Copy these! 5 big local ideas about creating a community hub.

1. When one door closes, another one opens… 

Hwb y Gors, in Cwmgors, Neath Port Talbot, is a multiuse community, arts and environment centre built in a beautiful Victorian former school. The school was cherished by the community, and there were local protests and campaigns to prevent it being closed, but these were unsuccessful and the school shut its doors in 2015. Now, a decade later, the building has been lovingly and faithfully restored and converted into a fantastic community space, which opened in September 2025. Bought and funded by community energy charity Awel Aman Tawe, the centre is helping local people to connect, learn new skills and participate in a whole range of activities together.  

Learn more about this amazing project in the latest episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast. 

2. There’s space for everyone. 

In shopping centres and high streets across the UK, empty units hold the potential for great impact, in bringing people together, reducing isolation, boosting skills and raising awareness about how to live a more sustainable life. Greener & Cleaner is a South East London based charity which has done just this. Housed in The Glades in Bromley, the organisation is now hoping to help other groups across the country to develop similar hubs in disused retail space, through its Community Hubs Blueprinting Package. 

Discover more about this initiative on our Create a Community Hub page. 

3. No roof? No problem! 

A community hub doesn’t need to be a bricks and mortar building. People create virtual hubs through online communities, some places have pop-up hubs that move from location to location; and in some cases, a hub is an outdoor space, like a park or a garden. In the Cardiff district of Splott, the Railway Gardens is a community-led space hosting events, workshops and regular activities like a gardening club, run by Green Squirrel CIC. 

Learn about the Railway Gardens. 

4. In case of emergency… 

Community hubs aren’t just about everyday support and community cohesion. Extreme weather events leading to flooding, intense heat and even wildfires are already affecting people right here in the UK. In some communities, shared spaces become vital refuges for people who have had to leave their homes in an emergency. They also provide a venue for action groups, who help to put plans in place and to ensure that local people, especially those with additional vulnerabilities, are protected when the worst happens. 

Listen to our Carbon Copy Podcast episodes from earlier this year about flooding and heatwaves, to learn more about initiatives that are helping to build more resilient communities. 

5. All you need is hub? (A hub for all your needs..!) 

Places across the UK are affected by lots of different issues. Economic instability, job losses and poverty, environmental risks like flooding and coastal erosion, a lack of opportunity and provision for young people and families and high incidence of mental health issues; to name but a few. Each neighbourhood, village, town or city will have different things which matter to them, and so any shared community space should seek to fulfil the specific needs of that community. There’s no one-size-fits all approach, but there is lots that can be learned from existing initiatives. At Carbon Copy we’re all about copying – but copying can also mean adapting to suit your place and your people.  

Take a look at some of the community hub stories published on our website, and find an example, or examples that inspire you! 

Create a Community Hub is the latest focus in Carbon Copy’s 25 Big Local Actions in 2025 campaign. For more information about this and to discover a local action that’s right for you, visit our campaign landing page.