Operation Renovation!

Making a difference in the heart of the community

Based in the heart of North End, our Community Hall welcomes more than 25 different community groups and over 800 local people every week.

We’re especially proud that our Hall is the home of North End Pantry. It was the first ‘Your Local Pantry’ to open in Portsmouth. Today it remains the largest in the city. Open four days a week, the food and household essentials that we distribute reaches around 400 local people every week! It's also a much-needed community space for hundreds of other local adults and children, with groups, classes and clubs meeting in our building. 

What we need to do

Built in 1903, our hall is now in much need of some serious work and refurbishment. We urgently need to raise around £120,000 to create storage, update the facilities and make it even more useful for the community.  

It’s around 70 years since the Hall was last refurbished, and investing now will help keep this important community asset open for many decades to come. Funding vital enhancements that meet the ever-evolving needs of our community will allow us to make the space more flexible and accessible, so we can welcome even more people in the future.

How you can help this community

Will you be there for your community by making a donation today? Your generosity will help us to keep on supporting and transforming the lives of local people for years to come:

• Empowering hundreds of Food Pantry guests and helping them beat the cost of living crisis
• Supporting dozens of vulnerable people facing addiction and other life challenges to stay sober and healthy
• Providing a welcoming space for hundreds of older people and children to find friendship and fulfilment

People who benefit from our hall:

Meet Denise:
'As a worker on a low income, I’ve found the cost of living increases really tough. The food pantry has been a real Godsend for me - especially in recent months when I’ve faced the additional costs of a house move and a delay in receiving benefits to top up my income. If it wasn’t for the pantry, things would be really difficult for me and I’m not sure how I’d manage. I don’t like asking others for help so I find being a pantry member really empowering. The food I receive lasts me most of the week, and there’s lots of choice so I can always pick up the items I need most! '

Connors Toy Library 
We use the hall to enable us to run a Toy Library session each week for families to come along and enjoy. The hall has plenty of room for children to explore and is always warm and inviting for the parents and children. 

Med3Music
Following on from Covid, Med3 Music were unsure of our future. Our previous meeting venue decided not reopen and with so many venues shutting we were having difficulty finding a suitable location for us to meet. North End Baptist Church opened its doors to Med3 Music and welcomed us to join their community hub in the summer of 2021. For Med3 Music North End Baptist Church offers more than a rehearsal venue as it has allowed our members to connect with the many groups that are located there, including North End Pantry, Slimming World, Copnor Coffee Club and the Community Kitchen. This has allowed us not only to share our project but support and encourage our members to join other groups.
 
Access to North End Baptist Church makes it easier to invite people to come and visit for a cup of tea and to listen to our music. One of our newest members was a new member at North End Pantry and whilst chatting he mentioned how lonely he was, it was great to be to invite him to visit Med3 Music and now he is a regular member.

Brownies
The hall is a good size to run our activities from with the added bonus of the use of a kitchen on site and a space to store our equipment, but best of all is how friendly and supportive the NEBC team are!
 
NA
The Narcotics Anonymous meeting in North End is so important to us, it's the only one in the area and we regularly have up to 25 people attending and hearing the life saving message of N/A. 
 
Ukrainian Art group
Ukrainian refugee children and adults greatly enjoy meeting their friends, talking in their own language, while expressing their creativity through art and being taught new art skills. The North End Baptist Church Hall room provide all the facilities we need in a convenient location. We're very grateful for the hospitality shown by the church.

Thank you for your support!

Thank you, we are so grateful for your support. Every pound makes a difference and no donation is too small! We also know that times are tough – so if you’re not in a position to donate, we completely understand. Please help us by sharing our appeal instead!

You can donate here.