Author: The Net Community Hub

We are a small community hub in Weedswood offering a range of sessions and access to local agencies.
Activities, charity, Community News, Events

Stand Up to Stand Out!

The Net Community Hub

Stand Up to Stand Out is coming to the Net on Monday, April 7th!

As part of their government funded initiative, Funny Women is bringing its unique workshop to the hub.

As we get older we get funnier (we know, we’ve got a lot of budding comics at the hub – even if they don’t mean to be!!)

Although accessible to older people, all ages are welcome to come along to this confidence boosting, mirth making and fun workshop, and it’s free courtesy of the Shared Prosperity Fund from local and national government.

In this workshop, Lynne Parker, CEO of Funny Women, deploys some of the tried and tested tricks of the comedy trade to provide insights and inspiration for anybody who wants to take on leadership roles, speak in public and tell their story. We would particularly like to encourage those of you who stand back from taking on community leadership roles due to a lack of confidence – Medway is full of amazing people and we’re here to stand by your side.
 
This workshop covers:

  • Advice on how to ‘perform’, express yourself memorably and bring your ideas to life.
  • Techniques to communicate more effectively.
  • Knowing your worth – telling your own story, creating your own material, interpreting body language, and becoming more confident and memorable.
  • Law of attraction – how to connect with the people you need, virtually and in person, and how humour can help you keep them interested without being annoying.
  • Charisma, confidence and leadership skills.
  • De-stressing in an instant by having some fun!

The Schedule:

5:00pm  arrivals, refreshments
5.15-6.45pm workshop
6.45pm networking

7.00-8.00pm Open Mic
8.00pm CLOSE

Book early as spaces are limited to 30. You can also make a donation to Funny Women’s chosen cause, Wisdom Hospice Charity if you wish.

Check out all events in the Comedy in the Community Medway programme here.

Activities, charity, Community News, Events

Medway Women’s History Month Event: Finale Day at the Net Community Hub

The Net Community Hub

Last chance to celebrate Medway Women’s History Month!

Saturday 29th March from 12 noon. Doors open 11am for refreshments. All three events have their own separate tickets below the information.

The first event of the day, and we’re talking to fearless females who founded their own companies which culturally enrich their communities. From 12noon-1pm, meet Medway’s Creative Women.

The conversation will be chaired by our Project Manager, Jaye Nolan, who also founded the Rochester Literature Festival, our partner in these events. Festival Director Jaye has been a member of Medway’s cultural and creative community since 2010. A freelance writer since 2007, Jaye founded the festival in 2011, as a website resource to collate writing opportunities, but this quickly turned into live events – and here we are, 14 years later!

Lynne Parker decided twenty years ago that women were funny, after taking exception to a man telling her they weren’t. She promptly founded Funny Women CIC and set out to prove it. It’s just entering its twenty second year, with community projects, business training and awards among its many strands dedicated to empowering women in comedy and life in general.

Sue Davis, a freelance web content trainer also joins the panel. There is a major digital divide between the sexes when it comes to Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) around the world. Sue will share how she overcame the obstacles to create her own niche.

Reserve your space here

At 2pm, the Medway Women’s History Month team, led by Georgia Read-Cutting will host an interactive session to celebrate incredible women that no-one has heard of – prepare to be shocked! Bring along the name of the woman who most inspired you to share with the group, and we’ll see what else Alexa can find out about her – she might even make it into Georgia’s ‘Notable Women’ book, currently being written 🙂

Reserve your space here

Then from 4pm, join us for music, poetry and comedy, with a set from one of Medway’s most talented songstresses, Didi Bergman, who appeared at the launch of the Rochester Literature Festival, our Garden Party in Eastgate House Gardens nearly thirteen years ago!

Didi started working in several bands in 1993 as a bass player and backing vocalist, for about ten years. After that, she sang main vocals in a duo called Bergman Sigh. Her partner bought her a guitar and she started making up chord shapes and songs, and was invited out to play by some of her younger musician friends. She ended up playing small festivals and local pubs, once supporting Hazel O Connor. She has also been on bills with Martin Carthy, Nick Harper, and Judy Dyble. We can’t wait to hear her again 🙂

We’re also delighted that another long time friend of the RLF, the lovely Tender Eye, will share some poetry with us, along with comedy and poetry from some of the creative members of the MWHM team. And then, we party (BYOB!).

