B&Q Burgess Hill

Bentswood Hub C.I.C. was set up to take on the responsibility of the community larder and some other activities in the Bentswood area when Sussex Clubs for Young People sadly went in to liquidation. Bentswood Hub C.I.C. offers a holistic approach to youth and community support, empowering the community to embrace it's youth and build better futures. Bentswood Hub C.I.C. delivers the following activities: Emotional support and sign-posting. A community larder offering fair access to food for all. Pop-Up events to support the community at key points in the year. A junior and a Senior youth group. A 'Just for Girls' weekly emotional wellbeing group. Training and work experience programmes for young people. A Man2Men weekly session. A knit and natter weekly session. A weekly silent book club. Volunteering opportunities.

We give people the care they need towards and at the end of their life, supporting them to live as well as possible with their illness by adding life to their days. We also help their families and carers to cope practically and emotionally. When our patients reach the end of their journey, we help them to die with dignity and with as little suffering as possible and we support their families through the process of bereavement. We offer care via our 14 bed inpatient unit, home care through our Community Team and outpatient services through our Wellbeing Centre. We have to raise approximately £2.6 million each year from voluntary sources to ensure these services can be delivered free at the point of care. Our nurses care for the patients both in the hospice and in their own homes. We offer care and support to patients based on their individual choices and needs. Many of our community patients also benefit from our Wellbeing Centre which include: gentle exercise, meditation and breathing classes, a gardening club, art and other creative activities, counselling, welfare advice, complementary therapies and spiritual care. For the duration of the patient’s illness, our hospice becomes an extension of the family. We are the people the patient and family members turn to when they have questions or need reassurance. The hospice supports nearly 700 patients and their families each year. Once a patient dies, our care does not stop. We offer bereavement counselling and remembrance services to the family members. Many people also want to stay in contact with the hospice through volunteering and fundraising for us.

We are a Primary School at the heart of our community. We are currently looking to further develop our grounds to be more disability friendly and also promote our inclusive nature. We have some allotment areas and other gardening opportunities, but these need some tender loving care and further development to bring them to life. Some of these areas contain benches which could be brightened up with a new coat of paint and we would like to encourage more of our children to enjoy these spaces at break time and as part of their lessons. Volunteer support would allow us to improve our environment and allow more children, staff and families to spend time outdoors. In addition, this would help us promote healthier lifestyles as we could grow more produce which then could be cooked in school before being eaten by the children.