The Spring Edition of Havens Happenings, our quarterly newsletter is now available to read:
To sign up to receive these quarterly newsletters all you need to do is go to our website, and insert you details to the 'Subscribe to Havens Happenings Newsletters' section on the homepage.
We’re delighted to share that Havens Connections Café has been named a finalist in the Best Customer Service category at the Seahaven Business Awards 2025!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past seven months. It’s been such a joy to welcome so many of you through our doors, and being recognised in this way means the world to Julia and the café team.
Your continued support truly makes all the difference — thank you!
Thank you to the team at David Jordan Estate Agents for spotlighting our projects and helping us spread the word about Havens Food Cooperative and Havens Connections Café. We had the team visit us and make this little video about us and how to support the projects of the Hub.
Havens Connections Café are looking for passionate volunteers to join our small but friendly team.
If this sounds like the ideal role for you, do not hesitate to get in touch. For more information or to apply, please email havensconnectionscafe@gmail.com
On Monday 28th April there is a Quiz Night in aid of Havens Community Hub and its projects is being held at the EBM Centre in Peacehaven, at 7pm! The EBM Centre will have delicious basket meals available to purchase on the night as well!
Book your tickets now for a fun evening of trivia at:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/vqyqrbabyzzw
Just £5 a ticket, and teams of up to 6 people!
Havens Food Cooperative is pleased to announce that the project is no longer closing its doors and ceasing its primary food collection operations from March 23rd 2025.
The decision earlier this month was made to close down the project and its key food waste prevention activities, due to the lack of funding available to support its current operations. Securing financing and accessing grants had become a perfect storm for the project. But since this decision was made the public show of support has been heart-warming and humbling and we were encouraged by supporters to make a final attempt to accrue the funds needed to continue operations and save the Havens Food Cooperative Project.
We needed £30,000 to continue the projects operations on a basic level until September 2025. The Save the Havens Food Cooperative Campaign to date has raised £16,840 and this week we have received the brilliant news that a local funder has offered up to £15,000 match funding for this campaign in order to assist our goal. We are very grateful for all the support of the wonderful local community, individuals and businesses and of course the local funder who has made an incredible contribution.
We are so pleased to be sharing this much more positive news with the community.
We will be leaving the Save the Havens Food Cooperative Fundraising Campaign open as any funds we continue to receive will enable us to strengthen the project and support its development going forward beyond September 2025.
An exciting opportunity has opened up for an organised and community-minded individual to join the team, at Havens Connections Café.
For an application pack contact dawnhavenshub@gmail.com or collect a pack from the Havens Connections Café, Hillcrest Centre, Bay Vue Road, Newhaven, BN9 9LH
Following the news from Founder of the Havens Community Hub, Paula Woolven, that the Havens Food Cooperative lacked the funds for the next sixth months to continue operations, there has been an overwhelming response from the community and a collective drive to keep the project running.
Please see our fundraiser which was started to raise the needed funds for the project to continue operating for the next 6 months:
We appreciate all the support of our donors and thank everyone for this fantastic and overwhelming response:
Donate here:
https://localgiving.org/fundraising/savethefood?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9PwZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQGY489M057HyJeSPuyruhmHPTA8wrC2F-99jdjXMfbfUHfoappI-sBmBw_aem_35h-Yyj-aVB4JoPrXSpV8A
Thank you to the Co-op in Peacehaven who let us visit their store last week and promote our cause in the community.
Don't forget that this year Havens Community Cars have been selected as one of the Co-ops Supported Causes and you can help support us by selecting us as your chosen cause using your Co-op Membership Card!
Simply use the Co-op app or the link below, sign in and select Havens Community Cars.
https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/88034...
Thank you!
A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers this past weekend for their incredible efforts in rescuing a fantastic amount of food!
One standout moment was saving over 20 crates of oranges from a single store.
Thanks to the collaboration of our partner stores and the dedication of our volunteers, an incredible 1,575 oranges—weighing approximately 189kg—were rescued and redistributed, equating to £406.35 worth of surplus food!
The last few bags of oranges were distributed at our Community Pantry today!
To help us continue making food rescues like this possible, please consider making a monthly donation. Just £10 a month could help cover fuel costs for our surplus food collections, ensuring more good food reaches those who need it.
Every contribution makes a real difference—fighting waste, feeding the community, and protecting the environment.
Donate here: https://localgiving.org/charity/havenscommunityhub
On Sunday, 9th February 2025, Havens Community Hub was featured on BBC Politics South East, shining a spotlight on the vital role of volunteers and the charities that serve as a safety net for our communities.
The segment, filmed by journalist Marcella Whittingdale, highlighted the incredible work of the Hub’s projects, including:
Havens Connections Café– a space for social connection and support
Havens Food Cooperative– a food waste prevention initiative tackling food insecurity
Havens Happy Clubs– a support service for older adults
Havens Community Cars– a volunteer-led transport service
A Call for Greater Support for the Voluntary Sector
During the broadcast, an important discussion unfolded about the crucial role of voluntary organisations and how local and national authorities could do more to support them. The segment emphasised that:
· These initiatives are lifelines for individuals and families, providing essential services like food access, social opportunities, and transport.
