Latest News

charity, Community News, Volunteers

Brainstormz! Volunteer Sue is crowned as a Coronation Champion!

The Net Community Hub

We are thrilled that one of our star volunteers, Sue Bulpin, has been selected as one of the 500 official Coronation Champions.

Sue lives with Functional Neurological Disorder but in spite of this, she runs a peer support group called Brainstormz! at the Net Community Hub on Saturday afternoons, for people with similar brain conditions and injuries. Sue supports her group with art therapies and by sharing advice, and provides a warm and welcoming space for those like herself, who tended to “hit a wall” at the weekend.

Commenting on becoming a Coronation Champion, Sue said: ”I’m amazed that I’ve got picked to go through – things like that don’t happen to me! It’s second nature what I do, I just enjoy helping people and giving back to the community, seeing people smile. I’m proud of what I’ve done and am excited to go to the celebration event. I’m proud of what the people I’ve supported have achieved, that gives me a lot of satisfaction.” 

The Coronation Champions Awards, launched by Royal Voluntary Service and supported by Her Majesty The Queen Consort, is all about celebrating the work of extraordinary volunteers across the UK. 

A total of 500 volunteers have been selected as Coronation Champions and will receive an official Coronation Champions pin badge, a signed certificate from Their Majesties, and an invite to one of the Coronation Celebrations, such as the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert or a Coronation Garden Party.

Huge congratulations to our Sue, who is off this weekend to the concert at Windsor Castle (we’ve never seen her so excited!) and will be proudly wearing her new pin badge. And quite possibly a new hat, shoes, coat … 😀

Find out more about the awards here: https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/coronation-champions-awards/

Community News, Female Focus, Support Services

Special guests for Female Focus

The Net Community Hub

We’re delighted that we will be joined at the next Female Focus (January 12th from 1pm) by Medway Council’s Breast Cancer Awareness Team, alongisde a representative from MVA and Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Year of Listening’ programme.

Come along and have your say on helping to shape the future of local cancer services for women, as well as advice on how to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, or advice on how to cope with receiving a diagnosis yourself or supporting someone you know.

Feel free to drop by to this support group for females only, which usually takes place on the second Thursday in the month.

charity, Community News, Funding, fundraising

An encouraging final phase of the year as funding rolls in

The Net Community Hub

Huge thanks to us from three of our biggest supporters over the last five years.

Firstly, we received another £10k grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, which will cover most of our regular activity sessions for the next twelve months.

Following on from the advise of that, the Sir George Earle Benevolent Fund via the Kent Community Foundation has awarded us £3000 towards our costs costs, covering the period now to the end of February.

And at the end of November, we will be receiving our main tranche of funding from the Cooperative Community Fund, which will be used to run our Brainstormz! session (Saturdays, 1-4pm).

None of what we do would be possible without the generous support of our local community, both national and Medway lottery players and the fundraisers brought together under the Kent Community Foundation banner. You’re our heroes!

The Medway Lottery is an ongoing opportunity to raise funds for us – set up your account and choose us as your charity here.

Activities, recycle surgery, Resources

The Recycle Surgery is up and running!

The Net Community Hub

In conjunction with Medway Council’s Recycle Team, the surgery will run on the third Monday in the month between 1-3pm.

Bring along small electrical items for recycling (or taking to the tip as appropriate) and stop for a cup of tea and chat about how to be environmentally friendly. Or just stop for a cup of tea and a chat about anything, we’re easy!

We launched the surgery on Monday, joined by the Mayor of Medway*, Councillor Jan Aldous and her consort Mr. Tony Aldous and were delighted with the response. The Medway Council van disappeared with three irons, two laptops, two tea urns, three printers and a lamp!

Save yourself a trip to the tip and join us on Monday, 20th June.

*Congratulations to Madam Mayor Jan on being elected to office this week for a further year 🙂

Activities, Female Focus, Support Services

Female Focus – our new Women’s Support Group

The Net Community Hub

We’ve set aside the second Thursday in the month for a women’s support group, Female Focus. It will run from 1.30-3.30pm.

Come and join us for tea and cake, more cake and more tea, and a chat about all those issues that affect women (colloquially known as ‘women’s problems’) including – but not limited to – reproductive health (the big one) on and offline safety, and any other subject you as a group decide you’d like to discuss.

Our special guest in June will be a representative from Medway’s public health team to talk about female health problems.

We know how a focus on male bodies has historically led to worse treament for women (the symptoms for hearts attacks, for example, can be very different in women and yet the usual symptoms to look for are those which mainy affect men). So come armed with all your questions to ensure you know what to ask your GP when it comes to your health.

Here’s an interesting article from the BBC, on a new 3D female anatomy model that can be used to better treat women. And they’ve only just put it together in 2022 *rolls eyes*.

Activities, Community News, Funding, walderslade together

Celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

The Net Community Hub

The BIG bank holiday weekend is almost upon us, and thanks to the ever-wonderful Kent Community Foundation, we’ve been awarded £1900 to help Her Majesty celebrate!

While maintaining our usual activities, we’ve extended our opening times with bonus editions of arts and crafts with the fabulous Natasha at Creatabot, an afternoon tea, courtesy of WALT, finishing off with live music and other activities in the Big Tea Party.

The full calendar is below, do come along and join us!

Wednesday 1st June: 10am-3pm

Open Cafe with Chairobics at 11am and Creatabot Arts between 12.30-2.30pm.

Thursday 2nd June 12noon-4pm

Waltie’s Open Cafe and Afternoon Tea.

Friday 3rd June 12noon-4pm

Open Cafe with Creatabot Arts in residence from 1pm.

Saturday 4th June 11am-4pm

The Big Tea Party with WALT. All welcome to drop in for live music and activities throughout the day.

We do hope you will join us to raise a toast to Her Majesty 🙂

Support Services

One-to-One Wellbeing Counselling available

The Net Community Hub

We’re delighted to once again be hosting a counselling service, which began today.

Our counsellor, Martin, is a trainee wellbeing counsellor, for people who sometimes feel a little overwhelmed with day-to-day life and would just like to take time out to talk through their feelings.

Martin joins us as part of his work experience and could be with us for a whole year, possibly expanding his hours. If all goes very well, his college may well offer us a second counsellor to extend the service.

If you’d like to book an appointment with Martin, please call us on 01634 319633 (leave a message if prompted). He will be available on Wednesdays from 10.30-11.30am, and 12-1pm.

Activities

Move over Hollywood, Weedswood is where it’s at!

The Net Community Hub

The hub recently hosted theatre company, Alternate Shadows, who kindly donated their time and expertise to help our manager Jaye, film a short sketch she’s written.

Alternate Shadows: l-r Owen, Alex, Mike, Mick, Sophia and Richard

Called The Donation, it shows volunteers dealing with an unexpected visitor when preparing the hub for a birthday party.

So enthusiastic for the project were Alternate Shadows, there will actually be two versions. The first, the short sketch originally envisioned by Jaye. Second, the longer version, which gathered pace throughout blocking, rehearsal and lighting sessions, as the cast and crew fed off each other’s creativity to expand the idea.

Both versions are in post-production now and we’ll hold a premiere in due course. In the meantime, here’s a few photos, and a teaser video here – no clues, you’ll have to wait and see it!

Huge thanks to Alternate Shadows for giving up their time: Richard, Sophia, Mick, Alex, Mike and Owen, and a special mention for Tracy who worked with us but was unable to attend the shoot.

If all goes well, we’ll look to do more audio/visual projects in the new year. If you want to hire the hub for your own creative endeavours or as a location, please contact Jaye via community@waldersladehub.org.