couple of local charity bosses came to establish a group to bring together those who run local charities to be of mutual help and support; as well as some coming just to have a coffee and get out of their home.  It was our busiest day since we launched, then during that day, we heard that Chesterfield had been moved into a higher tier, so very reluctantly, we made the decision to close the hub again, in order to be seen not to encourage people to socialise.  Thanks to having people’s details through track and trace, we did ask everyone who had used the hub on a regular basis if we could keep in touch with them, and all those who agreed have been contacted on the regular basis since then.

November 2020

Although the hub was closed for general use, we still managed to continue with the chair based exercises, with Gail leading it online via Zoom.  This helped with people who couldn’t get out, but had access to the internet.  In addition, the hub was still being used for distributing the Far Share bags, with (sadly), the number of households needing the bags going up each week.  We also had some people needing emergency bags, which we were able to provide them with some basics from our store cupboards.

December 2020

The hub has continued to be used predominantly with the folk from Gussies Kitchen as a collection point for the food bags, but also to help with a young family in desperate need of help with basic furniture, such as a bed, bedding, table and chairs.  She was about to have a baby, had been re-housed, but had absolutely nothing, so we were able to help out with collecting items that people had offered, then taking them to the her – and also to help out two others who needed furniture!  It is great when we know we are making a difference in the lives of some of the most desperate.  We have also joined with Sts Augustine church and the local Methodist church to organise something called ‘Windows of Hope’ where we are inviting people to put angels and stars in their windows as an expression of hope in these difficult times.  We provided 70 craft packs to go out with the food bags to families with children, so that they could make the stars and angels to go in the windows.  We will also be distributing small gifts to all our immediate neighbours and those who are our regular users, as a way of bringing some cheer to the area.  We had wanted to have a Christmas Tree and organise a community carol sing, but as Chesterfield is in Tier 3, we didn’t feel this was a responsible thing to do.

 So, not quite the year that we had imagined, this time last year, but a year when, despite many setbacks, we have known that we are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing!  Thanks to the prayers, generous donations and time and effort put in by so many different people, we are confident, (when we are able to open again fully), that the hub will be used by many different groups, to fulfil many different needs.  We have lots of ideas about the next steps – from setting up a basic computer skills course, to running an after school homework group, to having a community choir, to running simple basic cookery groups.  We are open to finding out what local people want, then finding the right way to facilitate it.

There are too many people to thank individually for helping us get to the end of this first year, but please know that you are all appreciated.  We want to work with you all going forward, and if you would like to keep in touch, make a donation, or receive regular updates, then let us know either by email (hello@umbrellascosyhub.org.uk); or visit the website www.umbrellascosyhub.org.uk. If you want to come and visit us when we re-open, then we would love to see you – Umbrellas Cosy Hub, Burns Close, Chesterfield, S40 2SW. We also have a dedicated phone number – 07368 111346.  We are really looking forward to all that could happen in 2021 – it’s an amazing opportunity to begin to see lives transformed, through the work at the hub.

Many thanks,

The trustees – Jane & George Bentley; Catherine Clark; Eric and Vera Nicholas; Gail and Wilf Robinson.

Street Pastors

New Life Church was one of the four local churches who pledged their support for Street Pastors way back in 2011. We were at the centre of it from the start with Dave chairing both Christians Together for Chesterfield (CTfC) and the Management Team of Street Pastors for many years. Jacky took on the role of Co-ordinator for the Street Pastors and has been welcomed into the Community Safety Partnership office in Chesterfield Town Hall. In 2018 we celebrated 6 years in operation with a visit from the founder of Street Pastors, Rev. Les Isaac. This year we have reached our 10th anniversary.

The Street Pastors work in teams and one or two teams are on duty each Saturday night 22.00 to 04.00. Their role is to support the police working closely with them, club security staff and CCTV. The well-trained Street Pastors may be able to intervene to stop an argument becoming a brawl, saving valuable police time. They are on the lookout for the lost and the vulnerable people who are at risk. They offer practical help, for example flip-flops to girls whose killer heels are living up to their name, basic first aid and assistance in getting safely home. They are also well informed as to the help that is available for the homeless or those who are trapped by addiction.

The Street Pastors are a practical expression of the church serving our community at its point of need. Already official local government and police reports are recognising that the Street Pastors have contributed to the fall in reported crime in Chesterfield on a Saturday night compared to this time last year. Both partners are keen to extend the ways in which they work with the Church in Chesterfield to make our community a safer place to live.

The Covid pandemic had an impact on our volunteer base as it did with most charities. We are battling to maintain a presence in Chesterfield. The commitment of our volunteers is both a credit to them but also a measure of the joy they find in serving as Street Pastors. Please give some prayerful consideration to discovering if this ministry is for you.

Training will begin in January. If you would like to know more contact me (Jacky) chesterfield@streetpastors.org.uk

School Pastors

Chesterfield School Pastors was founded in 2015 and comes under the same umbrella organisation as the Street Pastors – Ascension Trust. NLC are represented in the team and Coordinator.

Each week on Mondays and Fridays we will have a team in Parkside School. The team provide ‘Pastors Club’ which is a ‘safe’ place to come at lunch time to play games or sit and chat. They also spend time listening to children in a one to one mentoring type of role.

Children are recommended by the school pastoral team as students who may benefit with having a different adult to talk to and who can give them some support. The team have taken part in various events and activities through the school year.

We are delighted at the welcome we have received from the school and we understand the school are delighted with the work that we do. It has been a privilege to see the hard work of head teacher, and her staff, pay off in the last few years as the student’s results have been the best

We are recruiting and will be training in January. If you might be interested please contact me (Jacky) chesterfield@schoolpastors.org.uk

Food Bank

New Life Church were involved right from the start with the much needed food banks in our area. We have volunteers who have been working at the distribution centres in Chesterfield and Loundsley Green since the project began and experiencing first-hand how important this work is. As well as the usual means of donating, each month church members have the opportunity to bring food donations for the food bank based on the most recent information regarding what is needed the most. We also help out with the food collection days which are organised in a local supermarket twice a year which usually generate around a ton of food for the food bank.

Night Shelter

There is considerable concern that there is nowhere for the homeless to get shelter in Chesterfield. The authorities have to prioritise because of limited resources and that often means that there was no help to be had. With the support of Derby City Mission who have a model up and running successfully we hope to have night shelters in place for the winter of 2018. This relies on 8 churches making their buildings available for one night a week each. We will be supporting in any way we can to get this up and running.