The Social Action Hub 2
About the project
What does this community space/venue do?
The Social Action Hub in Rainworth is a long-established local charity focused on improving life chances and supporting the community, particularly children, young people, families and vulnerable adults. Originally formed in 1993 as a detached youth project, it has grown into a thriving community hub offering a wide range of services including weekly youth clubs, holiday playschemes, one-to-one support, mentoring and mental health help, as well as volunteering and work-experience opportunities. The Hub also tackles food poverty and isolation through initiatives such as a social supermarket, which allows local people on low incomes to access affordable, nutritious food in a dignified, choice-based way while also offering advice and signposting to additional support, alongside emergency food parcels and a youth community fridge. In addition, it provides community learning, courses and social events to help people develop skills, connect with others and feel supported.
What is VIY doing?
(VIY) will undertake a full garden transformation at the new Social Supermarket venue in Rainworth, converting a previously disused and overgrown, uneven outdoor space into an attractive and accessible wildflower garden. The garden will form part of a grow-to-sell scheme, where food and herbs are grown on site and then sold within the social supermarket, helping to promote sustainability, local food production and environmental awareness. New planters will be constructed, alongside the build of a new decking area with a sheltered roof.
In addition, VIY will work to improve the wider appearance of the site by renovating the underpass and the front of the building, installing new planters, refreshing existing paintwork and exploring the creation of a floral or wildlife-themed mural or artwork to make the space more welcoming and visually engaging for the community.
What will be the impact of our project?
This project will have a wide-ranging positive impact on the Rainworth community by transforming an underused and neglected space into a welcoming, functional and environmentally sustainable community asset. By delivering the garden transformation and site improvements, Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) will help create a safer, greener and more attractive environment that local residents can take pride in, improving the overall look and feel of the area and encouraging greater community engagement with the Social Supermarket.
The grow-to-sell garden will increase access to affordable, locally grown food and herbs, directly supporting people experiencing food insecurity while promoting sustainability, healthy eating and environmental awareness. Income generated through produce sales will help strengthen the long-term viability of the Social Supermarket, ensuring continued support for vulnerable households.
The creation of new planters, a decking area with sheltered roof, and improvements to the underpass and building frontage will provide an inclusive space for learning, volunteering and social interaction. The project will also offer hands-on skills development opportunities for young people and volunteers, building confidence, employability skills and a sense of ownership within the community. Overall, the project will reduce isolation, enhance wellbeing and foster stronger connections between people, place and purpose.
The grow-to-sell garden will increase access to affordable, locally grown food and herbs, directly supporting people experiencing food insecurity while promoting sustainability, healthy eating and environmental awareness. Income generated through produce sales will help strengthen the long-term viability of the Social Supermarket, ensuring continued support for vulnerable households.
The creation of new planters, a decking area with sheltered roof, and improvements to the underpass and building frontage will provide an inclusive space for learning, volunteering and social interaction. The project will also offer hands-on skills development opportunities for young people and volunteers, building confidence, employability skills and a sense of ownership within the community. Overall, the project will reduce isolation, enhance wellbeing and foster stronger connections between people, place and purpose.
Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com
