Join us for a celebration and the launch of our new fundraising campaign on Thursday 2 May, 6:00-7:30pm. 

Enjoy drinks and canapés with supporters, friends and volunteers in our thriving community centre. Find out about our new building project to create a new community space and  how you can support the local community financially and in other ways.

Please let us know if you would like to there by emailing hello@lch.community by Friday 26 April.

We're now running toddler and baby groups for 0-3 year olds on Monday's during term time.

Children can play, learn and explore through a variety of activities and toys. And there's free tea and coffee!

The toddler group is at 9:30-11:00am with the babies group at 1:15-2:45pm in the café area. Each session is £1.50 and there's no need to book - just turn up on the day.

Leatherhead Community Hub is supporting local residents who are fighting to save our local post office on Kingston Road. Decisions are being made about these vital services without direct consultation with those impacted within the community. Residents of North Leatherhead want to be heard. 

Ruth Smith, one of our café volunteers and now campaign organiser, said: “This will be so detrimental in an area with many older, disabled, and disadvantaged residents who would struggle to access the town centre post office. The loss of this essential, local resource would put another nail in the coffin of a once vibrant community, which has already lost the children’s centre, local pub, and pharmacy.”

Read our press release and get in touch with Carley at carley@lch.community if you would like to join the campaign.

Would you be willing to volunteer some time?

We're looking for your help with the LCH garden. If you could give a couple of hours once a month on a regular basis that would be hugely appreciated. 

We're planning to tend to it every second Friday of the month from 9.30am to 11.30am followed by a well earned coffee and cake!

It just takes a small team of three or four to make a big difference. You don't have to be hugely experienced as there will be someone there to guide the team each month. 

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer pop along on Friday 8 March to meet the team and grab a form or get in touch by email: hello@lch.community and we can get you signed up!

You may have seen that the Post Office on Kingston Road is due to close. 

We're working with the community to stop this vital service leaving. 

Please fill in our survey to see how much the Post Office is used. The information will be used to put our case forward to decision makers. 

If you're local, please pop into LCH to fill in a physical copy of the survey.  

(Please note that the closure is not the decision of the staff at One Stop.) 

Do you have experience as a chef or cook? Would you like to work in a friendly café with a heart for the local community?

We are looking for someone who will work with our Café Manager, Rachel, to ensure the smooth running of the Old Schoolhouse Café, including preparing high quality meals for our customers, developing the menu, maintaining high standards of food hygiene, and helping to oversee and train our amazing team of volunteers.

This is a new part-time role (18 hours/week @ £12/hour), including Tuesdays and Saturdays. See the Job Description.

If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and a cover letter (no more than 500 words), explaining why you would like this role and how you meet the job requirements to: hello@lch.community

Closing date: 14 February 2024 

We're holding a table top sale on Saturday 24 February from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. All tables are now sold out so there should be plenty of bargains to be had!

Come and bring your friends for a rummage and maybe have a coffee and cake while you're there.

End Stigma Surrey and Mind are hosting a table at our advice café this Thursday, 1 February, from 9:30am to 11:30am for Time to Talk Day.

This is a chance to come along to a safe space to talk about your mental health and  have an informal chat to our lived experience champions. 

Come along for a chat and a cuppa!

Many thanks to local food and drink marketing agency jellybean for giving us two Mac computers. Your support is much appreciated!

Follow @jellybeanagency on Instagram.

Find out how you can support us >

Leatherhead Common Post Office (in the One Stop on Kingston Road) will be closing in March 2024. See more information on the closure.

We're holding a meeting to plan how we can keep this important service for our community at 2:00pm on Tuesday 23 January in the Old Schoolhouse Café. 

Please come along and have your say.

Christmas event

Our Christmas event will be on Saturday 16 December between 2:00pm and 5:30pm in the café. Join us for carols, a raffle, a Christmas fair at the Hive, and food and drinks. The nursery will be hosting children's fun activities in the hall and the New Malden Ukulele Giants will be back to entertain us after their great performance at the Summer BBQ.

Christmas closure

Please note that the café will close for Christmas on Thursday 21 December reopening Wednesday 3 January. We'll only be serving coffee and cake on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 December.

If you would like to volunteer at our café, please email us at hello@lch.community. We'd especially like to hear from you if you can help out on a Saturday.

LCH was featured in the recent Pulling Together conference organised by Surrey Downs Health and Care Partnership, including keynote speakers such as Lord Crisp and Sir Chris Ham.

As well as showing this video, participants heard about the vital importance of community centres like LCH in helping to tackle social isolation and improve people's health and wellbeing.

Let's spread the joy of reading!

Already filled with books, our Little Free Library is free for everyone to enjoy.

