Breaking news and exciting times ahead

Barnstaple residents have been given a fantastic news that a well-known nightclub has been turned into a healthy lives and minds centre for young and old.
The Worx has been bought by local charity Coastal Community Church, led by Mark and Andrea Rowan, with plans to help thousands of people across the area.

---

The new owners have an exciting vision to see a thriving community hub at the centre of Barnstaple. The plans include a café for the community, indoor skateboard park, courses on mental health, self-esteem, marriage, parenting and relationships, and more.
They are looking to restore this building back to its former glory, where it will once again become a striking landmark building, in the community, for the community.

---

The idea behind the Hub is to create a space which supports healthy minds, and healthy lives. There will be a strong emphasis on community for the young and the young at heart.
Andrea Rowan, former Clinical Psychologist, Rev’d and Senior Leader of CCC says,
“I have worked within the NHS for approximately 14 years and am aware of the vital work that these local services provide. I am also aware of the strain and pressure that these services are under.   With the recent rise in young people’s mental health problems, male suicide and the rise in childhood obesity, I am keen for the Hub to seek a preventative approach, with a specific emphasis on healthy minds and healthy lives”.

Our aim is to further enhance the thriving skate, surf and leisure culture that North Devon is famous for. We are looking to create a safe haven for young people and families to enjoy leisure time together.

To the front of the building we picture a light-filled cafe with street level access from The Strand.  The menu will be healthy, serving food and drinks to be enjoyed inside the cafe or outside in a seated area, with views looking out onto the River Taw. We will be looking to provide employment for local people.

As well as a cafe to the front of the building, we will be providing an indoor skateboarding facility for skateboarders and those who enjoy freestyle scootering. Skateboarding will be included in the 2020 Olympics for the first time, and we will be looking to offer lessons to those wanting to learn.

The Community Hub would seek to partner with other local agencies to further serve the community by providing a wide range of courses on issues such as relationships, parenting and marriage, money management, and mental health issues such as worry, anxiety and depression.

The Hub will also offer sessions to young people on current issues they face such as self-esteem, friendships, peer pressure, eating disorders, and handling social media.

Coastal Community Church will also use this building to provide church services where people can explore faith, find God, connect with others and discover their purpose.