Aldershot’s Community Grub Hub and the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community have benefited from Farnborough Aerospace Consortium’s move to new offices.

With lots off office and catering equipment surplus to requirements following their move to Farnborough Council offices, FAC donated it all to the two good causes.

The Grub Hub received square tables, shredder, coat rack, countertop fridge, lots of food and a large amount of catering items. The Nepalis received a shredder, desk screens, water cups and many other office items. And FAC – with networking in its DNA – inadvertently led to the two groups meeting and forming a close relationship.

Grub Hub spokesman Steve Baxendale said:

“The grub hub opened three years ago as a food bank. We’re open every Tuesday and get about 260 visitors, about half of whom have families and so we help around 500 people each week."

“We are also a community hub and have a seating area where people can keep warm in winter and have a hot drink. We provide free wi-fi, computers and phone charging stations to help people with other aspects of their life. There is also a room where are visitors can go to receive advice and health care."

“We invite representatives from organisations including Citizens Advice, mental health charities and health care professionals so they can assist those who pop in. When we went to pick the items donated by FAC we met the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community group. Before this meeting we only had a few Nepalis visit us, and now we have around 100."

“Many elderly don’t speak English or even read in their own language, so several members of the community come along to assist with the language barriers. We are situated in Windsor Way close to the railway station which is where many of the Nepalis live. We are very grateful to FAC for the donations and we have lots of other support from businesses – but we could always do with more.”

Kim Yeomans/Alan Fisher? From FAC said:

“As an organisation we have been working in these communities for many decades and understand the great work these good causes do. When we moved to the council offices we became aware that many of our possessions were no longer needed or we didn’t have the storage for them. So we asked the Community Grub Hub and the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community if they would like what we had.”