Reserve your space here.

The events are free, although there is a donation ticket, and tea and coffee will be available for a suggested £1 donation. If you have difficulty due to mobility or finance issues attending the hub, please contact Jaye at: community@waldersladehub.org as there is a travel bursary available to people living in Medway.

For the full programme, visit here.

We do hope you can join us 🙂

Activities, charity, Community News, Events

Medway Women’s History Month Event – Overcoming Adversity: Medway’s female community doers

The Net Community Hub

Saturday 22nd March from 1pm-2pm (as part of Brainstormz!). Doors open 12.15pm. You can book tickets here.

The Net Community Hub plays host to three extraordinary women, who, in spite of the difficulties they face, make the lives of Medway residents so much richer.

Sue Bulpin, Sam Rapp and Kate Belmonte are in conversation on Saturday, March 22nd at the Net Community Hub from 1pm.

Sue lives with Functional Neurological Disorder and, as she put it “hit a wall” at weekends. Volunteering since she was forced to give up work due to her condition, Sue kept herself busy all week but found herself losing energy at the weekends.

Thus Brainstormz! was born. Beginning at the Hub on Saturday afternoons and now expanded to Rainham Healthy Living Centre on a Monday, Sue has engaged many people with neurological conditions, and was rewarded with being a Pride in Medway finalist in 2022, MVA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2023, and being chosen as one of only 500 Royal Voluntary Service’s Coronation Champions, also in 2023.

Sam Rapp, the Dyslexic Poet, is a lawyer by trade and if that wasn’t impressive enough in itself, she has been a stalwart of Medway’s creative writing scene for many years. She has performed as The Dyslexic Poet in the UK and internationally, and has won awards for her poetry and plays. She runs many creative writing workshops under the banner of Fun With Words Productions, dedicated to making writing fun for all abilities.

Sam is chair of Dyslexia House Association, Medway and Co-Chair of the disabled staff network for legal services in the public sector. She writes a regular blog for Dyslexia Scotland and has published her first book Rant Dyslexic Me.

Kate Belmonte co-founded and is the director of an award winning local non-profit social enterprise, the Mutual Aid Road Reps, which was created in 2020 to combat loneliness and isolation across the Medway Towns during the pandemic. It continues to expand, offering essential services such as befriending, shop and drops and taking people to appointments.

Self employed since 2007, Kate ran a sign company before specialising in graphic design and website building. She has worked with and for small businesses across the Medway. A keen environmentalist, she has campaigned to protect our green spaces and agricultural land in Rainham, Twydall and on the Hoo Peninsula, and stood as the Green Party candidate in Gillingham and Rainham at the last general election.

We’re honoured to host Sue, Sam and Kate. The event is free, and tea and coffee will be available for a suggested £1 donation. If you have difficulty due to mobility or finance issues attending the hub, please contact Jaye at: community@waldersladehub.org as there is a travel bursary available to people living in Medway.

For the full programme, visit here.

We look forward to seeing you.

Activities, Community News, Events, Patron

Medway Women’s History Month Event: From Suffragettes to the Political Now

The Net Community Hub

Saturday 22nd March 11am-12noon. Doors open 10.15am for refreshments. Tickets can be booked here.

Jennifer Godfrey talks to former Chatham and Aylesford MP, Dame Tracey Crouch, DBE, and current Gillingham and Rainham MP, Naushabah Khan, about the rise of female representation in parliament and what struggles they still faced in the 21st Century, drawing comparisons between them and the early female pioneers.

Jennifer Godfrey lives in West Kent with her husband, two children and dog. She is the author of two non-fiction books, published by Pen & Sword Ltd, entitled ‘Suffragettes of Kent’ and ‘Secret Missions of the Suffragettes – Glass breakers and Safe Houses’. She is currently researching and writing her third book, also about women’s suffrage. Jennifer has enjoyed writing stories since she was a young child and over the years has been involved in many writing courses, groups and projects. 

Dame Tracey Crouch DBE was MP for Chatham and Aylesford for 14 years, 2010-2024. Within that time, Tracey held various posts, including Minister for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness in 2017. She took a principled stand over the delay to introduce reduced limits on the stakes of fixed odds betting terminals, and resigned the post in 2018.

