Services
We are a one-stop-shop advice service supporting local people in Midhurst and in the surrounding villages– Easebourne, Stedham, Rogate, Harting, Fernhurst etc.
We deliver 3 types of service:
An advice service, to help people with their multiple complex problems
Convene Community Forums to bring together those working to support our communities
Co-ordinating the delivery of projects to address particular areas of need e.g. loneliness and isolation
Our purpose is summarised in the strapline on our logo and it is:
“Enabling independence - Building community”
Advisory Service
We provide advice and support to clients AND link to a wide range of partner organisations in the public and charity sectors. We do more than just signpost but will help clients directly, arranging for partner specialists to meet them on site or where convenient.
Problems we address may include:
Financial: debt, benefits
Food/energy poverty/cost of living
Housing: rent, property maintenance, homelessness
Health and wellbeing: mental health, depression, bereavement
Family and relationships: carer issues, relationship breakdown, childcare
Addiction: gambling, alcohol, drugs
Employment: skills needed, job opportunities, job applications
Transport: access to key locations (Job Centre, hospital appointments)
Learn more about our advisory service
Community Forums
We are called a Hub because we have developed links (“spokes”) to other organisations in the local authority and charity sector that are specialists in their fields, so that whilst we may not know the answer to a client problem, we will obtain the best advice from an agency that does.
We convene meetings of a new Midhurst Community Forum involving the charitable organisations, public authorities, leading businesses, funders, churches and others serving Midhurst so that we can better understand what each does, discuss common problems and possible solutions.
The Forum has provided guidance to the Hub about areas of need to be addressed by our projects. Please click the buttons below for more details of the outcomes of the Forums.
Learn more about our community forums
Projects
Our projects aims to tackle key areas of need identified by the Midhurst Community Forum.
Loneliness and Isolation
Our Community Lunches provide a free two course lunch every week in Midhurst. As well as delicious home cooked food, they provide a warm and welcoming environment for people to enjoy good conversation with their lunch.
In Touch is our telephone buddying service. Our friendly volunteers will make a weekly phone call to anyone who would welcome a chat.
Employment
Our Work Connections project aims to support those who are seeking work and also to help local businesses find suitable staff
Accessing Local Mental Health and Care Services
Working closely with our partners in the Midhurst and Chactonbury Pathfinders team, the Mental Health and Care Pathways project aims to provide information to help users find the services they need.
Learn more about our projects
Impact
We are well aware of the need to demonstrate to funders, partners, and the local community the impact that Midhurst Community Hub might have, and the difference the Hub has made to individual clients and the wider community.
There is an enormous amount of research on the measurement of impact; see for example the work of NCVO, the National Lottery and New Philanthropy Capital that can be found here:
Inputs
number of days/hours open
number and £value of volunteer time
average time/no. emails spent with each client
numbers accessing the website
date and attendances at Midhurst Community Forum
Outputs
number of clients assisted.
number and type of client issues addressed
evidence of satisfaction with service
actions following the Forum
Outcomes
personal stories of clients about impact /change before/after engaging with Hub
testimonials from clients and partners
Hub learning and improving as an organisation