FIRST column by CEO Indigo Redfern from GL11 Community Hub. 

Have you heard of GL11 Community Hub?

As CEO, I often wonder how best to introduce GL11 Community Hub to those people who haven't come across us yet. 

Community Hub is a trendy phrase at the moment, but GL11 is one of the originals! GL11 is a traditional community centre.

Our staff and volunteers are local people, all involved because we care about our community and want to make it a connected, kind and can-do place.

We started in 2001, and are based in Cam near Dursley.

We're a long way from the bigger towns, like Stroud & Gloucester, where there are more services provided.

Which is probably why we've ended up doing such a wide range of different activities here. 

Currently we have about 50 activities each week including social groups, our affordable café, food bank, toddler groups and parenting courses, mental health support including our comprehensive counselling and health coaching, and a wide range of fun stuff including 

Men's shed, knit and natter, art and chat... the list goes on!

Do have a look at our website www.gl11.org.uk as we have a constantly changing programme. 

Don't see what you want? Come and talk to us, we want to hear your ideas, we want to work with you to make things happen in our community.

It has been a tough few years for all of us, first with COVID and then the cost of living crisis. 

A lot of us have been affected in ways we never anticipated, with stress and anxiety during Covid followed up with the financial pressures as we struggle to make ends meet. 

At GL11 we have tried to balance providing support to help people navigate through these unpredictable times while also working with the public sector to try and improve the way things work, to breakdown some of the bureaucratic barriers so that we can all access the services we all want and need.

So do get in touch: we want to hear from you! Email me at office@GL11.org.uk

Stroud News and Journal: GL11 Community Hub