Curo News

Supporting the community through the Coronavirus lockdown

Mon, 04 May 2020 10:23:38 Z

Image above: Hub Events Coordinator, Gemma, delivering hot food and groceries with Curo's electric pool car.

Since the start of the Coronavirus lockdown, The Hub at Mulberry Park has had to close its doors to protect public health. But while classes and meetings have been temporarily suspended, the Hub’s team have quickly adapted to the new ‘normal’ and found other ways to support the communities of Mulberry Park, Foxhill and the wider Combe Down.

Exactly one week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the national lockdown, The Hub was launching its local delivery service of hot food and groceries.

Hub Manager, Lizzie Irvine, says: “We wanted to continue to support local residents and decided to bring our delicious Café products to their doorstep through a no-contact delivery service.

“We also knew that some of our community members may not be able to go out during this period and could be struggling to secure a delivery slot with the big supermarkets. That’s how we came up with the idea of adding a range of basic groceries, including fruit and vegetables, to our delivery service.”

Hub Facilities Manager, Richard, is also part of the delivery team during the Coronavirus lockdown.

To keep everyone safe, The Hub’s team are offering this service while strictly observing social distancing guidelines. Payments can only be made by card, over the telephone, and parcels are placed outside customers’ front doors.

There are two teams operating at The Hub on alternative days, to enable physical distancing and ensure deliveries can continue for as long as possible during lockdown.

The service has grown from three deliveries on the first day to more than 20 now, consisting of a mix of hot Café dishes and groceries.

Lizzie says: “The service has been very well received and is appreciated by the community. We’ve served a number of elderly members of the community who buy hot meals and groceries; one gentleman in Foxhill has been ordering something every day. Our most popular items are the hot special of the day, toasties and the groceries – particularly milk, butter, bread and eggs.”

Among customers there are also young families who can’t leave their homes, people self-isolating and key workers ordering lunch specials so they don’t have to cook after long shifts.

In addition, The Hub is now producing and delivering close to 40 hot meals every day to Curo residents in supported housing schemes in Bath.

The Hub is also supporting ‘Scrubs for the NHS’, providing a drop-off point for scrubs produced by members of the community for NHS workers. Volunteers help sort the scrubs in one of the rooms at The Hub, separate from any other people in the building.

Hub Manager Lizzie says they intend to keep these services going for as long as possible during the coronavirus crisis and are always looking for new and safe ways to support the community.

The Hub’s Café and groceries delivery service is available for local residents in Foxhill, Mulberry Park and Combe Down Monday to Friday, from 9am to 3pm. To place an order call 01225 436 869 - £5 minimum order, card payments only.

The Hub nominated for prestigious Bath Life award

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 11:15:58 Z

The Hub, Curo’s £10m community building at its Mulberry Park development in Bath, has been nominated for a prestigious Civic Award in Bath Life’s 2020 awards.

The Bath Life Awards celebrate the best of Bath. Their Civic Award highlights the contribution of an organisation or company which has improved Bath or committed to help develop others.

Launched in December 2018, The Hub has already been hailed as a trailblazer for future community buildings. As a Community Benefit Society, The Hub is run in partnership with residents and has been shaped by the community’s original vision of “a warm and beautiful place that the community can feel proud of.”

The Hub’s versatile and ultra-modern facilities are used by independent businesses, charities and health providers to host activities for all ages and interests. There are currently 23 classes every week from musical activities for young children, keep fit for parents and babies to over 50s art classes, gentle exercise for older people and everything in between!

Supporting the community

The small team at The Hub are dedicated to the local community and organise free activities during half-term holidays to support low-income families. As well as free activity days that bring the community together, The Hub also offer regular free taster sessions for residents to try out courses and activities.

The café at The Hub is passionate about providing value for money. It’s also become the main place for families to meet after the school drop-off and pick-up and is used by a variety of local businesses and organisations for work and meetings.

The Hub is also a drop-off and redistribution point for The Hygiene Bank, who collect and redistribute donated toiletries, hygiene, beauty and personal care items. The team are currently working with Bath Food Bank and the Genesis Trust to become a foodbank centre. From the end of January, The Hub will offer a unique Saturday service and will be Bath’s first weekend foodbank centre.

The Hub employs a number of local people, 53 per cent of the team live locally. An apprentice is due to start working in their café which also hosts a local man, with learning difficulties, who volunteers twice a week.