With a particular focus on older people, Tracey was responsible for implementing the Loneliness Strategy, and held regular Over 55s fairs, where the public could meet service providers and see what was available to them. She said: “From a Member of Parliament perspective you see so many people in the community when they reach crisis point and sadly, they’re not necessarily aware of some of the activities that are out there for them which may have prevented them getting to that crisis point.” Tracey is also the Patron of The Net Community Hub.

Naushabah Khan has been the MP Gillingham and Rainham since July
2024, after serving for a decade as a Medway Councillor. She proudly identifies as a feminist and previously served as a trustee for the Fawcett Society, a leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. Naushabah has been consistently vocal on issues affecting women, particularly those from diverse communities.

Her commitment to amplifying these voices and addressing systemic inequalities has been a driving force throughout her political career. In Parliament, Naushabah continues to champion policies that promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that the concerns of underrepresented communities are brought to the forefront of political discourse.

Get their early for this fascinating discussion. The event is free, although there is a donation ticket. Tea and coffee will be available for a suggested £1 donation. If you have difficulty due to mobility or finance issues attending the hub, please contact Jaye at: community@waldersladehub.org as there is a travel bursary available.

For the full programme, visit here.

We look forward to seeing you.

charity, Community News

We’re hiring!

The Net Community Hub

Are you looking for a rewarding position in an organisation that makes a huge difference to local people?

We are seeking a customer-focused individual for a part-time Assistant Manager position. This role is crucial in providing a warm and welcoming space for our local residents to combat social isolation and loneliness. This is an extremely rewarding role for the right person, who will become part of a close knit community.

Key Details

  • Location: 70 Silverweed Road, Walderslade ME5 0QX
  • Hours: Average 10 hours per week (flexible, ranging from 7-16 hours per week)
  • Salary: £12 per hour
  • Holiday: 5 weeks paid holiday per annum
  • Start Date: December 2nd, 2024

Key Responsibilities

  1. Operational Management
    • Act as premises keyholder and ensure security
    • Manage room setup and maintenance
    • Oversee petty cash and invoicing
  2. Community Engagement
    • Run day-to-day sessions and activities
    • Develop new ideas for community engagement
    • Network with other third-sector organizations
  3. Administration
    • Handle emails and general administrative tasks
    • Maintain and update policies and schedules
    • Manage the charity’s website and social media presence
  4. Team Leadership
    • Manage volunteer keyholders and sessional volunteers
    • Coordinate with the board of Trustees and Project Manager
  5. Fundraising and Event Management
    • Assist with fundraising efforts
    • Participate in community events

Qualifications and Skills

Essential

  • Strong customer service background
  • Empathy and ability to work with vulnerable individuals
  • Initiative, organization, and efficiency
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Flexibility regarding work hours
  • Physical ability to handle furniture and setup tasks

Desirable

  • General administration skills
  • Familiarity with Google Drive, WordPress, X, WhatsApp, and Facebook (training provided).
  • Knowledge of Safeguarding, First Aid, and Health & Safety (training provided)

Working Hours and Conditions

  • Flexible hours, averaging 10 per week plus occasional overtime
  • May include evenings and weekends
  • Must be available for specific dates in 2025: 7-17 May and 2-16 July

Application Process

  1. Submit your application to: community@waldersladehub.org
  2. Application should include:
    • CV
    • Cover letter outlining your suitability for the role.

Deadline for applications: 4th November Interviews: November

Equal Opportunities

The Net Community Hub is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals.

For any questions or further information, please contact Jaye at community@waldersladehub.org.

About us

The Net Community Hub (Charity number 1167351) is a small community space in Weedswood, offering a range of sessions, support groups and access to local agencies. Our aim is to benefit vulnerable Walderslade residents, with a particular emphasis on the lonely and isolated of all ages, by providing inclusive recreational opportunities to improve their health and wellbeing and reduce social isolation and loneliness.

charity, Community News, Health and Wellbeing, Premises, Resources, walt

Local Lifesaver – Defibrillator now installed

The Net Community Hub
The local community attend the launch

A brand new defibrillator was installed outside the hub on Friday 14th June.

The launch at 3:30pm was attended by a choral ensemble from Oakland Primary School, bringing a large crowd together to support this important emergency health resource being established for the immediate community.

The event was also supported by Guy Thompson, who works as a member of NHS ambulance crew but provides emergency support as a volunteer First Responder when not at work. He is offering to run a session at the NET to demonstrate the ease with which this can be used when a cardiac arrest is suspected. The date for this will be shared when it’s been set.

