The Phab Community Hub

Back in April 2016, our lovely Phab shop was created, with the help of Donna Lowton. The shop was intended as a small community charity shop. We employed our ‘phabbers’ on a voluntary role, and also worked with Wirral Met, to achieve retail qualifications.

The idea of the shop, was to possibly enable PHAB to finance free holidays, give experience to our ‘Phabbers’ and create a community spirit.

The shop worked wonderfully well until the sad events in New ferry, with the gas explosion. Our shop was decimated over night 🙁

From the ashes, came the new ‘Phabulous community hub’. Thanks to the Co-op and 50 Square. Phab was approached with an offer of a free 20’000ft2 building. The challenge seemed enormous, however due to the amazing team at PHAB, the community, FRN, 50 Square & local businesses, the PHABulous community hub was born.

The Phabulous community hubs priority was to help everyone (businesses and local folk) affected by the explosion. We gave free furniture/clothing and trading places for everyone who needed it. Our PHABulous community hub was growing organically. First was the charity shop, then the amazing hobby hub. The hobby hub offer multiple accessible hobby activities through out the week from guitar workshops, drumming workshops, games workshop to Baby signing, adult signing, zumba etc . We opened a food bank and PHAB furniture through our friends FRN (Furniture Reuse Network).

The community hub has grown and grown, and now works in partnership with Wirral Mencap & Wirral met offering work experience for SEN folk locally. Lorna, Donna, Karen and Dawn are an incredible group of ladies who enable the hub, to do what it does.

The Phabulous community hub has now paid for five free holidays for over 200 people. Again special thanks to Richard, James and Jon of 50 square.

Special thanks to the co-op for helping us expand and fulfill our dreams.

The following link below is an observational documentary by our wonderful volunteer Carl Smith Valdez… Thanks Carl