Who we are:

The Leatherhead Community Hub (LCH) was set up in July 2020 to provide community facilities and services for the residents of North Leatherhead. LCH acts as an umbrella organisation, bringing together seven local organisations that share the passion, skills and faith to help re-build a true sense of community (see below). 

We are establishing a new community centre at the heart of North Leatherhead, where people of all ages can connect, learn, have fun and find the support they need to thrive. With the support of Mole Valley District Council, we have been offered a long-term lease for the North Leatherhead Community Centre building on Kingston Road, which will be our home for the foreseeable future. 

We need your help to turn this building into a safe, beautiful and welcoming space for the whole community. We are seeking to raise £40,000 to refurbish the centre, with any additional contributions being used to set up a community café.

“The team behind LCH has worked phenomenally hard and I am so excited to see the plans they have to develop the Hub yet further, with a wellbeing garden and community café. Their vision for and commitment to the families of North Leatherhead is an inspiration to us all and one which I wholeheartedly support. I hope you will too.” (Cllr Keira Vyvyan-Robinson, Leatherhead North)

Why we are doing this:

We believe the need for a community centre of this kind is clear, especially as we recover from the pandemic and seek the rebuild a strong sense of community. The area is one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Surrey, yet there is very little community provision for people of all ages:

• Since the closure of the children's centre in 2019, mothers with babies and toddlers no longer have a place locally, where they can go to meet other new mums or reach out for the help they need as they establish their new families. 
• There are very few opportunities for young people who do not go to university, to develop skills, find employment and make the transition to adult life. 
• Local charities do not have a permanent home from which they can provide critical support.

Why we need your help:

We need funding for two major refurbishment works:

• We need to install a new cloakroom, as the only existing toilets in the building are reserved for use by the Playgroup during most of the week.
• We also need a small kitchen for the the community café suitable for serving refreshments, including light meals and snacks.

If we exceed our initial fundraising target of £40,000, then we will use any additional contributions towards the cost of employing a part-time Café and Events Manager to run the community café, support our volunteers, and organise events to bring people into the centre. We are planning for the café to become largely self-sustaining over a three year period but are looking to fund a salary during the start-up phase.

A significant portion of the funding has already been raised from Mole Valley District Council and in-kind donations from local businesses, for which we are hugely grateful. But we need your support to complete the task.

If you would like further information about this project, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected], and a member of our team will be in touch. 

Thank you for reading about this project. Together we can make a real difference.