The Haverhub community venue based in Haverfordwest’s historic Quay Street, hosted the first, of what they hope will be a series of regular well being events, on the weekend of 7th and 8th August.
The wellbeing weekend was organised by Kenny Lewis (Haverhub events director), and offered the local community a chance to attend well-being focused taster events, such as yoga, Tai Chi, African drumming, meditation gong baths and line dancing. There were also a collection of stalls showcasing local facilities and organisations offering products and services with a wellness theme. Those involved included Pembrokeshire organisations such as PAVS, Mind, The Mill Foundation cancer care, The Habit coach and Men to Men. As well as complimentary therapy businesses such as Blackbird Therapy, Geraldine Pugh massage and beauty and Rachel Lewis EFT practitioner– offering taster sessions including massages, reflexology and private consultations.
Outside in the courtyard, there were also a series of talks taking place, led by local organisation Grwp Resilience, who have recently supported the asylum seekers who were housed at Penally Camp allowing them to form their own organisation for self help and to help the host community.
Health Aspire, run by Ellen Picton, provided food and drink in their ‘free from’ café, at the centre of the stall holders hall.
All this was available over two days of the wellbeing weekend, for just £12 a ticket. With some extra charges for the complimentary therapies’ sessions and pre bookable meal deals.
Haverhub’s journey began in 2017 when founder Gitti Coats saw the need for a hub to bring the town together, she formed the beginnings of the Haverhub team, and together with Jerry Evans secured the Grade II listed old post office, built in 1936.
They say,
“The building is an integral part of Haverfordwest, but many people have no idea how big the whole site is. To the rear, a large sorting office, courtyard and depot stretch out to the riverside, which were used by Royal Mail until the late 80s. Largely abandoned since then, they gradually fell into disrepair, which opened up a regeneration opportunity!
From this, Haverhub was born, and our team was joined by a host of creative, forward-thinking locals who wanted to help shape the project and share their ideas. Volunteers, termed ‘Haver Helpers’, removed old furniture and emptied the site, and artists contributed pieces to decorate the space. With the help of many hands, a program of community events took shape.”
The Haverhub launched on 2nd July, with a big event, featuring local live music, community stall holders and caterers, and was backed by the Haverhub patron Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), who’s initial support helped to kickstart Haverhub’s journey.
This first event was hugely successful in bringing together the community
“The launch received rave reviews, and we loved sharing our previously unseen space with a vibrant new audience.”
The history of the building was integral to the development of the space, as the team note
“The Post Office’s history has shaped our foundations in communication and connectivity, but now, as Haverhub, we are moving the building into a new era. Haverhub stands for more than what the post office could ever offer – a way of bringing people together in the flesh.
Though the building has changed uses, you will still find residues of the past, such as the post office counter now repurposed as a splendid bar. We want to retain quirky features – our mission is to build rather than erase. We identify gaps and fill them with opportunities, creative thinking, and shared ideas from volunteers and visitors alike. Feeling that Haverfordwest needed a family-friendly, collaborative-minded venue, we came together and created one.
Since 2017, whilst continuing to host a number of events, our small team has worked extremely hard to secure funding from various organisations on both a regional and national level. Every penny of funding goes towards improving our site and equipment, and we are still 100% volunteer led.
Being awarded local grants such as ‘Enhancing Pembrokeshire’, and broader awards from the National Lottery, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the EU Regional Development Fund (among others) has shown us that many people also see Haverhub’s potential. We hope our project inspires other groups across Wales and the UK to put time into similar ventures.
Like many historic buildings, Haverhub has a kind of charisma which pulls people in, and along the journey we’ve made numerous friends. Strangers have quite literally walked into our yard out of curiosity and ended up becoming part of the core team. Social connectivity, collaboration and engagement is what Haverhub is built around, and it is nice to see that our vision is already becoming a reality.”
The Haverhub venue has gone on to host art exhibitions, private classes and workshops as well as its first wedding celebration on 24th July. As a social enterprise, the aim is to provide a space for the community to connect, a diverse venue for locals to meet, work, socialise and share talent. Their message is clear, It is a space for everyone.
The Wellbeing Weekend saw around 200 people come through the doors of Haverhub. Kenny Lewis had the idea for the event itself back in March 2020 and says it took time to realise his idea and develop things from there.
“I planned the event while in lockdown because of the well-being issues we as a community face. The idea was to create social space and focal point for well-being for all. It worked. We had around 200 people pass though including all age groups and abilities.”
The success of the event means there are already plans for more
“Feedback was excellent so I’m planning another already for around 6 months’ time.”
Find out more about the Haverhub, how to get involved and future events (such as live music, workshops and future wellbeing weekend) here. Join their mailing list here too.
