In July 2026, This is Haslemere met with Magda for a coffee in the courtyard of Haslewey. For four years, Magda has been the manager of this (in her words) “very vibrant community centre, for all ages.” Indeed, the strapline on their newly created website reads, “more than just a building, it’s a community.”

Haslewey opened officially in 2003 following a big fundraising campaign and extensive building work. In the early days the centre was mainly for elderly provision and now there is clearly a change in user demographic, with activities for all ages.

Magda explained that she has established a broad network of users at Haslewey. Bliss Baby Knitters hold collection days there (read our article here about Bliss) and use the venue for storage, Haslemere Rotary have a monthly meeting and lunch and, explained Magda, “they consider Haslewey as their home.”  There is dietary and weight loss support from Helen Talbot, a nutritionist advisor. Hair@Haslewey has been on site since the opening with stylists Cathie, Lisa, Nicky and Mike. The Haslemere Hard of Hearing Support Group meets at Haslewey with a drop-in service every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. The Haslemere Macular Society Support Group meets on the first Friday of every month to provide support, share experiences and offer practical advice. Rob James offers 9 to 5 podiatry services on weekdays. Debbie Bowyer offers Friday fortnightly reflexology.

Mornings are always very busy at Haslewey. There is a broad range of regular activities on offer at the centre: art classes, belly dancing with Mara, bingo, chair yoga, choirs, Angela Cantan’s Haslemere Performing Arts classes, Homestart, Knit and Natter Craft Club, self defence classes, Lizzie Hales’ dance fitness class, pilates classes including mat and barre, Perform Haslemere for 4 to 12 years old with Sam Love, post-natal yoga, karate for children and adults, seated/standing exercises for balance, silver swans ballet, tai-chi, yoga, and Zumba.

There is some space available for hire and Magda would welcome a conversation if you’d like space for a fundraising event, a party or a regular activity. It sounds like Magda is always looking for new ideas to enhance the space.

There is also the Haslewey Post Office, run by professional postmaster Stephen Moss, which was established after a huge fundraising launched in 2017 with private donations and endless shaking of collection buckets around Haslemere spearheaded by Ken Griffiths.

Bookending all these activities is a café where you can relax and socialise enjoying coffee, cakes or a freshly cooked meal. All the food is baked from scratch by two paid chefs, Karen and Evan, and they are supported by Steve and café manager Danielle. The café is run completely by volunteers.

Including those helping in the café, Haslewey has approximately 50 volunteers. This includes their board of trustees and members. Magda praised the volunteers saying, “Their time, energy and enthusiasm are at the very heart of everything we do. Quite simply, Haslewey could not operate without them!” She is always looking for more volunteers and would love to hear from you if you could support the community centre. Magda said, “We treasure every single one of our volunteers. We see them day in day out put their heart and soul into the centre and they are all amazing.”  Check out Haslewey’s volunteer recruitment page.

Magda is supported by two part-time office administrators, Emma and Helen, together with Haslewey’s wonderful office volunteer, Jude, who generously gives up three days of her time every week to support the centre. Magda said, “Jude’s dedication and commitment are truly appreciated!”

Haslewey receives community support through grants and general fundraising. Magda was thrilled that they had been selected as a recipient of the mayor’s charities for 2026-2027 and she acknowledged support received from Couchman & Hanson who help with marketing to reach a wider audience. She beamed as she shared that she had just received a cheque for £4,000 from this year’s Little Lumpy charity sportive. Haslewey also hosts its own fundraisers including a Burns’ Night dinner, quizzes, a cake stall at The Haslemere Classic Car Show, Christmas raffles, an indoor car boot sale and comedy/music nights.

Check out Haslewey’s new website here: https://www.haslewey.org/