On Thursday 24th October, a community meal was hosted at The Edward Hain Centre in St. Ives, in collaboration with the town’s foodbank.
Manager at the centre, Sharron Goldingay, spoke about the importance of having community events available to the people of St. Ives.
‘Eating together is an opportunity to forge deeper connections with those around us. It fosters a sense of belonging, creating a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals feel valued and accepted.’
Sharron also mentions the incredible benefits of community meals for wellbeing.
‘Communal dining has been shown to enhance mood and happiness, with positive social interactions serving as a powerful antidote to loneliness and isolation.’
Left to right: Community members gathered round the table at the Edward Hain Centre; Food bank organiser Chris Wallis and volunteer Maggie
Chris Wallis, founder and organiser of the St. Ives foodbank reflected on the success of the event.
‘This week’s community meal was the first of what we hope will be many, and the start of a new level of collaboration.
‘We provided the food, and the centre provided the space and helped with organisation – including washing up! – for which we were very grateful’.
The event was enjoyed by the 10 in attendance, and the next day 6 more foodbank clients mentioned a desire to attend in the future. Chris is also considering meals for children during term breaks, which would be a large help to parents.
In 2023, The Edward Hain Centre purchased the closed NHS hospital of the same name in St. Ives. Now operating as a community health and wellbeing centre, the team have been working hard to create an important and inclusive space for the people of St. Ives.
Trustee and descendent of original hospital founders, Kit Hain Grindstaff, spoke about the goals of the new building.
The mission was always to ‘become a vital hub of essential and easily accessible health, wellbeing and community services to the town’.
Also key to the centre’s work is continuing the legacy of Edward Hain, the WW1 soldier after whom the original hospital was named after. To do this, Kit and the team have been working with local health providers to ‘restore some of the services that were lost when the NHS closed the hospital’.
Running the operation is a non-stop financial challenge for the charity, with one of their most important goals over the next few years being increased fundraising. One of the major ways the centre achieves this is through The Friends of the Edward Hain Centre, a dedicated group who put on regular fundraising events. These include upcoming events such as an afternoon tea at Carbis Bay Hotel, a wreath-making workshop, and a quiz night at the Lifeboat on December 14th.
Kit describes them as a ‘tremendous asset to us’ and that ‘we couldn’t manage without them’.
At the heart of the centre is accessibility, and the importance of having services close to home. ‘After the hospital closed, so many in the community had to travel for miles for services. It’s been particularly challenging for those who can’t drive themselves, like the elderly, or those with physical impairments, because in an area where public transport is limited, it can take hours.’ It’s clear the residents of St. Ives need the service, and the Edward Hain Centre endeavours to provide space for some of those services at the centre.
Official shot from the day the building was purchased from NHS, showing left to right: EHC Treasurer Elizabeth Veal; EHC Chair Lynne Issacs, Friends of Edward Hain’s longest-standing member, Maureen Humphrys; then-MP Derek Thomas; St Ives Mayor Johnnie Wells
As for the future, Kit mentions that they are ‘determined to keep expanding both on the medical and clinical fronts, and running community events’. The work being done looks to be both honouring the hospitals past, whilst at the same time carving out an optimistic new future for the building.
The charity always welcome donations. Any businesses or individuals, who are interested in making their mark with a larger donation, are encouraged to arrange a visit to see progress and the renovations needed at the centre.