· Their success is powered by dedicated volunteers who give their time and energy to make a difference.
· Despite their impact, many causes struggle with funding and resources, making long-term sustainability a challenge.
The “Upside-Down” Approach to Community Development
Paula Woolven, Founder and CEO of Havens Community Hub, spoke about the Hub’s unique “upside-down” method of community development. Unlike traditional top-down approaches, the Hub starts by identifying real needs within the community before developing innovative, sustainable initiatives to address them.
This approach ensures that every project is rooted in genuine community demand, creating long-lasting solutions that truly make a difference. The BBC South East feature showcased how this grassroots model has successfully shaped essential local services, demonstrating the power of people-led change in the Havens area, East Sussex.
To watch the segment visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000dk0t/politics-south-east
To get involved with the Hub and its projects view: https://www.havenscommunityhub.co.uk/ or contact havenscommunityhub@gmail.com
A heartfelt thank you to the Sussex Association of Bonfire & Carnival Societies for hosting their annual Carol Service each December. Each year, a different bonfire society takes on the role of chairing the service, and for Christmas 2024, this went to South Heighton Bonfire Society. The chairing society selects local causes to receive the church collection, and we were delighted and grateful that they chose Havens Community Hub for this event. We truly appreciate their support and generosity.
Havens Food Cooperative Manager Rebecca and Founder and CEO of the Hub Paula were delighted to be invited to present at the Seaford Women's Probus lunch last week.
They had a great time meeting members of the club and networking with community members.
If you have a group that would like to know more about the Hub and our community projects please get in touch at havenscommunityhub@gmail.com or 01273 918226.
We have been shortlisted as a finalist for the Pride of Britain Fund!
We need your votes to help our charity receive funding. Use the following link to vote:
https://data.reachplc.com/250124925273049
Just follow the link below > select South East > scroll down and find our project ‘Havens Food Cooperative’ > accept the T&Cs > submit your vote
Thank you for your support!
The children at Kimmy’s Nursery had an arts and crafts session and made some beautiful butterfly paintings to display and raise funds for our community café! 🦋✨
Each artwork is a burst of creativity and colour, and they’re now proudly exhibited for everyone to enjoy. Parents and Carers of Children were invited to the Café for a private art viewing and could purchase the framed paintings, with all funds raised in aid of the Havens Connections Cafe’s pay it forward scheme.
Pop by, and enjoy coffee and cake in the café with the lovely artwork on display! 💚🎨
To see more about our Pay it Forward Scheme or make a donation please visit: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/payitforwardcafe
#CommunityArt #Kimmy’sNursery #HavensCommunityHub
Quiz Mistress Deborah Lennard brought everyone together for a fantastic charity quiz night at the EBM Centre in Peacehaven last Friday, raising over £300 for Havens Community Hub projects. With seven teams ready to compete, the 'Cornish Pasties' took home the trophy, closely followed by the 'Blue Whales' in second place.
The evening was filled with laughter and great food, and drinks from Paul Margo of the EBM Centre in Peacehaven. The money raised will go toward some amazing initiatives, like the Havens Food Cooperative which helps reduce food waste by redistributing it, and the Havens Connections Café that runs a pay it forward scheme for people to access hot meals and drinks.
Paula Woolven, the CEO and Founder of Havens Community Hub, expressed her heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated and supported the event. She highlighted how the funds will make a real difference in the community through the Hub’s projects.
Havens Food Cooperative were delighted to visit the House of Lords, invited by Fareshare Sussex and Surrey at their event celebrating their growth and expansion over the past year.
Havens Food Cooperative partner with Fareshare to prevent food waste across the community, receiving donations from their warehouse and also collecting from slots on their foodiverse surplus food collection system. Havens Food Cooperative had an excellent evening attending this event which bought together, key partners from the food industry, peers, and MPs, in one of the most iconic and inspiring venues.
Havens Connections Café had an amazing delivery of surplus flowers from the Havens Food Cooperative Project this week, all collected from local stores as part of their waste-prevention initiative.
The blooms were perfect for decorating the Café, brightening up the tables, and chasing the January blues away with an array of different colours!
#Warmwelcomeweek #Warmspace #communitycafe
The EBM Centre in Peacehaven are hosting a quiz night in aid of Havens Community Hub and its projects, on Friday 31st January from 7pm!
Book your tickets now for a fun evening of trivia:
Havens Food Cooperative were very grateful to receive a big donation of seasonal surplus stock this week from Tates Garden Centre (Paradise Park), Newhaven.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the team at for their donation of treats that we have been able to redistribute this week to many of our Pop Up Pantry locations and supported groups! Surplus food provided was redistributed to the Deans Senior Tea Club, the Havens Connections Café and more, preventing waste and supporting the community!
