“Oh what a night”!

What a brilliant evening our opening night of cafe hub was!

It was a true eclectic mix and brought together current service user groups from around the North West, recovering members of various communities/philosophies/models, commissioners, service managers, professionals in substance misuse, families and children and even just community supporters of the recovery agenda!

The array of talent showcased was of a 5* standard and many of the singers brought the cafe dwellers to a silent sitstill. We even had two women whom had never met, get together and performed a duet of Hallelujah.. phenomenal!

I spent the evening in awe of what we are creating in Blackburn with Darwen – everywhere I looked I saw bright, smiling faces, laughing and engaging with one another. never before have I seen members of various 12 step fellowship groups mixing with one another aswell as those who belong to neither. It was truly heart warming to be apart of that! The aroma from the food was delightful with a menu of home cooked grub which equalled the talent.

A magical evening that enveloped hub (healthy living, unity & belonging) to the max!

Financially it wasn’t a huge success but that was never its aim (although we do need to evidence its self sustainability), monetary worries would only divert us from what we are about anyway. We relied heavily on donations and for people to cook a dish to sell on the night. The monies we took paid for the venue hire and can pay upfront for next months night!

We are on a truly exciting path and I am very proud to be a part of it!

Next event is a Caribbean night (food from around the Caribbean, limbo competition, Cuban salsa, live music and open mic. Sat 21st August @ Ivy St Community Centre, Ivy St, Blackburn, BB2 3RR. Entrance is free, entertainment is quality, food is inexpensive, effort to attend and support us is priceless!