Hive Portsmouth open its first permanent hub following £250,000 donation from BAE Systems

A celebration was held yesterday after Hive Portsmouth officially opened the doors to its new hub in Aggie Weston House.

Hive is a ‘partnership in Portsmouth that consists of a representative group of the voluntary and community sector, NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group and Portsmouth City Council’.

The partnership has been working with the community, charities and organisations for the past couple of years and they connect people in a bid to work together to make the city the best it can be.

After receiving a £250,000 donation from BAE Systems last year, the partnership decided to put the money towards a new hub that will be a place where charities and organisations can thrive.

Lorna Reavley, chief officer of the Hive, said: ‘We are all really excited that we have got this for the city and we are really hopeful for the future.

‘I think for me, it is such a lovely building, it’s light and spacious and I think that one of the draws is that it is in the middle of the city.’

The event welcomed staff members, volunteers, service users, Portsmouth officials and members of the public who all celebrated the opening with cake.

Scott Jamieson, managing director for BAE Systems, said: ‘Portsmouth is really important to BAE Systems and our employees and we’re exceptionally proud of the active role we play in the local community.

‘I think also it isn’t just about writing cheques or sending money. As a business, we are conscious of the community that we work and live in. We want to be able to support charities and voluntary organisations.’

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Helen Barter runs Stand Up Portsmouth, a charity in the city that has been running for five years. It specialises in helping families who have children with additional needs.

Helen is a service user of Hive Portsmouth and she will be using the new hub to work on her charity and her goals for the future.

She said: ‘As a group we’ve grown so much over the last few years. The demand just keeps building and we want to be able to help absolutely everybody we can. I currently work from home and, with three children, two of whom have additional needs, it’s so difficult to find the quiet space to really focus on what needs to be done for the charity.’

Revd Canon Bob White, chair of HIVE Portsmouth trustees said: ‘For a long time the sector has been crying out for a space such as this, a place people can go to share ideas and make connections, somewhere which can be used as needed to help them continue to provide essential services to the people of Portsmouth.

‘We’re very lucky to have such passionate and committed people in the sector who work so hard to provide a wide range of services to those who need support. The opening of Hive Portsmouth Hub is a great step forward for the sector locally and I’m delighted that the doors are now open.’

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