Nestled on the edge of St Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy is a small building with a big impact. Finished in the last school year, The Orchard Community Hub is an extension of the ‘Outstanding’ Handsworth school, providing year-round support to those in the local community.
A vibrant, welcoming space, the Hub hosts daily events and services for families, neighbours, and the wider Handsworth community. This includes advocacy sessions to support families with housing, benefits, and legal advice, cooking classes, Zumba, arts and crafts, and free English lessons taught by the teaching staff at the school – amongst others.
The building also houses a pantry which provides low-cost food, toiletries, and other essentials, such as school uniforms, to local people whilst maintaining the dignity of those in need.
Providing a space for families to receive help, but also to engage and volunteer themselves in the local area, the Hub engages children in the school in a culture of giving and serving others.
The building was completed thanks to the generosity of the school community, alongside grants from local charities Taraki and Humanify. The employment of a hub manager, Ella Tucker, and the ongoing funding and staffing of the Hub’s projects is supported by continued relationships with local charities, school involvement, and community groups, such as the local church.
In such a diverse and varied area such as Handsworth, the massive impact of the Hub is testament to the work of a multitude of different groups working alongside each other for the common good.
Supporting the work of the school beyond education, the Community Hub embodies the Christian values central to the mission of our trust: a dedication to the local community, and to the love which we believe is the foundation of our identity and forms the basis of service to others.
‘Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony’ Colossians 3.14.