A new community facility, bringing together essential public services under one roof, will open next week.
Ely and Caerau Community Hub is the new home to a range of council and partner services. This includes a full library service, housing and benefits advice and a wide range of other Council services such as waste management and street lighting. The Hub will also provide a full Into Work service including Job Clubs, CV workshops and work related training. Individual support with seeking employment will be provided by the Want to Work service.
Citizens Advice Bureau service, Credit Union will also provide services in the Hub and ACE Communities First group will be based at the Hub delivering community events and information.
Located on Cowbridge Road West opposite the junction with Grand Avenue, the new community hub will be a ‘one-stop shop’ for council services in Ely and Caerau, providing customers with improved access to services over extended opening times.
The building has been transformed into a bright, attractive and modern space with the library at its heart, a café operated by charity Hafal and access to free internet and telephone services. The Hub also includes interview rooms and training rooms. A community room is available which can be booked by local community groups. Entrances to the Hub are on Cowbridge Road West and Treseder Way.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service also have a presence in the new hub which will be open for six days a week (Monday to Wednesday 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5.30pm) and late on Thursdays (10am to 7pm) considerably extending access to vital services.
The Hub is the fifth in the city, following the success of community hubs in Llanrumney, Trowbridge/St Mellons, Loudoun Square in Butetown and the city centre Advice Hub at Marland House.
Cabinet Member for Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise, Cllr Peter Bradbury, said: “As a Councillor for Caerau I am really pleased to see a community Hub service come to the area. This is the fifth Hub to be opened in Cardiff and I am sure the Ely & Caerau Hub will build on the successes we have seen in other parts of the city.
“By bringing together the services the Council and its partners provide under one roof, within easy reach of the community, we can make sure residents can access the help and advice they need quickly.
“Hub services are delivered in a joined-up way that means we can share best practice with partners and provide better face-to-face customer service. It also means that we can offer extended hours for residents to get in touch at a time that is convenient for them and an increased Library Service from 5 days to 6.
“This is a fantastic new facility which will allow us to put the community at the heart of the services we provide, while at the same time allowing us to provide what residents need more effectively and efficiently, in partnership with other organisations.”
Ahead of the opening of the new Hub on Monday June 23, Ely Library and Ely Housing Office will close before the transfer of the services into the Hub.
The library on Grand Avenue will close on Wednesday June 18 to allow for the transfer of stock and, for the short period while it is closed, library members have the option of using alternative libraries such as Fairwater, Canton or Central Library in the city centre.
The housing office, also on Grand Avenue, will be closed on Friday June 20 and anyone needing to access the service on that day is being directed to the city centre Advice Hub at Marland House, which is open from 8.45am to 5pm.