Lizzie Irvine, Hub Centre Manager, said “We’re very pleased that The Hub is up for the Civic Award in the Bath Life awards. The Hub is a true community asset - within a year, we’ve become a beacon for the Mulberry Park, Foxhill and Combe Down communities. It’s really great for our small team to be recognised for their dedication and support to the community.”

The winners of the Bath Life will be announced on 27 February.

What people say about The Hub

Cherie, Foxhill resident and café assistant

Noeline, class leader

Jane, chair of The Hub’s user group

Polly, Bath Dance

Find out more

The Hub celebrates birthday with day of free activities

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:22:35 Z

The Hub, our £10m community building at our Mulberry Park development in Bath, is celebrating its first birthday with a day of free activities on Saturday 9 November.

The Hub is at the heart of the Foxhill, Mulberry Park and Combe Down community. It was delivered as part of our 700 homes development at Mulberry Park.

Curo's mission is to provide great homes, support communities and improve lives and The Hub is part of our ongoing investment in the local area.

Manager of The Hub, Lizzie Irvine said: “We’re having a special birthday party with a day of free activities. It’s a big thank you to the community for their fantastic support during our first year.”

“The Hub is a community space where people come together to have fun and try new things. We’ve really gone from strength to strength in one year and it’s the community who’ve helped us make The Hub a real success.”

The first birthday party has been organised by The Hub and local arts organisation Made in Foxhill, who’re responsible for bringing arts activities for all ages to the area.

There will be a special performance from Dragon Bird theatre company. The renowned theatre group performed at The Hub’s opening last year and are bringing back their props, puppets, songs, dances, bubbles, costumes and parachutes.

A professional animator will be holding free animation workshops throughout the day. There will also be craft activities, stalls, an exhibition of photography by Foxhill’s Happy Snappers and a birthday cake!

Lizzie added: “We’ve got so much happening at The Hub, with activities and classes for all residents, young and old. If you haven’t visited us before, our birthday celebration is the perfect time to come along and see what we have for you.”

Programme of free activities

10am-3pm (drop-in) | The Animation Workshop

Work with a professional animator and discover the magical world of stop motion animation. Ages 5+

10.30am & 1.30pm | DragonBird Theatre - The Elephant’s Child

An interactive theatre performance and play session. These shows are created for 0-5 years but can be enjoyed by the whole family. Apply in advance for your FREE TICKETS online (10.30am or 1.30pm) or at The Hub’s reception.

10am-3pm (drop-in) | Cartooning with the SillyScribbler

Join in with some silly scribbling! Learn how to use simple shapes to create your very own cartoon characters. So, whether it’s a funny face or a weird creature - come along and make your own artwork. Ages 5+

10am-3pm (drop-in) | Organic Bread Monster Making

Make your own monsters using organic dough. Take home, bake and impress your family. Ages 5+

10am-3pm (drop-in) | Felty Happy Creatures

Make your own Felty ‘madeinfoxhill’ Fox and other creepy crawly creatures to take home and keep. Ages 5+

10am-3pm | Foxhill Happy Snappers Exhibition
Come and meet our resident photography group, the Foxhill Happy Snappers and see their fascinating new exhibition that’s inspired by Foxhill and the surrounding areas.

10am-3pm | Artisan Fair
Local artists selling jam, Christmas presents and decorations, cards, toys, baby clothes, artwork and jewellery.

11.30am - 12.30pm | Pop-up Choir

Come and enjoy some singing with the “pop-up choir”. Everyone is welcome to join in regardless of singing experience or age.

12.45pm | Mulberry Park Educate Together performance

Come along and watch a special performance by the children of The Hub’s neighbouring school, Mulberry Park Educate Together.

The Hub at Mulberry Park wins prestigious award

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 10:17:24 Z

Photo: Rebecca Faith

The Hub at Mulberry Park, Bath

The Hub, Curo’s £10m community building at its Mulberry Park development in Bath, was crowned the winner of the South West Community Benefit category at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2019.

The award recognises outstanding achievement in providing a facility which directly benefits the local community and can demonstrate its success through local community feedback.

The judges said: “The resulting facilities and designs met and exceeded the vision of Curo in bringing people together and delivering state-of-the-art facilities which include a nursery, café and flexible community and business spaces that can be adapted and evolve as the needs of the community change.”

