A visit from Al Carns MP

We were delighted to welcome our local MP, Al Carns, when he braved January’s snow and ice to visit the Hub and learn more about our work with the community.

As well as meeting staff, trustees and volunteers, Al showed great interest in two new projects – ‘Message in a Bottle’ and ‘Recycle for Sight’ – run in partnership with Lions Club International.

The first provides a free bottle for vulnerable people to store important personal and medical details. In an emergency, this would be vital for paramedics and other services attending their home.

During his visit, Al’s team also donated used spectacles at the Hub’s ‘Recycle for Sight’ collection point. Already local people have given more than 100 pairs; Lions Club International will use these to help improve the eyesight of those in need in other parts of the world.

Writing about the project in his February newsletter, Al described donating old glasses as “a small action that can make a big difference.”

During his tour of the Hub, Al also learned more about the popular School Uniform Swap Shop from volunteer Amy, who helps to run the scheme. Amy shared the successes of our community-led initiative tackling both environmental sustainability and financial hardship, processing around 60 kg of donated school uniforms per week which are sorted, sized and redistributed free of charge to families across the local community diverting over 1 tonne of school uniforms diverted from landfill in 2025.