The Acorn Centre

What we offer the community and beyond.

1.    Rentable Rooms for hire, ranging in different sizes for different occasions. Take a look at our newly designed website https://www.acorncentre.org.uk to see more on our rooms for hire and what we have to offer.

     Tables and chairs for your event are free to use and we have added extras to make your experience enjoyable

a   The centre has an on site Cafe, serving hot and cold food, a self service Launderette, Charity Shop with donations coming from the local community and beyond, therefore allowing us to keep the prices to the lowest around, and Internet Access making your visit more than just a room for hire.

     Once you step into the building you will be pleasantly surprised with what we have to offer and all the activities we have going on.

     Recently our onsite Garden Team have built raised beds for easy access to grow vegetables that can be used in the Aviary Cafe.  They are working hard to grow more flowers and have the community centre looking at its best. 

      We have a Peoples Shed off the ground (little like a men's shed but we include all abilities and everyone) The team has a group on Wednesdays starting at 10am with a verity people sharing skills and learning something new.

Introduction to The Acorn Centre’s local community.

The Acorn Centre serves the Hartplain and Wecock wards. The estate is in the top 5% of areas of deprivation and as a result has both a huge need for community development.

The centre is run by a group of 7 trustees, many local volunteers and 11 part-time employees, all of whom are actively involved in the day to day running of the centre. The focus of the centre is to serve the community by bringing in and setting up groups that will benefit the community -  especially the marginalised. 

Good use is also made of local agencies, with whom the centre enjoys good relationships. These include neighbourhood schools, the local Children’s Centre, Big Local, the Police, Havant Borough Council, Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council, two of the local colleges working with students with learning difficulties and Y Services the organisation providing youth work in the area.

2.       A wide range of activities, events and programmes run by and for the local community including children/young peoples/families/seniors groups.

3.       A superb group of volunteers cover approximately 150 hours per week with our very lovely group of trustees. 

     We work in partnership with the local cluster of schools, Y Services youth workers, the local police force, and the local churches, Portsmouth City Council, Havant Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, WeBigLocal.

5.       Provide work placements and work advantages for local people. Including school students, foreign students and those who come in via our job club.

Our target audience

·       Hartplain Ward. This includes an area with a high number of older people living in bungalows and the Wecock farm estate being home to many young families, many being single parents on a low income.  We also have the wider communities and areas coming to our amazing centre due to what we have to offer. 

     There are a small number of local businesses, shops, hair salons etc in the area.

Our priorities.

·       Raising the esteem in the community (for all ages), reduce sense of isolation, increase respect for self and the community. (Include the issues of anti-social behaviour, alcohol/substance misuse).

·       Participation, encouraging parents, children and residents to join in with the activities.

·       Find appropriate funding for the projects we want to run.

·       To be aware of the changing needs and difficulties within our community and be those who facilitate the community in finding solutions.

      If you are interested in joining our team and volunteering with an amazing team then contact us on 02392 258423