At Hollingdean Community Centre second Thursday of the month, 12.30 – 2.30pm
Thursday 12th March 2026, Healthy Eating / Diabetes
Thursday 9th April 2026, Women’s Health
Thursday 14th May 2026, Men’s Health
Thursday 11th June 2026, Ear, Eye, Oral
Thursday 9th July 2026
Thursday 13th August 2026
Thursday 10th September 2026
Thursday 8th October 2026
Thursday 12th November 2026
Thursday 10th December 2026
Community Support Hub Success Stories
VITAL SERVICES AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY – by Nicolette Fox
When Councillor Theresa Fowler visited the local Hollingdean Health Hub, she expected to show support and take a few photos for her constituents. What she didn’t anticipate was a routine health check would lead to a prompt diagnosis and effective treatment – all without stepping into a GP’s office.
“I’d had a high blood pressure reading about a year ago,” Councillor Fowler recalled. “My GP asked me to monitor it for ten days, and it eventually settled and seemed fine, so I probably wouldn’t have got around to having it checked again.”
But during her visit to the hub, she accepted an offer from the community pharmacist to test it again. The result was concerning. The pharmacist referred Councillor Fowler to a nearby chemist, which provided a free 24-hour monitor and confirmed she had high blood pressure and needed medication. The pharmacy then liaised directly with her GP, and within just days of her blood test at the hub she was taking the medication she needed.
“What an excellent service,” Councillor Fowler said and added. “From the initial check at the hub to the follow-up from the pharmacist, everything was straightforward and well-organised. The pharmacist even phoned me a few days later to see how I was getting on.”
Given the pressure on GPs surgeries, every few weeks, Hollingdean Community Centre becomes a busy and welcoming Community Support Hub, offering residents access to a growing range of services – from general advice to health consultations. The hub isn’t only a valuable community resource, it’s also a learning space for future health professionals, helping to expand services even further.
Councillor Fowler encourages local people take advantage of it: “If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, or simply curious, come along to the hub and meet the health team. It’s a friendly and accessible space where you can take charge of your health.”
The University of Brighton has been working with the hub to explore student practitioners to support this community service. Shelley Bradshaw is a lecturer in Nursing at the university:
“We are currently working on an initiative to support the Hollingdean Health Hub with our post graduate Specialist Community Practitioner masters’ students. We would use their valuable skills and expertise to bring health promotion to those who otherwise may not regularly access health services.”
Shelley added, “The aim is to support more accessible health promotion in a non-clinical environment; this initiative will hopefully benefit our local community as well as being an invaluable service development opportunity for our students.”
For more information and if there is anything you would like to see at these sessions please contact Shirley or Linda here.
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