Jess’ idea for the Heart of Egremont originally came off the back of another idea, from a conversation she had with her Mum, who has been a big part of the journey from the very beginning.
Jess wanted to create a space where the community could enjoy activities, such as arts and crafts, a social hub, coffee club and learn about the heritage and social history of the area of Egremont.
It all began on 4th July 2013, when they opened the doors to their first centre, replacing a former café premises in Brighton Street, Egremont.
Within a few days of opening, the centre had a small team of volunteers from the community who were all very keen to get involved.
Starting small, with help from Zel Rodgers, the Heart of Egremont flourished and grew, and soon after became involved with helping other local groups form and become entities in their own rights.
By enjoying a cuppa, (all too often!), with regular visitors, volunteers at the Heart of Egremont could gauge the needs of the immediate community and put their heads together with their team of trustees to see how they could meet those needs.
By working with other agencies such as National Citizen Service, local magazine producers, and a variety of charities, the team managed to support and meet the needs of many families across the area.
As time progressed, it became evident that a small former café was not going to be big enough to actively continue due to the range of activities and events they were holding. Thankfully, their growth and development didn’t go unnoticed, and they were offered the opportunity to call a new, larger premises, home.
Fast forward to now, six years later, the centre has continued to grow, develop, and diversify to suit the needs of the community, proudly becoming a lifeline to many people across the area.
They are home to one of the most successful social supermarkets on Wirral, an amazing team of dedicated volunteers and a wonderful team of trustees.
The Heart of Egremont was one of the first community groups to have a community defibrillator, become a safe place from domestic abuse, have regular dementia cafes, veteran support groups, lunch clubs and social friendship clubs all whilst still hosting regular events.
Prior to Jess having the idea for the centre, nothing of its type existed in Egremont or surrounding boroughs.
She said:
“The Heart of Egremont is exactly what it is, the heart of the community, and as our strapline says, the kettles always on!”
To find out more about the amazing work Jess Pearce and The Heart of Egremont do for the community, visit: http://heartofegremont.co.uk
