We have some incredibly exciting news that we would like to share. After what has felt like a very long wait, we have finally got the keys to our new home in the heart of Llandudno, in the town’s main railway station. Our new community hub will be opening its doors in December. Getting to this point has been no mean undertaking. The process has involved multiple proposals, meetings, a mountain of emails and more phone calls back and forth than we care to remember. At times, it has been frustrating, mainly because of our eagerness to get going, but after almost a year, we can finally say that the patience has paid off.
From the outset, we knew that having a place and a space of our own would be integral to providing the best level of support we can offer. For many people affected by addiction and associated forms of adversity, a sense of security, connection and belonging can be noticeably absent from their lives. We thought that if we could begin by providing some of those things, then we would at least be off to a good start. But we were also very clear that we did not want to simply open a building and fill it with what we believed people needed. We have courses, initiatives, ideas and experience at our disposal, but we wanted to do something more important first: to watch, listen and learn. We want to understand what the many communities we are involved in actually need, what already exists within those communities, what is missing, and where Atebion can add something useful rather than simply adding more of the same.
That process has been wonderfully reflective. It has given us time to think carefully about what the community hub could become and, perhaps more importantly, what it should not become. The hub will provide a base for people to co-produce, to learn, to be active and to contribute to meaningful activities that support recovery and healing from addiction and associated adversity. But it starts much more simply than that. It starts by putting the kettle on and having a conversation, by connecting with one another, by building relationships and by collaborating with other services, organisations, businesses and members of the community to make sure that people have the best possible opportunities to thrive within the communities in which they live.
We want the community hub to be somewhere people can contribute as well as receive support. Somewhere skills, ideas, experience and knowledge can be shared. Somewhere people can begin to recognise their own strengths and potential, sometimes after years of those things being overlooked. In time, we will publish a full programme of activities, courses, events and opportunities taking place at the hub. For now, though, it is a case of getting the paintbrushes out, calling on a few local tradespeople to give us a hand and simply getting stuck in.
We are also planning a wonderful little tearoom at the community hub, serving hot snacks, pastries and, importantly, damn good coffee. We want it to be a place where anybody can call in, sit down, have a brew and feel welcome. You will not need a referral, a diagnosis or a reason for walking through the door. Sometimes, a cup of coffee and a conversation is as good a place to start as any.
So, if you have some time to spare, a skill you could share, materials you might be able to donate, or you simply fancy getting involved, please get in touch. We would genuinely love to hear from you, and very soon, we hope to see you at our new community hub in Llandudno.