Anyone visiting Banbury town centre can learn more about the voluntary and community groups that are active all over Cherwell by visiting the new pop-up space in Castle Quay shopping centre.
Published: Thursday, 21st July 2022
Cherwell District Council is providing the unit so that many of the key groups who are active in the community have a place to showcase their work and meet people for a conversation, giving local people a central hub to discover opportunities to participate.
Councillor Phil Chapman, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities, said: “There are so many fantastic voluntary and community groups in Cherwell district. We are delighted to be offering, for the first time, a dedicated space where they can showcase their work to the public.
“The connections and relationships that we have within our communities are such a critical part of what makes us feel we are at home in an area, and sometimes discovering a new event, support service or volunteering opportunity makes all the difference, transforming our experience of where we live.
“This is a flexible and friendly space, which will offer something different throughout the course of the year but always current and relevant. I am really delighted by the excitement and support we have from our partners for this new initiative and can’t wait for local people to drop in and discover what it’s all about.”
Councillor Les Sibley, Chairman of Cherwell District Council, declared the space officially open on Thursday 21 July, and the move has already been backed by partners such as Citizen’s Advice, Age UK and Trading Standards.
These three stakeholders will all have a regular presence in the space, while groups such as Restore, Banbury Community Action Group and The Hill Community Centre are among the pop-up partners who will make special guest appearances.
The pop-up space is located at unit 56 in Castle Quay, next to the soft play area, and will be open during normal business hours.
Voluntary and community groups are invited to contact the council to find out about opportunities to use the space either on a one-off or a regular basis by emailing wellbeing@cherwell-dc.gov.uk