Sports clubs are often at the heart of communities - and a club in Ledbury is set to do even more to help people and bring residents together.

Ledbury Rugby Club has become a Talk Community Hub, part of a network across Herefordshire that provides safe spaces for people to access wellbeing information.

The hubs also connect people to local services, groups and activities, as well as national resources that can help support people’s wellbeing and independence.

The rugby club will begin its work as a Talk Community Hub in earnest on Wednesday, January 5 with the launch of a weekly breakfast morning.

Taking place every Wednesday from 9am to 12.30pm, the mornings will be open to all members of the community. You can expect a warm welcome, plenty of space to stay and chat, meet friends, find out about what’s going on locally and connect with other people.

There will, of course, also be tea, coffee and breakfast baps available.

Loneliness and social isolation are a bigger problem than ever before, and Talk Community Hubs are a great way for people to come together safely and enjoy time with others. 

There are currently 34 Talk Community Hubs across Herefordshire including three in the Ledbury area.

Ledbury Methodist Church and Meeting Centre runs a drop-in service every Friday from 9am to 1pm. Anyone is welcome to stop by for a cup of tea and a slice of toast, or to use the church’s computer, printer and internet access for job searches and CV writing.

The church also runs the Ledbury Talkline, which offers help or just a friendly voice to talk to seven days a week from 9am to 9pm on 01531 598007.

There is also a Talk Community Hub based in Colwall, which has been running a virtual hub throughout the pandemic. You can access the hub by emailing rita.colwallparish@gmail.com and be connected to information and support available locally.