Plumstead Hub aims to be the beating heart of Plumstead High St offering an alternative to the numerous fast food shops in our area, with a café serving healthy, inexpensive food coupled with a community space offering meeting spaces where the community can come together.

We are a not for profit community organisation that will take on a high street building that has been empty for years, and turn it into a community café and community hub. We want to promote our unique high street/local businesses and encourage more people to shop locally and use local services.

Our previous High St community hall was demolished several years ago but the need to have a meeting space where all sections of our community can come together has not gone away. We are a diverse community in an area of deprivation but we are creative and entrepreneurial. We will work in partnership with local businesses, agencies and organisations to encourage locals to engage, learn, rest and play.

What we'll deliver:

• Purchase catering equipment for our community cafe kitchen
• Take up a local company's offer of cost price materials to install new heating and electrics
• Use a team of volunteers from 2 local businesses & our own lovely volunteers to clean & re-decorate the Hub
• We will negotiate with our local Council to secure a long-term lease on the buildings

Why it's a great idea:

We have spent a year going round our community and asking people what they want to see in the Hub. Our ideas have adapted over the year and we have now produced a Business Plan.

There are a number of local church halls that are well used but there are no small meeting rooms that groups, small businesses or individuals can hire at a reasonable cost.

We have also consulted with various local agencies i.e. local Children's Centres, the Community Law Centre, the library, and local schools. All are enthusiastic and can see potential for outreach and developing local capacity.

The two relevant local wards (Glyndon and Plumstead) have, according to the 2011 Census:
- High numbers of children under 5
- High numbers of Black or Ethnic Minority residents
- High numbers of overcrowded households
- High numbers of lone parent families
- Low car ownership
- High numbers of people who claim ‘Not good’ health
- High numbers of unemployed people
- High numbers of people without qualifications

Steps to get it done:

• We will be financially sustainable within a year through cafe income and from room hire and events
• We will continue to consult and involve and utilise the skills of local people
• We will create a calm, simple and welcoming environment inside the Hub
• We have a lot of support locally having spent a year taking our ideas around the community.
• We will have environmentally sustainable and ethical practices, minimising waste and maximising value for money.

Activities that the Plumstead High St hub will aim to provide in partnership with community agencies
• Counselling, mediation, advice sessions
• Entry level classes in literacy/ESOL numeracy, ICT and and back-to-work support for all in the community
• Courses for parents to help with their children
• Local councillor surgeries
• Hosting meetings of community/personal development/family support groups
• Venue for supervision/CPD sessions/meetings
• Health professional appointments
• Youth clubs for teenagers
• A one-stop shop with information on everything going on in Plumstead.
• Help to become more active – focus on mental wellbeing and supporting mums to get fit

Support for small businesses
• Permanent venue for Plumstead Community Market
• Providing free wi-fi and low cost desk/meeting space for “homeworkers” and Small Business advice
• Rooms for hire at low cost to new businesses - e.g. complementary therapies, health and fitness professionals