RICS judges commended the project team – BDP Architects, housing association and house-builder Curo, Rydon Construction and surveyors Ridge & Partners – “for creating an exemplary community hub that is a trailblazer for future community buildings.”

Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, says: “We’re thrilled and very proud to win this award for The Hub, alongside our partners. It’s a fantastic recognition of the important role it already plays in bringing communities together, less than half a year since it officially opened its doors last December. Its success is firmly based on close collaboration with local residents who have helped us to create these iconic buildings – a place shaped by the community, for the community.

“So many people – not only from the local area, but from all across Bath – enjoy the family-friendly café at The Hub every day. This community building, with its versatile rooms and state-of-the-art facilities, is already a place of choice for business, meetings and events for many local partners, charities, health providers, politicians and local people and businesses offering a wide range of courses and classes.

“We’re looking for even more partners to bring much-needed services and activities to The Hub for the local communities of Combe Down, Foxhill and Mulberry Park. As a Community Benefits Society, The Hub is run in partnership with local residents and once in full operation, our vision is to transfer this fantastic building to the community to be run by and for the local people.”

One of the people using The Hub for her business is Noeline Beesley, who’s been running kindergarten music classes at The Hub since the first week it was open. She says: “The facilities are excellent, the room we use is lovely and big with lots of light, there’s an integrated music system and plenty of space for the children to sing, dance and express themselves. I love the fact that the staff are very accommodating, they can’t do enough for you - and the coffee is great too! It’s an amazing facility, there’s lots of space here for quality activities to go on and I’m thrilled to be able to say that I’m offering my classes here in Combe Down in such a fantastic building.”

Nick Fairham, Architect Director in international architectural firm BDP’s Bristol office, said: “It has been a real honour to work on a building, and with a team, that truly has the local community at its heart.

“It was clear at the outset that flexibility and adaptability would be crucial – so that over time, as the community changes, and what they want out of the building alters, the Hub can be adapted to suit that changing need. And the determination to create something really special that acts as a focal point and unites the neighbourhood was really inspiring. We hope the Hub’s unusual composition of cantilevered, overlapping ‘boxes,’ inspired by the site’s Ministry of Defence heritage, will do exactly that.”

Winners from all regions of the country will meet in London in October to find out who’ll take home the National RICS Awards trophies.

More than 200 people turn out to see plans for new Bath park

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 09:00:12 Z

More than 200 people visited an exhibition held by Curo last week to see the detailed proposals for the open space at Mulberry Park, which will be delivered as part of the housing development.

The open space will feature areas for events that are accessible for all, play and picnic spaces, sensory and edible planting and connections to other places like Springfield Park and the popular National Trust Skyline Walk.

Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, says: “This was a fantastic turnout and it shows that local residents are interested in the new open space and the facilities it will offer. Thanks to everyone who visited and gave us their feedback.

“We’ve designed the open space together with the local community as an opportunity to encourage and promote health and wellbeing. Our ambition for the park is to bring together existing, new and future communities and to connect our development at Mulberry Park with Foxhill, the wider Combe Down area and Bath. It will be an inclusive space, for everyone to enjoy.”

As well as viewing and commenting on the design for the new park, local residents also had the chance to trial some of the classes available at The Hub for free and enter a prize draw to win one of two £50 Love2Shop vouchers.

The lucky winners were Foxhill resident Kathryn Sinclair and John Brown, who lives at Mulberry Park. In her feedback form, Kathryn wrote: “I am very excited about a new play space being available on our doorstep.”

This is what John had to say: “We believe that the new park is being planned taking account of future changes in our society: cycle path, walking and enjoyment in imaginative plantings. It will be integral with the new development and allow people of all ages to enjoy and be enthralled by nature.”

Curo will submit a planning application for the open space to Bath & North East Somerset Council next month. Subject to planning permission, the new park will open to the public in 2022.

Proposals for new Bath park on display at The Hub

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:02:48 Z

Image above: Illustrative masterplan of the Mulberry Park public open space

On Tuesday 16 April, Curo will be hosting a public information exhibition to showcase the developed proposals for a new park in Bath.

At the exhibition, visitors will be able to see the detailed design for the main area of public open space and the woodland walk which will be delivered by Curo at Mulberry Park, alongside proposed improvements to Pope’s Walk bridleway.

Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, says: “We’d like to thank our stakeholders and residents in Foxhill, Mulberry Park and Combe Down who’ve taken the time to attend our previous workshops and exhibitions and helped us shape the plans for the new public open spaces at Mulberry Park.

