A NEW community and business space is to open at Lymm after leisure, libraries and lifestyle provider LiveWire gave the scheme its backing.
The Lymm Sanctuary Hub will open in the autumn at Lymm Library.
It will cater for community group activities as well as small and start-up businesses.
The hub, which recently received approval from Warrington Borough Council, will provide a range of community services and activities supporting those with special needs including the elderly and vulnerable members of the public.
As part of the initiative, Lymm Business Centre will also be set up which will provide flexible working space and support services affordable to small/micro businesses and home workers. This will enable local businesses to flourish, grow and contribute more to the community.
The new hub comes as a result of a “Redeeming Our Communities” event held at Lymm High School which was attended 120 members of the community.
The event, attended by the High Sheriff of Cheshire and the Mayor of Warrington, identified a range of groups in the community with needs that are not being catered for sufficiently. It also found that there was no central area in the community where information and support could be accessed for these groups and other community activities.
As a result, the Sanctuary Hub Working Group was formed to manage the project, conduct a consultation process and develop the business plan. LiveWire has worked and will continue to work with the group consisting of; Sanctuary Café Lymm, Churches Together Lymm, Redeeming Our Communities Lymm, Friends of Lymm Library and the Colony Networking Group.
Cheryl Siddall at LiveWire said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with the Sanctuary Hub Working Group and the council to deliver a brand new community and business space in the Lymm Library building.
“This is testament to the efforts of the local community and businesses, who have come together and addressed a specific need within their local area. We’re hoping that giving local groups and businesses a central location to meet and work in Lymm will help encourage an even stronger sense of community in the area.”
Richard Pearce of the Lymm Sanctuary Hub Working Group said: “Lymm Sanctuary Hub will not only provide support, resources and activities for a whole range of community services, but also act as a fantastic base for small businesses to prosper. In doing so, the Hub will generate employment, volunteering and work experience opportunities for the community.
“We have secured funding for the start-up costs of the Hub but are still seeking additional funds for the development of specific services and the associated resources”.
Warrington Borough Council’s lead member for leisure and community, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: “The Sanctuary Hub will be a wonderful addition to Lymm library and is another fantastic example of the work we are doing to safeguard and modernise our libraries service.
“I’m looking forward to the hub making a real difference to local people, bringing residents together and serving as a focal point for a range of businesses and community groups.”
Picture (left to right): Eleanor Blackburn, of Warrington Borough Council, Cheryl Siddall, of LiveWire, Richard Pearce of Lymm Sanctuary Hub Working Group, Kirsty James, of Colony Networking Group.
