About Us
A Community Hub with Café and Shop at the Heart of Clent.
Clent Connect is a Community Benefit Society, born from the outpouring of community spirit and support during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the village came together to achieve amazing things – from delivering shopping and home-cooked meals to creating a telephone befriending service. This collective effort brought the village closer and demonstrated the enthusiasm for establishing a permanent community hub.
The original vision and aim was to “Provide the residents of Clent with a friendly, vibrant, socially inclusive community hub incorporating a café and small shop to create a focus and enhance village life”. We strive to continue this vision now and into the future.
The Board of Clent Connect is composed of volunteers from the village who freely contribute their time and expertise to realise this vision.
In addition, we now have an amazing and ever-growing team of dedicated volunteers who staff the hub, café, and shop, enabling us to remain open five days a week.
If you’re interested in joining our team, this page contains more information about how to get involved.
The mission for Clent Connect:
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Be a catalyst for positive change by facilitating community activities and social interaction
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Build a more connected community within the village through a socially inclusive hub
- Increase intergenerational socialising
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Reduce isolation and loneliness among the more vulnerable members of our community
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Provide services currently unavailable in the village, such as essential and staple food items
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Offer an essential lifeline for older residents and those without access to cars
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Improve mental health for local residents
Clent Connect Board of Directors:
- Bonnie Harvey – Chair
- Kim Topham – Co-Chair
- Fred Bourne – Treasurer
- Neil Pearson – Company Secretary
- Sophie Hancock – Marketing Communications
Management Team:
- Operations Manager – Kim Topham
- Hub Coordinator – Sally Stuart
- Volunteers Manager – Mia Charlton
- Café Leads – Carol Bates, Betty Garbutt, and Helen Jordan
