
by Rebecca Hannant
A community hub in Withernsea has been awarded a £19,000 National Lottery grant.
Organisers at the Gateway Community Care Hub in Queen Street say the total of £19,402 from the lottery’s Community Fund has come at a great time as the centre was beginning to experience a funding shortfall, leaving them struggling to provide much-needed services within the region.
Manager Melissa Hayton said: “We were beginning to dip into our reserves. Meanwhile, we were doing funding applications every Wednesday – we did hundreds throughout 2024.
“Just before Christmas we received an email from the National Lottery to say that they wanted to award us £19,402. So it was very much needed, and it came at the perfect time.”
The hub, which is run by Kingstrust, aims to help those in poverty and enhance social wellbeing and inclusion in Withernsea and the surrounding area of South Holderness.
Its work is designed to help and support those in need, such as elderly and vulnerable people, unemployed people, those suffering from low confidence, low self-esteem, or those on a low income or suffering from the cost-of-living crisis.
Organisers say the facilities at the centre are a much-needed resource for people in Withernsea, as the area falls within the top 10 per cent of deprived towns across the UK.
They say that half of the children in Withernsea Primary School are eligible for free school meals, while on average one in three children lives in poverty as defined by National Indicator 116, and average wages are 60 per cent less than the national median income.
The hub has supported individuals across the region and provides a safe, friendly place to meet others and make new friends, welfare checks on elderly and vulnerable people, supporting people with mental health issues and loneliness.
It also supports people with food parcels, white goods, helps with transportation to appointments, as well as food hampers and gifts at Christmas.
Melissa added: “This money will now go towards our drop-in centre where people come and have a free cup of tea and coffee.
“It will go towards our lock-up where we’ve got furniture and white goods that we give to people in need.
“It’s also going to go towards our welfare checks and the general core funding for the hub. This funding means we can continue the work we do, which we feel is much needed in our area.”
The centre receives referrals from both adult and children’s social services, local children’s centres and schools.
Members of the community can contact the Gateway via email at [email protected], via telephone on 07740 291147, or through the Facebook page, Gateway Community Care Hub. People can also pop into the community hub at 104 Queen Street, Withernsea.