The installation was a culmination of a long campaign by Geoff Walters, a board member of both The Net and WALT, following a successful application to Health and Social Care. Together with funding contributed from Councillors Esther Cook and Eddie Peak, WALT and support from the congregation of St Philips & St James, the defibrillator was publicly launched.

MHS coordinated the installation at The Net, connecting to its electrical supply, and will ensure its ongoing maintenance.

To use the defibrillator, you call 999, who advise a code to open it and give guidance for use.

Oaklands School pupils sang ‘You’ve got a friend in me’

Resources, Support Services

The true cost of using loan sharks

The Net Community Hub

Becoming a victim of a loan shark can happen to anyone, anywhere, in any situation. But there is help on hand, in the form of the Illegal Money Lending Team – not the police – who can stop loan sharks from terrorising their victims.

Here’s just one story:

A father has told how he is looking forward to a happy Christmas this year, free from the grip of a loan shark for the first time in 15 years.

Anthony, 39, borrowed over £10,000 in small loans from someone he thought was a family friend and a legitimate lender over the years to help him through difficult and expensive times, like Christmas. 

But following an investigation by the England Illegal Money Lending Team, he was horrified to discover that the lender was not authorised and was in fact a loan shark who had been profiting from his family.

Anthony, a father of four, said: “I was absolutely fuming. I am so angry that he was effectively profiting from our misfortune. He had taken money off my kids to fund his own life.

“The interest was just horrific. I had to pay back £60 or £70 on top of every £100 I borrowed. Over the years I have borrowed over £10,000, so that’s a lot of profit he has made from me – thousands and thousands of pounds.”

Anthony said Christmas was often the biggest thing he needed to borrow money for and the loan shark knew that, turning up to offer money exactly when it was needed.

“The first loan was £500 and I paid that off, but there is always something that comes up, especially when you have got kids,” he said.

“Christmas was the biggest one, we had two or three loans, maybe even more over the Christmas period. You want your kids to have a good life and you want to be able to have a decent Christmas and make memories with them. If someone is there saying here is some money you can pay back a bit a month, it’s too easy not to do it.”

Anthony believed the lender was legitimate, but when he struggled to repay, he realised something was amiss when he was suddenly faced with threats and intimidation.

That included the lender turning up at his home when he was out and making inappropriate sexual comments to his wife and daughter.

“He really put the pressure on – turning up at my house when my wife was home alone and saying sleazy comments to her like suggesting there were other ways to pay. It got really tough,” he said.

But it was only when officers from the IMLT paid him a visit that he realised the truth.

Another borrower had reported the lender and Anthony was found to be one of a large number of people who had been targeted.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, maybe I should have noticed the signs when he just scribbled it down on a piece of paper, but it was just so easy at the time,” he said.

“It angers me because I have been made to feel like a fool. I have funded someone else’s life and to find out afterwards there were so many other people he was making money off – it just makes me so angry.”

The illegal lender has now been jailed following the IMLT’s intervention and Anthony and his family are looking forward to a Christmas without worrying about an unwelcome visit.

“It’s a vile thing to have hanging over your head – it’s like being stuck in a never-ending hellhole of recycling money,” he said.

“We have been without him for months now and I don’t miss it at all – things have come up but now we just do without if we can’t afford it. Money does make the world go round but it doesn’t bring you happiness. We’re a lot happier now we’re not borrowing from him anymore.

“If anyone is thinking about borrowing from a lender like this I would say just don’t do it. Speak to your family, find a legitimate source to borrow from and start saving for next year. If someone turns up on your doorstep offering you money and it seems too good to be true it will be – it will come back to haunt you.”

The Illegal Money Lending Team, also known as Stop Loan Sharks, investigates and prosecutes illegal lenders and offers support and advice to anyone who may be in debt to an illegal lender.

Tony Quigley, head of the IMLT, said: “Christmas is always a testing time when it comes to family finances, but there are safer ways to borrow money if that is needed.

“People should beware of apparently friendly faces appearing to do you a favour by offering loans. It may seem like a simple option, but things can soon turn nasty and you may end up trapped in a cycle of repaying huge amounts of interest and having to borrow again to pay that off.

“If you have been targeted in this way, get in touch with our specialist team in confidence for advice and support.

