Premises and Facilities

The Volunteer Centre is located at 33/35 Union Rd, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK22 3EL. The building is open from Monday to Friday during the periods 10am - 4pm.

Telephone lines (01663 744196 and Fax 746669) are normally manned during these hours, and an answer-phone is available for messages at other times.

The ground floor has wheelchair access, a spacious toilet fitted for use by disabled people, and a lift to the second and third levels. The main meeting room is at street level. It can hold up to 40, and has a loop-system for those with hearing loss.

At the rear is a kitchen fitted with an electric cooker, fridge-freezer and microwave oven. This overlooks a car park with space for 6 vehicles.

The second floor has offices for the Centre Manager, Groups Co-ordinator and a main office used by the Office Manager, Administration Assistant and volunteers. There is a room suitable for meetings of 8-10 people. A small room at the rear is used for consultations and interviews. This level also has toilets and a brew area. On the third floor there is a further office and a large storage area.

Directions

New Mills & District Volunteer Centre is situated centrally in Union Road.

By car from the A6, turn off at the traffic lights by the Swan Hotel, travel half a mile to a set of traffic lights at which Union Road is the left turning. Parking is available at the back of the Volunteer Centre off Torr Top Road, or free in Torr Top car park (turn down by the Co-op) for up to 2hrs.

By train to Newtown or Central stations, each within 5-10mins walk from the Volunteer Centre. By bus to the bus-park at the top of Union Road.

History of the Volunteer Centre

New Mills and District Volunteer Centre was launched in November 1983, being set up by the local Clergy Fraternal to help disadvantaged people in the community, on a purely voluntary basis. Mostly the help offered involved shopping and befriending elderly and house-bound locals.

A committee was set up to oversee the work of the Volunteer Centre, with Rev. Barker as Chairman and Mr Albert Lee as Treasurer. A paid Organiser was funded by the Manpower Services Commission in 1985.

In this initial period the work was undertaken from an office in New Mills Town Hall. From June 1987 the Centre moved to an upper floor at 80a Market Street - some will remember the steep stairs!

These independent premises enabled new groups to be established for the benefit of people who had become isolated. In November 1988 Barbara and Nigel Fisher were appointed as co-organisers, and the work of the Centre gradually expanded.

Under their direction the Centre obtained a major grant in 1992, through the Integration into a Rural Community (IRCOM) scheme, to help disadvantaged people become involved in socialising activities. This funded an IRCOM Co-ordinator and an Administrative Assistant at the Centre for three years, dedicated to re-integration work, with the involvement of volunteers.

In November 1993 the Centre moved to 41 Union Road. The extra space facilitated the organisation of group activities within the Centre. These have become a significant feature of our service to the community, distinguishing us from conventional Volunteer Bureaux.

Ten years later in November 2003 the Centre moved to the current custom-developed premises at 33/35 Union Road following receipt of a major Lottery Community Fund grant and several smaller grants from other organisations. This building has considerably more space and is fully accessible. It not only serves the needs of the Volunteer Centre but also allows a number of rooms to be available for hire to other local organisations.