The Churn Community Hub (formerly The Churn Project) was thrilled to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on Tuesday, 3rd March, when she visited the charity’s home in Cirencester. The visit marked The Churn’s 25th Anniversary and the start of a year of celebratory and fundraising events.
Set up in 2001, The Churn Community Hub supports anyone in Cirencester and surrounding villages who is at a point of crisis or transition in their lives or who is experiencing loneliness or mental health issues. Last year it directly supported over 1,700 people from across the community through a mix of group activities and one-to-one support. It provides comprehensive support, from pregnancy to old age, through three services: Family, Community Wellbeing, and Ageing Well.
Her Royal Highness, accompanied by Oli Christie DL, was met on arrival by Sarah Bourne, The Churn Community Hub’s CEO and introduced to staff and representatives of two trusts that support The Churn – Vivien Styles, Chair of Cotswold Primrose Charitable Trust; and Talitha Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of Gloucestershire Community Foundation (GCF).
The Princess Royal then met with a packed office full of volunteers, staff and people that have been supported by The Churn all keen to tell their stories.
Her Royal Highness firstly spoke with participants and their children who have been supported by The Churn’s Family Service including parents with new babies, toddlers and parents of primary school children. She then learnt about the charity’s adult Community Wellbeing Service. She met with young adults supported through The Churn’s Young Adults Group. She also heard from men and women receiving mental health, wellbeing, employability, and digital support. All were able to talk to The Princess Royal about their experiences and the difference that The Churn has made to their lives.
Her Royal Highness then met dedicated volunteers and participants of The Churn’s Ageing Well Service, who talked over tea and cake about charity’s wide-ranging support for older people in the community. She met and chatted with participants from the Friendship Café and Dementia support groups and heard about the charity’s successful Good Neighbours befriending service for older people.
Outside the offices The Princess Royal then met with volunteers and participants of The Churn’s Men’s and Community Sheds who were able to show her the community projects they were working on and talk about how the Sheds have supported their mental health and wellbeing.
Before the visit ended, Rosemary Lynn, Chair of Trustees invited Her Royal Highness to unveil a plaque marking the visit and the charity’s 25th Anniversary before she was presented with a posy by Stella Stewart who, aged 101, is The Churn’s oldest participant.
Sarah Bourne, CEO of The Churn Community Hub, says: “The visit today by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal has been incredibly exciting for our trustees, staff, volunteers and participants alike. To have the opportunity to explain to Her Royal Highness in person the breadth of our work, and to hear our participants tell her their emotional stories and the difference The Churn has made to their lives, validates the contribution made by everyone involved. This has been the most incredible start to our 25th Anniversary year.”
To find out more about The Churn Community Hub, to support, or volunteer for us, and to find out about the programme of 25th Anniversary events, please visit www.thechurn.org.uk