Landmark total for help hub

Bedlington’s Community Help Hub celebrated a major milestone this week when it welcomed its 20,000th drop-in visitor.

First opened in 2010, the facility in Front Street provides assistance to those looking for work – including with creating a CV and uploading it to websites, searching for jobs and completing application forms.

The Community Help Hub also supports people with applications and queries about benefits or problems with statutory organisations or utility companies. Users enjoy free use of computers, with internet access, and they can make free phone calls.

Run by volunteers from Hope Church Bedlington, it currently receives around 20 drop-in users per day.

Church leader and Community Help Hub volunteer manager Dennis Fancett said: “It’s been a pleasure to help the people of Bedlington and wider community in their hour of need over the last seven years and I’d like to thank all our volunteers, past and present, who have given up their time to make this possible.