Around 8 months ago we opened the doors to the Hub after many years of planning and fundraising. The managing of the Hub in order to properly serve the community and at the same time ensure financial independence is now a reality.
Our Manager and the Trustees have committed a great deal of time and effort to learning the practicalities of operating the building’s systems and developing a strong regular user customer base.
We as a small group of Trustees concentrated on the major task of getting the building constructed, so that the community and individual groups can organise whatever they wanted to do.
The day-to-day operations are handled by Kari the Hub’s excellent manager and she is supported by the Trustees and volunteers who have dealt with the snagging issues found in any new build and ensure the security of the building.
We now welcome 25 regular groups to the Hub which attract around 350 regular local users every week.
Our bookings cover a wide range of events and groups which include
- Fitness + Dance
- Reading group
- Ballet
- Counselling
- Seated Fitness
- Tutoring (children)
- Literacy (adults)
- Baby sensory
- Sing and sign for babies
- Children’s Cook stars
- Strength + Balance for ages 50+
- Badminton
- Magor and Undy W.I.
- Meetings
In addition, we have accommodated various weekend users including
- Birthday Parties for both young and old
- Wedding anniversaries
- Diwali celebration
Also, in May our first wedding reception with around 100 guests. We are pleased to say that 99% of users of the Hub have very positive comments to make about our facility.
We continue to analyse the way in which this usage represents the needs of the communities of Magor and Undy and are working to address some of the gaps which as yet have not been filled. This involves discussions with other stakeholders who can provide resource and experience in these areas.
We are aware that various questions are being raised on Facebook and other social media regarding potential uses of the Hub. As stated above it is not that we are unaware of some gaps but we do not wish to engage in discussion via social media. Our use of Facebook for example is to communicate what is going on in your Hub.
We are, however, interested in hearing your voices at face-to-face meetings. We are also interested in talking to potential volunteers who wish to support the Hub in a practical way. To this end we wish to develop this communication by offering an open ‘Meet the Trustees’ session which will be held at the Hub on 10th July 2024 at 7pm.
We envisage that this opening session will lead to the development of a wider support group to work closely with the Trustees. Please come to talk with us and join us on this journey.
At our recent AGM our chair of Trustees Paul Turner decided that after the many years of effort developing the case for and pushing forward with the build it was time for him to step back. With the result that I have been elected as chair to the Trustees a position I feel privileged to hold. Myself, The Trustees and Kari look forward to listening to your views and receiving your ongoing support.
Mike -Chair
