Excitement as brand-new Midhurst Community Hub set to launch

Midhurst Community Hub will open in the library at the Grange Centre and will bring together people from across the community to offer vital support and advice to people with complex needs in Midhurst and the surrounding area.

It is hoped that Chichester MP Gillian Keegan will open the hub on Friday (November 25).

Chair of the trustees at Midhurst Community Hub, Chrissie Abbott, said: “Those with long memories will know that face to face services have been progressively withdrawn from Midhurst over the years. The consequence is that those needing support are obliged to use the phone or perhaps Zoom or else travel to Chichester, Bognor or Worthing. This is costly, time consuming and almost impossible to undertake without a car.

"Moreover the experience of those involved in Midhurst Foodbank is that people often have multiple problems which single agencies cannot easily address.

“It is impossible for anyone to be expert on all these aspects, so we will enable access to those who are expert, working in support of the client and making the arrangements for them, and not just signposting.

"The Hub will be partnering with agencies that have expertise in relation to: food/energy poverty, debt/benefits and financial management issues, housing/maintenance issues, employment/skills needs, relationship/family issues, health/depression/loneliness, addictions, transport problems.

“The Hub will be staffed by volunteers at the Library who will address the clients’ concerns directly, or make a referral on their behalf to another agency, including the possibility of arranging for a partner organisation to meet the client by appointment at the Hub.”

A twice yearly ‘Midhurst Community Forum’ would bring together the enormous expertise of charities and public authorities serving this area to share issues and possible solutions. The emphasis will be on collaborative working.

The board of trustees includes Chrissie Abbott, founder of Midhurst Foodbank in Sept 2014, Governor of Midhurst, Primary School, Midhurst Parish Church, Laura Jandac owner of ‘The Upholsterer’, governor of Midhurst Primary School, Mark Purves, firefighter, chair of governors Midhurst Primary School, Martin Roberts, retired teacher, Midhurst Parish Church, Jeanette Sutton, Midhurst Town Councillor, Pest House Charity, James Yeates, CEO of an international animal welfare charity, Midhurst Parish Church.