“Alongside well-designed areas for events that are accessible for all, the park will also have play and picnic spaces, sensory and edible planting and connections to other places – for example, Springfield Park and the popular National Trust Skyline Walk.

“Together with The Hub, the park will be a focal point for the community to meet up, play sports, attend events and spend time together.”

It’s all about the community

The exhibition will take place at The Hub at Mulberry Park from 3pm until 7pm on Tuesday 16 April and will also offer residents the chance to trial free activities currently on offer at the community centre.

Manager of The Hub, Lizzie Irvine, says: “This event is all about the community, from getting involved in the plans for their new park to joining one of the free 30-minute taster classes offered by the fantastic instructors at The Hub.

“We’re offering something for everyone, from fitness to line dancing and Tai Chi and we look forward to welcoming as many residents as possible on the day.”

Revised activities table updated Tuesday 16 April

Curo will submit the developed proposals for the park to Bath & North East Somerset Council for approval in May. Subject to planning permission, the anticipated completion for the new park is 2022.

What?

Information exhibition of the developed plans for the new public open space at Mulberry Park
Afternoon of free activities at The Hub

When?

Tuesday 16 April

3pm to 7pm, drop in anytime

Where?

The Hub at Mulberry Park

Mulberry Way, Combe Down

Bath BA2 5BU

The Hub is now open!

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:21:21 Z

Our brand new £10m community building in Combe Down opened on Saturday 8 December with a day of free activities that included an all-ages Bath Rugby coaching session.

The Hub is at the heart of the Foxhill, Mulberry Park and Combe Down community and was delivered by us as part of our 700 homes development at Mulberry Park. Our mission is to provide great homes, support communities and improve lives and The Hub is part of our ongoing investment in the local area.

Manager of The Hub, Lizzie Irvine said: “We’re really pleased so many people joined us to celebrate the opening of The Hub. We had more than 875 people through our doors on the day!”

Lizzie added: “The Hub is a new community space where people come together to have fun and try new things – and our open day reflected that. We had lots of activities, from interactive theatre to dance and storytelling. Bath Rugby held an all-ages coaching session and we also showcased some amazing art projects created by Made In Foxhill and local residents.”

BA1 Radio, a local volunteer-led radio station, were at The Hub all day and gave people the opportunity to try their hand at being a radio presenter.

Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, was given a tour of The Hub and said: “It was fantastic to see so many residents using the building and taking part in all the different activities. The Hub, with its state of the art facilities, is going to be a real asset for the Foxhill, Mulberry Park and Combe Down communities.”

Jane Hill, local resident and chairperson of the Hub user group, said: “It was a wonderful event that brought the community together, everyone had a happy and relaxing time. For many it was their first visit to The Hub and all who took part were so very impressed by the building, its design and the facilities it has to offer.”

The café at The Hub is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 9am until 4pm. In the new year the café will be open every day and from 8am on week days. To find out what’s on at The Hub or to book a room please call 01225 436869.

The countdown to the big launch has begun

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:18:01 Z

The countdown to the launch of the new community building at Mulberry Park has begun. The Hub will open its doors to local residents on Saturday 8 December with a ‘Fun Day’ filled with creative activities for kids and adults.

The Hub is a brand new contemporary building for the whole local community to use, providing flexible spaces for activities and events from yoga and fitness classes to children’s stay & play groups, meetings and corporate events as well as a welcoming and family-friendly café on the ground floor.

Over the past few weeks, the new team at The Hub have started work, headed by Centre Manager Lizzie Irvine, with Dominique Bartels as Events Manager, alongside a team of reception and events colleagues.

The Hub is located between the brand new 210-place Educate Together primary school and the 70-place Happy Days nursery at Mulberry Park which both opened in September.

What’s next at The Hub?

A range of events are planned for the opening and in the months to follow. This will include Christmas carols, a series of informative talks and presentations on local interest subjects, art exhibitions and more.

If you’re interested in booking a room to hold an event or meeting, planning an ‘away day’, teaching a class or just curious to pop in and have a look, contact our Events Team at enquiries@mphub.co.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Hub!

It’s a hoot at Mulberry Park this summer

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 09:54:20 Z

This summer, Curo’s delighted to welcome Mulberry Park’s newest resident to the neighbourhood. Mowlberry Beak is coming to roost outside the marketing suite on Bradford Road as part of a city-wide sculpture trail.

