Work is well underway on the new Link Community Hub which is on track to open its doors on 3 April 2026. Three months into the twelve month build, the building has been stripped back completely. A huge central chimney that once dominated the internal area has disappeared and it's already much easier to envision the vast space that the Hub will provide for users in the future.

This is Haslemere met up with three of the driving forces behind this project - Debbie Peet, Andrew Culshaw and Cathy Moore - to find out more about the plans for the space once opened.

The Link Community Hub was three years in the planning before building commenced earlier this year. Thanks to grants from Your Fund Surrey, Waverley Council and the Haslemere Town Council, over £2 million was raised to fund the build. Since then, fundraising has continued apace  and the generosity of parishioners and an incredible £8,500 raised as part of the recent flower festival at St Christopher's Church ensures that the building will be kitted out to a high specification.

The build is ambitious and exciting. By creating an additional floor, the space will include a large community room, kitchen and office downstairs, whilst upstairs there will be a meeting room and three purpose built counselling rooms. The space has been well thought through, allowing it to be used by multiple groups at a time. It will also be fully accessible for all, with both stairs and a lift providing access to the first floor. 

The rooms will be available to hire by local businesses and individuals. But the team behind the project are keen that, first and foremost, this is a space that serves the community. As a result, they're giving the voluntary sector a head start on being able to make the most of the space it offers. 

It has already been confirmed that Crossways Counselling, Hear Here and Citizens Advice will all operate out of the Hub. Talks are also underway with other voluntary groups and organisations for whom this new space could provide a vital base for the work they do within the community.

Cathy, Debbie and Andrew would now love to hear from anyone running existing local community projects to get in touch to find out more. They would like to invite anyone keen to get a community initiative up and running but who are unable to do so at the moment due to a lack of space or funding to get in touch. Once the Hub opens, with transparent pricing, the intention is that voluntary groups supporting the community will have access to affordable space where costs are not a barrier, with potential support for start-ups. 

This team have learned so much in the last 3 years with regards grants and funding, and they're now super happy to share their learnings to help others. You can get in touch with them at office@haslemereparish.org. Alternatively, This is Haslemere would also be super happy to support new ideas that will help those within Haslemere and the surrounding villages. You can get in touch with us via our website.

In the meantime, if you would like to make a donation to support the work they're doing, you can do so via the Raise the Roof initiative. In return for a donation, you can buy a tile and record your name, the name of a loved one or perhaps even a beloved pet's name. This scroll of names will then be placed in the roof space for posterity. There is a suggested donation of £3 to £5 to be included. Donate here.

We're super excited about the opportunities that the Link Community Hub project will bring to Haslemere! Best of luck to the whole team involved and watch this space for future updates.