BIG BROTHER contestant Sian Hamshaw cut the ribbon to officially open a charity’s new office.
Sian, 26, who starred in Big Brother in 2018, was on hand to welcome the charity HOPE to their new office based on Regent Street in the town centre.
HOPE (Helping Others Positively Engaged), is an organisation which helps individuals improve their quality of life.
They run a cooking course, healthy holiday workshops and a toddler group.
The founder, Peter Robertshaw, had been running the charity from home but wanted to provide a more proactive space for his volunteers, and began searching for an office.
“Our charity is solely run by volunteers and this office space will allow them to come and go as they please and allow us to work more productively,” said Peter.
“We opened in 2017 and our courses and toddler groups are a real success.
“This base will also allow us to become more established as we are in a professional environment.”
The charity plans to expand and offer job support, mental health support and a befriending service.
“The new office will allow us to move forward and grow. We are still recruiting for volunteers to help us with the classes and groups that we run and this office will be a fantastic base for our volunteers to meet and organise future activities,” added Peter.
Sian said: “The charity plays an important role for several families, especially those that may not know how to cook.
“Food is a big part of life and those who move into their own place and don’t have support will benefit from this charity as their classes teach basic cooking skills that you may not learn watching a YouTube video.”