Curo is proud to sponsor the Minerva’s Owls of Bath sculpture trail, which takes inspiration from the Roman Goddess Minerva, whose animal symbol was the owl of wisdom. The trail features over 80 individually designed owls displayed across Bath and the surrounding area from June to September 2018.

Mowlberry Beak is painted by local artist and children’s illustrator Beccy Blake. Beccy drew on the local area for her beautiful design which features a mulberry tree packed with details of life in Combe Down, Foxhill and Bath. Local historical figures, Harry Patch and Ralph Allen gaze out from Mowlberry’s eyes, while details from Combe Down’s stone mining past and its links with the military can be found among his feathers.

Beccy Blake said: “I was so excited and felt honoured to be chosen as an owl artist, it’s been great fun both researching all the lovely memories and historical facts from local Combe Down people to pencilling it out and finally painting it. I hope everyone enjoys Mowlberry Beak when on their Owl tour.”

Curo has also donated an owlet to Combe Down Primary school. Patch has been decorated by the school’s pupils in a beautiful patchwork design, inspired by Combe Down’s famous son Harry Patch, the last fighting Tommy. Patch will go on display on The Avenue in Combe Down village.

Curo’s sales manager, Susan Harrison said: “We’re delighted to be involved with this year’s Owls of Bath trail. It’s a fantastic way for people to explore our beautiful city and celebrate local communities like Combe Down. We look forward to welcoming Mowlberry Beak and lots of owl spotters to Mulberry Park during the summer.”

Owl spotters can pick up trail maps from the Bath Visitor Information Centre, Bath Aqua Glass by Bath Abbey and Waterstones in Milsom Street; or they can download the mobile app from the App store or at go.blispa.com/owls.

Curo has its roots planted in the local community, as a housing association and house-builder with 13,000 homes in the West of England. Its award-winning development at Mulberry Park has drawn inspiration from the local area, from the planting of over 6,000 native trees and shrubs to streets named after local residents who served in WWI. For more information about homes at Mulberry Park, call 0345 140 5050 or visit www.curo-sales.co.uk/mulberrypark.

Photo credit: Bath Chronicle and Paul Gillis

Topping out ceremony marks key milestone in development of £10M community hub

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:58:38 Z

On Thursday 14 December, Curo marked the latest milestone in the development of a new £10M community hub, primary school and nursery at Mulberry Park, Bath. A topping out ceremony celebrated the completion of the landmark building’s main structure.

Topping out ceremonies date back to pagan times. Traditionally to celebrate the building reaching its highest point, this ceremony is said to bring good luck and prosperity to all those who use the new building. An evergreen tree is hoisted over the building, which is said to ward off evil spirits.

At Mulberry Park, a Christmas tree was raised to the highest point of the building by the Mayor of Bath, Ian Gilchrist. Visitors were then given a guided tour of the new building, using virtual reality headsets to experience the completed rooms as they moved through the building.

The ceremony was attended by local residents and people from local groups and businesses who will use the new building when it opens in 2018.

Victor da Cunha, Chief Executive of Curo said: “It’s great to see the new community hub taking shape at Mulberry Park, underlining Curo’s ongoing investment in the local area. We’re really looking forward to seeing the building buzzing with activity when it opens in 2018.”

The community hub is being built by Rydon for Curo. Paul Barber, Rydon Construction’s South West Regional Director said: “The topping out ceremony is an exciting milestone to celebrate with our partner Curo for the Mulberry Park community hub. Our experienced team look forward to completing this project that will be a focal point – a place for local people to come together and enjoy a range of high quality public services and education facilities.”

Commissioned by Curo and designed by internationally renowned architects BDP, the community hub is ten times larger than that required under planning and will sit at the heart of Mulberry Park fronting onto a new public square, within easy reach for residents of Combe Down and Foxhill.

Named The Hub, it has been designed as a beacon for the local community and will include a café, meeting rooms, multifunctional spaces and an enterprise area with lettable space for a range of businesses. Curo is currently working with local agents, Carter Jonas to recruit partner organisations to run the café and enterprise space.

The celebration was also attended by Council leader, Tim Warren, Combe Down ward councillors, Cherry Beath and Bob Goodman and local residents who have worked with Curo to develop plans for the community hub.

The hub, primary school (run by Educate Together) and 70-place children’s nursery (run by Happy Days) will open at Mulberry Park in September 2018.