Meet Up, the community hub run by The Benjamin Foundation, on Redcastle Furze Estate, is asking for help from the local community to ensure that it can continue working to support people of all ages in Thetford for years to come. 

Further Big Lottery funding was awarded to Meet Up in 2014, and since opening in 2010 it has helped over 1000 children, young people, families and senior citizens.  But the building that the community centre delivers its valuable work in is in a declining state of repair; with the repair bill for the roof alone estimated at £30,000.

Meet Up aims to help young people raise their aspirations, skills, confidence and increase their commitment towards learning.  The youth and family centre provides leisure activities and support services for a core age group of nine to 24 year olds, in a safe and informal setting.  Over 100 young people regularly attend the twice weekly youth clubs.  The centre also offers practical sessions where young people are supported with job searching and CV writing, plus life skills like budgeting and cooking healthy meals.  However, its reach extends further, with babies as young as six months and their parents attending a weekly parent and toddler group, and older members of the community regularly attending the senior citizens lunch club where they are provided with a hot meal. 

Mike Towndrow, manager of Meet Up, said: “Meet Up means so much to such a diverse range of people within our community.  It is a social lifeline as well as a professional resource for many.  We help people to raise their aspirations and believe in themselves, which in turn benefits the wider community.  From a local business point of view, these people have the potential to become successful employees, innovators and leaders of the future.  If they are successful, we are all successful.  

Mike continues: “In order for us to continue delivering services for the community, the Meet Up building needs to be maintained.  The list of essential repairs is long and estimated at £50,000 in total.  But our priority focus has to be the roof, estimated at needing £30,000 worth of repairs.  It is in a declining state and could start affecting other areas of the building if it’s not fixed.

“There are lots of ways that people and businesses can help.  Of course financial donations are needed; but so are practical materials, like paint, vinyl flooring, timber, toilet fittings, cleaning products and so on.  If any businesses out there could help with donating these sorts of things, or pledging gifts in kind, like pro bono work from carpenters, plumbers and electricians, or perhaps lending us the services of a maintenance person for the day, it would really help.  Equally, people pledging to volunteer their time for things like painting window frames.  There is a whole mix of things needed, all of which are important for securing Meet Up’s future.  If we all pull together, a lot can be achieved.”   

For more information and to pledge a donation to Meet Up, contact mike.towndrow@benjaminfoundation.co.uk 01842 820871 or karen.smith@benjaminfoundation.co.uk 01603 615 670. 

To donate online to the Meet Up fundraising campaign visit http://goo.gl/tYMFL4