The Hub at Westhoughton CIO was set up in July 2021, following 4 year resident-led community organisation. As a local Charity the CIO’s purpose is to enable the community to manage, promote, hire-out, maintain and improve these community sports/recreational facilities. These comprised 12 classrooms and a large internal space with an outdoor play area, cafe, an outdoor play area and access to football pitch. The aim: increase usage; widen the range of activities on offer to meet the local interests, to suit all ages and needs; become a hub for the delivery of community support services.
The Hub at Westhoughton CIO has a full time Chief Executive, part time Centre Manager, 2 part time caretaking/cleaning staff and part time catering assistant, to deliver the day to day management and care of the Centre. The CIO encourages the use of these facilities in ways which promote community self-help action, which broaden what is on offer within the area, and which seek to deliver activities to meet locally identified needs. At the Hub we currently run extremely busy playgroup sessions. This has grown in numbers since the 2020 pandemic and exists to be a much needed and enriching group for both carers and their children. We have also run other developmental sessions for children and the HAF project which each year we grow in experience. Throughout the year we provide community celebrations for children and their families
