A successful completion of a £1m re-build project at the Cardinal Hume Centre (CSAN member charity) was marked by celebrations on 28 February 2019. Rt Rev Nicholas Hudson, Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Westminster, and one of the Centre’s trustees, blessed the Centre. People supported at the Centre described to guests how engagement with its services has transformed their lives.
The celebration took place in the Centre’s brand new ‘hub’, designed to be an attractive, accessible and welcoming space which brings service teams closer to each other and the people they serve. The re-designed building aims to reflect a Benedictine ethos of welcome, sanctuary and support which was so important to the Centre’s founder, Cardinal Basil Hume, and underpins the vital work of the charity to this day. Improvements include: a new welcome and assessment centre; a more attractive family area; working spaces for housing, welfare rights and immigration advice teams; extra interview rooms; an upgraded play space for children and families; and enhanced and extended training facilities.
Bishop Hudson said, “I’m very proud to see the Cardinal Hume Centre make this statement – in bricks and mortar – of our belief in the importance of everyone whose life has been and is being turned around by the charity. I know Cardinal Hume would have felt the same. I know he would be so proud to see what the Cardinal Hume Centre has become; so proud of everyone who works here for continuing this work.”
Mags Tierney, Director of Fundraising at the Centre, said: “When we set out on this project, we wanted to ensure that our new space would reflect the Benedictine ethos that underpins all that we do. I’m delighted that we’ve achieved this. Today is a fantastic opportunity to say an enormous thank you to our supporters and to show them that, because of this wonderful new space, we are even better equipped to continue our vital work well into the future.”
Sources – Cardinal Hume Centre; photo – Marcin Mazur, catholicnews.org.uk source
