Whitehill & Bordon

About Whitehill & Bordon

Whitehill & Bordon is a growing town in East Hampshire where local partnerships, community spaces and resident involvement are helping strengthen connections and create opportunities. The town was once a military base, and is now a mix of older neighbourhoods and new developments.

Café 1759 sits at the heart of the community, providing activities, support and opportunities to get involved.

Priorities

What matters most to the community?

Promote Café 1759 and The Room as a welcoming community hub that brings people together, offering inclusive activities and support to help with the cost of living, improve wellbeing, reduce isolation and reflect residents’ needs.
Improve physical and mental health outcomes by providing opportunities for young people in the local area.
Listen to and involve residents in shaping their community, through supporting local groups to deliver activities at Café 1759 where everyone can grow and thrive.
Promote volunteering opportunities through Café 1759 and its activities to build skills, personal development and strengthen community connections.

Who is your Community Development Officer?

Hi, I’m Jess and I'm the Community Development Officer for Whitehill & Bordon, Southampton. I started working for Abri in 2012 within Customer Services where I was able to understand the full array of support and services we provided and joined the Community Investment team in 2016.

In my role, I’ve set up a community pantry and worked on our Good Grub Clubs and the Buddy Club Social Isolation project. I'm currently working with the Café 1759 team in support of promoting our community space "The Room", and connecting with partners to provide projects linked to the areas priorities.

Get in touch with Jess

You said, we did

You said: You wanted more low cost and free activities and better access to support for young people in Bordon.

We did: We worked with local partners to deliver a programme of low cost and free activities at The Room during school holidays. We have also expanded the range of health and wellbeing support available, including activities such as Pilates and seated exercise sessions for people aged 60 and over. We will continue to develop the support and opportunities available at The Room, using your feedback to shape the activities and services that matter most to the community.

You said: You wanted to see more volunteering opportunities through Café 1759 to help people build skills, confidence and stronger community connections.

We did: We worked with the Inspire work experience programme to provide work placements for young people at Café 1759. These placements helped young people develop practical skills, confidence and experience in our café environment. We also continue to offer volunteering opportunities through Café 1759, helping people build skills, reduce isolation and connect to the local community.