If you see a book you'd like to read, take it. When you've finished with it, share with a friend or bring it back. If you have a book to share, please bring it along and choose another.

We're very excited to welcome Carley Timerick, the newest member of our team. Carley is the Community Development Worker for North Leatherhead, thanks to a generous grant from Mole Valley District Council. Her role is to build strong relationships with local residents, to uncover their knowledge, skills, experience and enthusiasm, and encourage the use of these strengths to help build a stronger, more resilient community in North Leatherhead. 

Before joining LCH, Carley worked in a range of campaigning, organising and research roles for other charities, including in refugee camps in Greece and the West Bank. Her drive has always been to amplify people's voices and facilitate collaboration.

She'll be spending the next few weeks and months getting to know North Leatherhead and having lots of conversations with local residents and community groups. Please look out for her in the café and say hello!

We're starting the Chatty Café scheme on Friday 3 November. 

The 'Chatter and Natter' table is a wonderful way of encouraging people of all ages to talk to others. It creates a space for people to talk for five minutes or for an hour of good conversation.

Come along and grab a coffee in the Old Schoolhouse Café and have a chat with one of our volunteers between 11:30am and 12:30pm every Friday. 

Having a chat can brighten someone's day!

Would you like to help us improve our website? 

We're looking for your feedback so we can make some improvements to the site. 

We want to make sure that our website has everything you need to know about LCH from who we are and what we do to how to participate in our activities.

Please take a couple of minutes to complete this short survey and tell us what you think.   

Rachel, our Café manager, is off to Australia to see her family and for a well-deserved holiday. We want to give our volunteers some time off as well, so we'll be closing on these Saturdays while she's away:

• 23 September

• 30 September

• 7 October

• 14 October

The Café will be open as usual Tuesday to Friday, 9-2 pm, serving delicious coffee, cakes, and the usual menu.

If you would like to volunteer at our Café or elsewhere at LCH, please get in touch at hello@lch.community. We're particularly looking for volunteers who can help out at least once a month on Saturdays.

We are looking for a friendly and approachable person who is good at listening to, motivating and developing others.

The new Community Development Worker will work with residents to bring about positive change for North Leatherhead by developing local leaders, stimulating community-led activity and facilitating residents' engagement in decisions affecting the community.

This is a new role, which is initially funded for two years by Mole Valley District Council and LCH. See the full Job Description.

If you would like to apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (of no more than 600 words), explaining why you would like this role and how you meet the job requirements to: hello@lch.community

Closing date: 13 October 2023 

LCH ran a free Soft Play Zone in the Main Hall for under 5s and their parents on four separate days over the summer holidays. 

Funding from MVDC allowed us to hire lots of equipment and toys including a ball pit, rollercoaster, didicars, giant lego blocks, slides and soft play sets. 

There were plenty of opportunities to play, learn and explore!

We were very grateful to have the support of the team from Liquona, a video production company based in Leatherhead. They worked relentlessly on the outside of the building: washing and painting walls, pulling up brambles, planting wheelbarrows, and digging up hard ground to try to rescue a tree. The power tools came out and a lot of old metal and wire fencing went in the skip! 

Thank you, Liquona - you made a huge difference to us that day, as we continue to make all the spaces at the Hub as useful and beautiful as they can be.

We had a great time at our Summer BBQ on Saturday 15 July. Even the weather couldn't dampen the spirits of our amazing community!

The New Malden Ukulele Giants had us all singing and dancing along (including to a hopeful Sunny Afternoon!) while the café served amazing cakes and drinks and the BBQ kept us well fed with mouth watering burgers and sausages. The 40 raffle prizes which ranged from vouchers to cuddly toys via champagne, toiletries and many more were very welcome. 

Many thanks to everyone for coming, and to all our volunteers and supporters for making it happen.

At LCH, we want to create a safe and welcoming space for the North Leatherhead community. A year after opening, we asked people visiting the Old Schoolhouse Café what they thought.

All of our customers like the look and feel of the place and think that there is a strong sense of community. Practically all find the staff and volunteers friendly, believe it is affordable for them and their family, and think there is a good choice of food and drink. Nearly half visit the café more than once a week with 70% of our customers living in the local KT22 postcode so we are really supporting the local community.

Thank you to all our wonderful customers who completed the survey, and to Luca and Chloe for designing the infographic posters. See what we found out.

A huge welcome to our new Caretaker/Assistant Manager, Ben. You'll be seeing him around LCH helping with maintenance, as well as liaising with hirers and contractors. Ben's appointment has been made possible by a grant from The National Lottery, so a huge thank you to them for this much needed addition to our team.

We are also looking forward to appointing a Community Development Worker in the Autumn, with the help of another generous grant from Mole Valley District Council. Watch this space!

We believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Therefore, LCH is now an accredited Living Wage Employer. 

This means that every member of staff working for us will earn a real Living Wage. This is higher than the government's National Living Wage and an independently calculated hourly rate based on the actual cost of living. 

Find out more about the Living Wage at www.livingwage.org.uk.

A special mention to Simon Littlefield and his team from the local NHS Trust who did the Conqueror Lands End to John O'Groats virtual challenge. They cycled the equivalent of 1,084 miles to raise £650 for our Pay it Forward scheme. £5 buys a free lunch for someone under the scheme.

Tom, Claire and Rachel ran 10K in May, eventually raising over £2,500 to help us put on more events for the local community. A huge thank you to the runners (and fundraisers) from Nationwide Building Society and Toyota, and to the Rotary Club of Leatherhead for organising the run and encouraging us to take part! 

We are looking for a hard-working, honest, dependable, self-motivated, and friendly person to help with the smooth running of the building and facilities at the Leatherhead Community Hub.

Reporting to our Centre Manager, Rob, the new caretaker/Assistant Manager will provide an on-site presence throughout the week, which will include liaising with hirers and contractors, security and general maintenance.

This is a new role, which is being funded for the first three years by The National Lottery Community Fund. See a fuller Job Description.

If you would like to apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (of no more than 600 words), explaining why you would like this role and how you meet the job requirements to: hello@lch.community

Closing date: 5 May 2023 

Dear Wonderful Supporters

We want to say a huge thank you for your support, interest and involvement in the Leatherhead Community Hub!  It has been a whirlwind first year since the Open Day on March 12 2022. The Old Schoolhouse Cafe has far exceeded expectations and is loved and appreciated by so many. It has become an important part of life for many in North Leatherhead and the surrounding area, giving opportunities to volunteer, and a safe space to meet up with friends and find such a warm welcome from Rachel and her amazing team of volunteers.

We have been able to host some fantastic community events and started a series of monthly community events to appeal to people of all ages, including the Family Feast, movie nights, afternoon teas for older members of our community, and soft play for under fives.

We estimate that we are receive at least 2,500 visitors a month to LCH to take part in these different activities, use vital services, or come to the Cafe. And, we regularly hear stories of how the Hub has enabled individuals to make friends, regain confidence, and offer opportunities to learn new skills. This is what LCH is all about.

We are thrilled that our Partners - the Foodbank, Community Fridge, The Hive, Citizens Advice Mole Valley, Gathering Church, All Saints Preschool, The Molebridge Practice, and Links 2030 - are doing such an incredible job, using the space to support the local community. It is so rewarding to see partnerships developing with great ideas and initiatives, such as the weekly Advice Cafe on Thursdays. We feel privileged to be working together with such great organisations to strengthen the local community. 

Thank you again for all your support and generosity that has helped make this possible, as we look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Since opening in March. we have now welcomed over 10,000 people to the Hub to chill out at the Old Schoolhouse Café, be creative in The Hive, visit the Community Fridge or Foodbank, and join in one of the many other activities and events going on at The Hub.

We organised a Community BBQ in August and held a Bright & Light Party for the children at the end of October. Our next big event is our Christmas Party on Saturday 10 December, with food, entertainment and children's presents from Santa's grotto.

We are also running free movie night and community meals from November, using the café space to offer a warm and welcoming space for the local community, especially who are struggling with rising energy bills.

Please pop in to our friendly community café, which is open every Tuesday-Saturday from 9am-2pm, and find out what else is going on at the Hub.

In October, we had a team of 14 volunteers from Just Group and Leatherhead Rotary, helping out in the garden. They worked hard to plant bulbs, lay mulch, and clear the bin area and debris around the car park. All this was done in good spirit despite the bad weather.

In their words: "Thank you so much for hosting us. There is huge satisfaction in the team about what we achieved."

It has been so encouraging to meet representatives from local businesses to share the story of the Hub so far, and we look forward to developing mutually beneficial partnerships. Once again, we are so grateful for the support offered.

Following the Open Day earlier in the year, LCH's first community BBQ in August was a fantastic success. The Hive was set up as a creative market selling all kinds of wonderful arts and crafts, the café was open serving amazing cakes and drinks and the smell of the burgers and sausages was irrestible.

It was such a pleasure to have the band Phoenix playing in the Courtyard. They last played at this venue when it was a social club a few years ago, and they helped create a wonderful atmosphere, ending with a joyful rendition of Sweet Caroline. 

So many raffle prizes were donated and we are as ever so grateful for all those who helped make the day the success it was. The donations from Tesco and B&Q was very much appreciated.