“We are so grateful to Anthony for sharing his story and we hope it helps anyone who is in the same situation come forward to contact us.”

There are an estimated 1.08 million people in debt to loan sharks in England, according to figures from the Centre for Social Justice.

Signs to look out for include being offered no paperwork, being asked to hand over bank cards or a passport until the debt is repaid, being charged huge amounts of interest and facing threats or intimidation when you can’t pay.

Since its launch in 2004, the IMLT has supported over 31,000 people and written off over £91 million worth of illegal debt, securing over 410 prosecutions for illegal money lending. Its Christmas campaign in 2023 is urging families to #ShopSmartNotShark and not to resort to illegal lenders if money is tight and consider safer options such as credit unions.

Anyone who has been affected by illegal money lending should call the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live Chat is available on the website from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

Attending a workshop, The Net (via Manager Jaye) was happy to sign up to the local declaration against loan sharking.

A note about the Illegal Money Lending Teams

The Illegal Money Lending Teams in England, Scotland and Wales work alongside the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to investigate those operating within the consumer credit market without the appropriate authorisation.

The Illegal Money Lending Teams in England and Wales work in partnership with local Trading Standards Authorities in their related countries. They consist of specialist officers who investigate and prosecute illegal money lending and related activity and LIAISE officers who support victims and raise awareness of the dangers of borrowing from illegal money lenders.

Health and Wellbeing, Resources, Support Services

Do you or someone you know have a problem with gambling?

The Net Community Hub

We will be joined at the hub by GamCare on Monday 19th February between 1-3pm for an information drop in session. No need to book, and if you can’t make it, there are some useful resources below.

The National Gambling Helpline

If you’re negatively affected by either your own gambling, or the gambling of a loved one you can call our confidential helpline on freephone 0808 8020 133 lines open 24/7. Or you can access our Live Web Chat  

Forums and Chatrooms

GamCare’s Forum is an online message board available 24/7, providing a safe and secure place to explore your relationship with gambling.  

Visit our Forum

We run regular chatrooms, where users can use live text chat to talk about issues related to gambling harms with other people in similar situations, supported by one of our Advisers. Visit our Chatrooms

Way Forward Group for Affected Others

Our Way Forward Group is an online supportive space for women who are affected by a loved one’s gambling. If you would like to join or refer someone to the group, please contact kerri.rustell@gamcare.org.uk

Self-Exclusion Software

TalkBanStop brings together practical free tools and support which can help support people to control their gambling and maintain a successful recovery for anyone harmed by gambling. 

The partnership offers a mixture of personal support via GamCare’s trained Advisers, free access to Gamban blocking software which can be installed on multiple devices, and encouragement to register for the free self-exclusion scheme, GAMSTOP. 

When used together, this combination of blocking software, self-exclusion and support puts in place additional layers of protection for anyone struggling to control their gambling. 

Support

Local adult support is delivered by our partner Breakeven. Find out more information on their 121 support options by visiting the Breakeven website

Young Person Support Service 

GamCare provide support to young people affected by gambling harms, either as a result of their own gambling or the gambling of a family member. 

Young people and professionals can refer directly in by contacting: YoungPeopleService@gamcare.org.uk or by calling their helpline on 020 3092 6964. 

You can find more information on our Young People Support Service on the Big Deal website www.BigDeal.org.uk.  

With thanks to GamCare for these resources.

Activities, Community News

Want to Learn How To Make Podcasts?

The Net Community Hub

This is your chance to learn how to produce and launch your own podcasts, as everything you ever wanted to know about podcasts is coming to the Hub across five Wednesday nights.

The sessions start on Wednesday 21st February at 4.30pm to 6.30pm and will run every Wednesday until 13th March, when the final session will finish at 6pm. Cost is £112.50 for the whole course, which can be paid in advance in full, or in 3 x instalments of £30 on the night, with a final payment of £22.50. 

You’re in very safe hands with your tutor, Kieran Poole. He has produced at BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Kent and Absolute Radio. Kieran has presented an award-winning radio show, a number of podcasts and is a stand-up comedian.

The cost of the five 90 minute sessions £112.50 per person, and you can book and pay in advance, or pay £22.50 on the night. If you’re unable to make any of the sessions, there will be a catch up zoom.

The only equipment required is your own laptop and wired earphones/headphones to each session. To book, email community@walderslade.hub.org.