Today the This is Haslemere team had the pleasure of meeting one of the founders of The Haslemere Youth Hub, Nadeana. 

We always knew that the Hub was a real gem within our community but, we have to confess, even we didn't realise just how much goes on here week on week. Open daily, usually from 9 in the morning into well into the evening, the hub is a real hive of activity. There is something for children aged 0-18 (as well as for their parents), along with support for SEND adults from 18-25 years old. 

Nadeana, along with Karen, founded the Haslemere Youth Hub in 2019, although the foundations of the hub started long before that. This impressive duo are then ably assisted by Deeza who coordinates the activities that the hub runs, ensuring there is plenty of variety. With an aim to support parents and carers with preschoolers, children, teens and young adults, it's clear that they are more than delivering on their objectives.

Deeza has certainly been busy on the activity front! We lost track of the enormous variety of classes and activities taking place. The Haslemere Youth Hub offers everything from Little Kickers football to Aerial Silks, from Bounce House to Street Nation dance classes, and from Baby Sensory to basketball. Not only that - there are after school clubs each day too. Opt to burn off energy on the Bouncy Castle on a Monday, enjoy waffles and a film on a Tuesday, get creative at the lego cafe on a Wednesday, play board games on a Thursday or sip on milkshakes and get colouring on a Friday. And, new for 2026, is Free Food Fridays, allowing secondary school teens the chance to enjoy a free hot meal when they purchase a drink.

These after-school activities are great value for money, typically ranging from £2 to £4. But both the lego and board game cafe are completely free. And the Hub also has a pay-it-forward scheme so if you can't afford to pay, your children don't need to miss out. Just let the team know you'd like to join in but don't have the money right now and they will sort everything out for you.

Activities don't stop during the holidays either. At these times, there are a host of extra activities on offer to keep children busy and entertained.

On top of this, there is a gaming room and a counselling space, with dozens of hours of low cost counselling offered each week thanks to a partnership with A Place to Be and I'm All Ears. 

And there are a number of support groups, including Home Education groups, Mental Health Neurodiversity and EBSNA (Emotional Based School Non Attendance) groups, SEN and Disabilities groups and Youth and Sports Groups. On Tuesday evenings, there is also a Parent Support group. This is a chance for parents to meet others, to chat and feel supported, with advice and help for those supporting children with mental health, behavioural issues or neurodiversity challenges. Many of these groups are made possible thanks to Chloe, a Youth Worker who is based here but works within local schools and more widely within the Haslemere community.

We know we'll have missed out something. There really is just so much going on at The Haslemere Youth Hub that it's impossible to list it all here.

You only need to visit and see in person some of the people enjoying the space to know what a difference the Hub is making to the local community. But if you wanted any more proof, then look at some of the testimonials on their website. One parent wrote, 'We went along  yesterday and it was honestly such an amazing space. My daughter usually finds new places and new people really tough, but they made her feel welcome and comfortable right from the start.' Another wrote, 'Our son has accessed the Sports Coaching session and ‘personal-development’ group today; he felt so comfortable and I haven’t seen or heard him laugh like he has today for a long time. To see him participating, actually talking to others and most importantly, enjoying himself, is an utter joy.'

What is hard to capture in an article like this is the feel of the Hub as you walk in. This is an incredibly safe, caring and welcoming space. A space where it's clear that friendships are quickly formed and where those that need support, receive it in droves. It also has an amazing team of volunteers that help keep things ticking along.

But, the Hub urgently needs more help. Nadeana and Karen are doing a phenomenal job running the Hub, but they can only continue to do so by ensuring that they have enough money to keep it going - that means working on a constant stream of grant applications and an active pipepline of fundraising. All this takes up a lot of time and, at the moment, they are struggling to find the hours in the day to do so. Not surprising when you consider that they're also running their own dance business - Street Nation.

They do already have some phenomenal volunteers already helping out. We had the pleasure of meeting Niamh who started to volunteer here for a couple of hours every Thursday morning after she benefitted from the facility as a young mum. We heard about lots of the other wonderful volunteers who give up a couple of hours each week to help, including Jim, Susie, Annie, Jane and Sasha, not to mention a number of Duke of Edinburgh volunteers. However, the cafe opens daily, often from 9 in the morning until 5.30 in the afternoon. And, there are plenty of gaps when Karen or Nadeana are manning the cafe alone. If they're running the cafe, they simply can't focus on the vital work of securing much-needed funds.

If you're even slightly interested or know you have a couple of hours to spare each week, the Hub urgently needs more pairs of hands to help man the cafe. There are gaps every day that need filling. In return, you'll receive barista training and will get to meet some amazing people. Niamh was telling us how much she loves her weekly volunteering slot and what a special place this is to be a part of. Having seen it for ourselves, we're sure you'd love it too. Please do just pop in and see for yourself what an amazing space The Haslemere Youth Hub is. They would be delighted to share more information about what the volunteering would involve. Or drop them an email at thehaslemerehub@gmail.com.

Another way you can help The Haslemere Youth Hub right now is by donating books. They have just received a grant enabling them to create a small library area in the entrance to the Hub. Visitors are encouraged to take these books to read, but it means that they need a constant stream of literature to meet demand. They'd particularly love some books for teens but books for children of all ages are welcome.

To close, on behalf of our community, This is Haslemere want to extend a huge thank you to Nadeana, Karen, Deeza, Chloe and all the volunteers who ensure that the The Haslemere Youth Hub can offer this incredible support within our community.