Shipley Community Hub
Life-saving equipment at the ‘Heart’ of the community.
Shipley community hub joined forces with Platinum Ambulance to install a life saving AED defibrillator for the peace of mind of the community.
The Hub was delighted to unveil the new AED device that will be avalible 24/7 365 days a year to those in and around the heart of Shipley, West Sussex. The project was put forward back in May 2023 when the Hub first opened its doors as a monthly ‘meeting place’ for those in and around the surrounding area. With unprecedented support from Platinum Ambulance, who very kindly donated the equipment for the community and also agreed to become a guardian for the unit, ensuring that it is serviced and maintained going forward.
Tim Mordant and Sophia Burrell – Directors of Platinum ambulance also ran free training workshops to give people the confidence to use the equipment along with at free health MOTs at the first Hub of 2024 on February 6th. – However, the AED device is set up in such a way that anyone can assist in an emergency as when turned on and activated, the machine gives clear and direct instructions throughout the process to the user.
The AED is situated at the side of Andrew Hall in Red Lane, and access to the unit is via calling 999 (closest pay phone is opposite Andrew Hall in Red Lane will be connected to an operator will assist / disclose the security code for the lock box).
Shipley Community Hub would also like to thank Matt Morgan and Knepp Castle Estate along with the Andrew Hall trust for facilitating the placement of the unit.
The Community Hub is a project, run by volunteers, which runs on the first Tuesday of every month from 11am-2pm and is open to anyone who would like to come along. Its main purpose is to provide a place for people to come along and socialize, combatting loneliness, whilst offering monthly themes. Refreshments, (cake donations always welcome) a repair café, where items are fixed and saved from landfill – also sponsored by Knepp Estate, eco-refills by ‘Plastic free Refills’ and the newest edition to the hub, ‘Greener Shipley’
Greener Shipley is a community led group, working to:
- Build on all the great things already happening in the parish.
- Make it easier to enjoy the local environment and increase biodiversity; and
- Further reduce waste, and our carbon footprint.
You can follow us on Facebook.
You can visit our new and blossoming website here: www.shipleycommunityhub.org Or pop down to one of the monthly hubs.
New Community Hub Launched
A press release is listed below
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A new community project is being launched in Shipley, West Sussex - The Shipley Community Hub will be located in ‘Andrew Hall’ and will officially open on May 2nd 2023. The initiative is designed to be a place where friendship and well-being is the focus, along with launching several projects to help improve the environment, including a Repair Café.
The project will raise money in the form of donations and once charity status is confirmed, it is hoped that it will attract grants to assist growth.
Founder of The Shipley Community Hub, Sarah Cuthbertson, commented: “I was looking to find ways to do more for the community on a regular basis, something I wasn’t able to do in a role as Parish Councilor. I grew up in Ashurst, West Sussex, another rural village much like Shipley, and as a child I remember the local community being tight knit. I don’t know if I’m being nostalgic looking back with rose tinted glasses on, but having conversations with residents in Shipley, it seems as though this was the same in Shipley years ago, but sadly the community has become less connected as people have started to commute out of the village for work and not helped by the pandemic. We all have busier lives and with shopping, socializing and communicating online than ever before, we are losing that ‘personal communication’ within communities. No one really sees each other like they used to when we would just ‘pop to the shop’. I understand we used to have local stores in Shipley and Coolham and even a Post Office, But now sadly these are only a part of History.- We are, however, super lucky to have three wonderful pubs in the locality, with The Countryman still offering basic supplies, something that started in the pandemic by Landlord Alan Vaughan, and was a lifeline for those in the village, but not everyone can frequent their local watering hole for whatever reason, and the older generations are possibly not able to, even if they wanted to, due to getting there, so it can be really isolating for some living in rural areas these days. This is where the ‘community’ part of the scheme comes into play.
Talking more about the project and the Repair cafe, Sarah said: “You're not just saving money, you're saving items from going to landfill, plus sharing skills and knowledge that are getting forgotten about in this disposable society. We are so lucky to have so many fantastic local businesses that have stepped up to help get this new project and get it off the ground and running. Jason Emrich - Estate manager at Knepp Castle has come forward with sponsorship for the Hub in the form of loaning their Maintenance Foreman ‘Matthew Morgan’ to the scheme once a month to oversee the Repair Cafe. Helping people fix easy to bring in items, helping residents order parts if needed that they can bring the following month if unable to fix on that day. All whilst enjoying handmade goodies and bakes that have been donated and getting that personal interaction”.
Tim Mordaunt from Platinum Ambulance, has offered a transport service, on a pre-organized basis to locals that otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend the monthly hubs, This makes the scheme accessible to anyone wishing to come, and also will help with the limited parking in the vicinity in wetter months when the field, owned by Knepp usually used for parking for community gatherings is out of action.
Bryan, Owner of FinePrint in Pound Lane, Shipley printed the launch advertising flyers and donated them for free, and Amanda Jupp has sponsored the project’s rent for up to a year! Both things that just wouldn’t have been financially possible to me when starting this scheme with literally no budget.
Other valuable contributor includes Jozef from ‘Plastic Free Refills’, an alternative shopping ‘experience’ for want of a better word, which focuses more on reuse and replenish items such as cleaning products, toiletries and even some food stuffs. Plastic free refills basically do what it says on the tin, It offers a refill station where customers can bring along their own empty containers to fill with Eco-friendly products, minimizing plastic waste and helping reduce harmful chemicals in the environment. Jozef has agreed to come along each month to the Hub and support this project whilst donating 10% of his profit to the community charity.
Sarah finished by saying: “Finally and not forgetting the many local people who have got in touch with offers of help, baking and other wonderful items such as a Bridge table and playing cards” even hand delivering flyers to spread the word in the community. There seems a real thirst for The Shipley Community Hub and the launch of this new project, so I hope it is something that is supported by the community and continues to flourish.
Each month will have a special ‘pop up’ theme which people can come along to and learn new things or try something new. It will be tailored to the community and Lend itself to moving with whatever the village needs. And without the support of some special people that have stood by me and given me encouragement and support Such as Nicky Neal-Smith and Harry Woodage who have agreed to be trustees of the Hub plus Amanda Jupp - this project wouldn’t have been possible.
The Shipley Community Hub team look forward to welcoming folk to the launch. Ribbon cutting and grand opening is on 2nd May at 11am by Cllr. Amanda Jupp and Cllr. Gordon Lyndsay.
Sarah Cuthbertson - founder.
