Newbury Community Resource Centre celebrates 25 years of supporting most vulnerable in West Berkshire and North Hampshire

A charity has celebrated 25 years of supporting the people most in need in West Berkshire and North Hampshire.

The Newbury Community Resource Centre, based in Hambridge Road, celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 22 at a ceremony attended by special guests, with refreshments served by catering students at Newbury College.

The charity provides emergency furniture provision for those in crisis as well as practical skills training and horticultural therapy for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health issues.

And chief executive Kelvin Hughes has been a significant part of the charity’s journey, with 21 of years of service.

Explaining more about the charity’s projects, he told newburytoday: “We provide day services for people with learning disabilities. That came about because more and more people wanted to volunteer with us.

“They had disabilities and additional needs, and therefore we had to employ staff who could support them to make sure that they got the best out of the day.

“We’ve got a gardening project which came about because some of our volunteers wanted to do a little bit of gardening, and what was originally planned to be a small lot turned into a much larger project.

“And similarly with the training, with the work that we carry out with furniture repairs, we need to train people and they need to gain the skills in order to carry out the work as volunteers.”

Mr Hughes continued: “We thought the best way to do this is for them to get an accredited qualification for doing the work.

“Whether it be repairing bicycles, furniture or serving customers.

“They all work together as volunteers, whether it be a young person wanting to get some experience, somebody with learning disabilities or somebody who’s retired.

“They all work together in the same place on the same activities, so it brings members of the community together who otherwise might not even meet.”

The charity formed in 2000 after taking over the furniture project from Berkshire Women’s Aid, which had started the project two years earlier.

By the end of last year, it had spent £2,107,495 providing services through its projects and its volunteers had totalled 89,431 hours of service.

Opening hours for its shop in Bone Lane are 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Some individuals and families qualify for items free of charge if they meet certain set criteria and are referred by other agencies because of exceptional need.

It collects donations within West Berkshire free of charge.