A new pop-up space in a shopping centre will showcase the work of voluntary and community groups.

Castle Quay Shopping centre in Banbury is playing host to a new pop-up space which focuses on the voluntary and community groups that are active all over Cherwell.

Cherwell District Council is providing the unit so that many of the key groups who are active in the community have a place to showcase their work and meet people for a conversation, giving local people a central hub to discover opportunities to participate.

Councillor Phil Chapman, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities, said: “There are so many fantastic voluntary and community groups in Cherwell district.

“We are delighted to be offering, for the first time, a dedicated space where they can showcase their work to the public.

“The connections and relationships that we have within our communities are such a critical part of what makes us feel we are at home in an area, and sometimes discovering a new event, support service or volunteering opportunity makes all the difference, transforming our experience of where we live.

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“This is a flexible and friendly space, which will offer something different throughout the course of the year but always current and relevant.

“I am really delighted by the excitement and support we have from our partners for this new initiative and can’t wait for local people to drop in and discover what it’s all about.”

Councillor Les Sibley, Chairman of Cherwell District Council, declared the space officially open on Thursday July 21, and the move has already been backed by partners such as Citizen’s Advice, Age UK and Trading Standards.

These three stakeholders will all have a regular presence in the space, while groups such as Restore, Banbury Community Action Group and The Hill Community Centre are among the pop-up partners who will make special guest appearances.

Restore is a mental health charity based in Banbury that supports people to take control of their recovery, develop skills and lead meaningful lives.

It offers recovery groups, training and employment coaching to make this possible.

Banbury Community Action Group was set up in 2013 to run free local community projects on food, waste, transport and energy.

And The Hill Community Centre organises a variety of events for the local community.

The pop-up space is located at unit 56 in castle Quay, next to the soft play area, and will be open during normal business hours.

Voluntary and community groups are invited to contact the council to find out about opportunities to use the space either on a one-off or a regular basis by emailing wellbeing@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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