A new community hub that aims to bring a local London community together has been officially opened with a summer celebration;
This innovative project is being led by the care provider, Home Care Preferred, under their rejuvenated Social Enterprise. The community hub is believed to be the first ever to be operated by a Home Care related company.
Scores of people gathered at Firs Farm Community Hub to enjoy fresh-cooked food, live music and children’s entertainment – all in celebration of the venue’s official opening.
The new hub is owned by the Friends of Firs Farm, a registered charity, which had long sought to provide public facilities for users of the recreation ground and wetlands. After several years of fundraising the £300,000 total needed, the venue was installed last year and finally opened its doors for the first time in February with Home Care Preferred operating.
Toni Guiver, chair of the Friends of Firs Farm, said at the official opening event: “It has been an amazing journey of nine years. Without all our volunteers it would never have happened, so thanks to all of you for your amazing dedication and hard work, coming back time and time again to create this wonderful space […] it is a venue that will bring the community together.”
She also thanked Enfield Council, Sport England, Thames21 and Thames Water for their support for the project.
Ken Waterhouse, managing director of Home Care Preferred Social Enterprise thanked Toni for her “amazing” commitment to the project and added: “She is very modest but without Toni we wouldn’t be here.
“The idea of Firs Farm Community Hub is to bring all of the community together. We have already held various events including a Dementia Awareness afternoon. A fantastic music event was enjoyed last week by local residents and there are more of these to come plus an array of other activities. In addition the hub is able to provide a meeting place for carers and has already been used for training local care staff”
Radio 1 DJ and local resident Melvin Odoom, who grew up in Edmonton and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 and is a popular Radio 1 DJ and TV Presenter was given the honour of cutting the ribbon on the new hub and said: “It is fabulous to see everyone from all walks of life here, it is incredible.”
As well as a café, run by local catering firm Leon’s, the hub provides office space for Home Preferred, changing facilities, a fully equipped sensory room for people with autism and community rooms for hire. There are toilets open to anyone and not just café customers, including a registered Changing Places toilet for people with special needs – the first park in the borough to have this facility.
