West Marsh Community Centre: A Local Hub Creating Real Change

When Chris Stanland stepped into his role as Community Development Manager at West Marsh Community Centre, he inherited both a challenge and an opportunity: to transform a much-needed local service hub into a thriving centre for grassroots-led change.

Connected through Our Future

“We didn’t want to be isolated. I knew we needed to be around other people who were in the same space — who understood community work but also wanted to take it further.” Through Our Future’s Sidney Sussex group events, Chris opened the door to collaboration with organisations like East Marsh United, Doorstep, We Are Fish, and Citizens UK. “We’ve had so many valuable conversations. Just getting in a room with people like Metin from Doorstep, Sandie from We Are Fish and Dr David Robinson helped us build bridges and learn from each other.”

A local lifeline in the heart of West Marsh

The Centre serves hundreds of people each year with a wide range of support services. Their food bank — originally set up during COVID — now supports people across the region, with a sustainable garden and poly tunnel funded by the National Lottery. Their baby bank offers essentials for new parents. Benefits advice and form-filling support helps people access what they’re entitled to. Warm spaces and social groups including bingo, cooking sessions, and over-50s activities reduce isolation.

The Centre is particularly known for supporting Eastern European residents, offering translation, signposting, and English language classes. Football and boxing programmes support mental health and fitness for young people. One volunteer, Jack, is now starting a job with the local council.

“We want to build something that lasts — something built by us, for us.”