The Beacon Community Hub
This is the creation of a community hub at the heart of Portishead. A safe, welcoming space for everyone of any age. This will be the first dedicated venue on Portishead High Street to open its doors to every corner and every age group in our community.
The café
Our café serves good quality, affordable refreshments. There is a child-friendly play space, room for pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility walkers.
Rooms For Hire
1. There is a large meeting room (Aldersgate) with audio-visual facilities and the option to order drinks and snacks for your meeting.
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2. A second, smaller room (Epsworth) is available for small groups, counselling or therapy session.
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3. At specific times the café is available for hire. This space will be ideal for many different functions with its large open plan area.
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The Beacon Hub is an alcohol-free space.
Signposting facility
This has been one of the most difficult years most of us can remember. Many of us have struggled through lockdown, maybe lost a job, maybe lost a family member. Many would have been affected with mental health issues or are simply feeling lonely.
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Our ultimate aim is to welcome all, help where we can, listen to you and when necessary, help direct you to professional agencies.
Our Location
We are right at the heart of the High Street with great transport links. We have some car parking space at the rear of the building or, alternatively we are just a stone throw away from the precinct car park.
Compassionate listensers
Many people who come through our doors will have been profoundly affected by COVID. We have listeners for the lonely, the bereaved or those that just need signposting for further help.
We are a member of the National Chatty Cafe Scheme.
Disabled and Unisex toilets
We have three unisex toilets, one of which has facilities for disabled users. For our younger customers, there is a baby changing station.
We're a breastfeeding
friendly space
The hub is an alcohol-free
Space
Portishead parent
Some things I’ve seen that have worked well elsewhere are designated play areas in a cafe, perhaps with different flooring to separately it. In that area things like a chalkboard wall - great entertainment that doesn’t get dirty or broken (you just need to get chalk regularly)
School Chaplain
I am excited about the redevelopment of the church premises especially as they plan to be open for an after-school drop-in cafe for secondary school pupils. I am very interested in exploring with the church how we could work in partnership in providing a safe space for the young people of the town. I fully support the project!
Parents of Young People
My child would probably use it if it was cheap and had what he would want! If it became a ‘hub’ then it would make sense to do homework together and ‘hang out’. When I was a teenager we had the Church YMCA where everyone hung out at”
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY SAY
Portishead Charity
There is a lack of meeting rooms that small, independent businesses can hire for both meetings and training sessions.
Cafe Volunteer
A very special lady who visits most Saturday mornings travels all the way from Weston-Super-Mare on the bus just to be with us. She suffers from Dementia and loves to come and visit.
Gordano Student
I think it would be great to have a place for school children to congregate because it would be cheaper and more child-friendly and welcoming than some other cafes in Portishead