In the first week of August, we were joined by a team of 50 volunteers from Toyota and Nationwide, who helped re-decorate the main hall at the Hub. This is used by the Pre-School during the week and hired out by local residents and community groups in the evening and at weekends. Helen, who came along with her husband to help, loved it so much that she is now volunteering at the Cafe. 

A big thank you to everyone who have their time and energy, helping to transform this space from a tired-looking dark blue to a light Aloe green and misty grey (chosen by the Pre-School staff to create a calming atmosphere for the children.)

Thank you also to the Leatherhead branch of Brewers, who donated over 50 litres of paint!

We are excited to announce the opening of our new cafe. Come and enjoy great coffee, home-made cakes, paninis, baked potatoes, and more - all at reasonable prices. Everyone is welcome.

Opening times are: Tuesday to Saturday 9am-2pm.

We look forward to seeing you.

It was wonderful to see LCH crammed full on 12 March for the official opening of the building. We estimate that between 300 and 400 people came through the Hub, meeting neighbours, finding out about our partner organisations, engaging with the arts project and children's activities, and enjoying the live music at the end - thank you to Kat and the band!

The weather was gorgeous, which really helped as people were able to spill out into the courtyard and garden and relax with friends. Greg and his team did an incredible job catering for the event, whilst Mandy and the All Saints Pre-School team were wonderful in keeping the children entertained in the main hall. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard.

Seeing so many people there was beyond our expectations, and it was exciting to see the potential of the new centre. People contributed some great ideas for future community activities, and we look forward to working together to make these happen.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Cafe Manager, Rachel Mayhew (nee Hopper). She will be spending the next few weeks talking to local residents, meeting with volunteers, and preparing for the opening of the cafe on April 19th. If you catch her tasting coffee and sampling other cafes in the area, that is all part of the job!

Rachel is an enthusiastic and community-oriented person, with a passion for drinking coffee and making people feel welcomed and accepted. In her previous roles at Costa, as a youth worker (at The Bridge) and most recently at a local charity shop, she particularly enjoyed getting to know people and seeing them grow and develop, which is at the heart of LCH's mission.

All Saints Pre-School is expanding its provision for young families in the area, using the Cafe Area at LCH to set up a new parent and toddler group, The Hummingbirds Toddler Group.

The group will meet on Mondays from 9:30-11am from April 25th, working in partnership with Home-Start and Citizens Advice Mole Valley to provide families with support and guidance in a safe environment. The Hummingbirds will enjoy a variety of craft and other activities, and opportunities to socialise with their peer group, something that has been severely lacking during the pandemic and since the closure of the children's centre on Aperdele Road.

The Pre-School is looking to hire additional practitioners to join their friendly and welcoming team to support children with additional needs. Ideally, candidates would have a Level 3 qualification in early years and experience working with children with additional needs. Please email info@allsaintslh.co.uk for further details.

On Tuesday 28 September, Mole Valley District Council’s Cabinet approved the proposal, introduced by Cllr Keira Vyvyan-Robinson (left with Tom Sefton), to lease the whole of the NLCC building to Leatherhead Community Hub for up to 25 years. This is great news for LCH and means that we can invest in the building for the long-term for the benefit of the community. 

Speaking in support of the proposal, Cllr Bridget Kendrick thanked the community for working tirelessly to get to this point, and said 'I fully support this and look forward to seeing the Community Hub flourish and delivering the services that North Leatherhead so desperately needs and that we have been fighting for for such a long time.' 

Attention recently has been focused on the garden at the back of the Hub with a band of hard working volunteers literally getting stuck into the landscaping over a very busy weekend.

Access to a beautiful well-being garden and outdoor space for community gatherings and celebration is one of our key priorities and we're impatient to get the area developed as soon as possible. Generous support from local businesses has provided us with landscaping and plants.

Our Crowdfunder campaign officially closed in the middle of last month and, with a number of off-line donations also received and including Gift Aid, we're delighted to announce that we have received just over £90,000 to support our work for the North Leatherhead community.

When we originally set our ambitious target to raise the money for both our major building works and the employment of a Cafe & Events Manager, we scarcely believed that we would be able to achieve it. However, the generosity of the people of Leatherhead and the surrounding area has been astonishing and we are grateful to each and every person who contributed.

Judy did it!

June 2021

We were delighted to welcome Judy Mason to LCH on 2 June when she completed her sponsored walk in support of our fundraising campaign.

As someone who has enjoyed the benefits of visiting The Hive in the past, she was determined to celebrate the delivery of her new walker by making the one mile journey from her home in central Leatherhead to LCH on what was the hottest day of the year.

She raised over £2,000 and was met with a delighted (socially-distanced) party when she arrived.