Local community centre forced to close due to Covid-19

A Salford community centre has been forced to shut over the Christmas period due to a rise in Covid-19 cases in the area.

The Hive community centre based in Victoria park, Swinton is run by volunteers and members who have expressed safety concerns due to the recent spike in cases this month.

The centre is a pillar of its community and by closing its doors is now forced to cancel some of the events they had planned for coming weeks. This includes its popular Nutcracker Christmas event and breakfast with the elves.

Now closed until 2022, the centre put together plans for the new year and will be back up and running again helping out the local area, particularly offering learning courses to people who may not have access to online.

Manager Chantell Calderbank, a Parkinson’s sufferer herself, is planning to set up a group for young people suffering with Parkinson’s, dementia and multiple sclerosis. This group aims to help young people feel welcome and share their stories with others.

She said: “I was diagnosed with this disease aged 42 and there is no cure, in the new year I will be looking at setting up a fitness and wellbeing group as our main aim at the Hive is to bring people back into society.

Chantell has been running the Hive since July and has been a key part in getting the place in order and has already been a part of some big changes, such as the no child goes hungry in Salford scheme which provides children with food during the months when they are not in school, this has been a huge success with help from local supermarkets.