Stockport Connect Hub celebrates first anniversary with community relaunch
Published 21 October 2026
A year of supporting mental wellbeing, building friendships and creating new opportunities was celebrated as Making Space's Stockport Connect Hub marked its first anniversary with a special community relaunch event on Wednesday 14 October.
Held in glorious autumn sunshine, the event welcomed more than 50 people to the Hub at Progress House, Adswood Lane, including people accessing support, volunteers, colleagues and representatives from local organisations.
There was plenty for everyone to enjoy throughout the day, with fun football skills sessions, winter bulb planting and arts and crafts providing opportunities to get involved, try something new and connect with others. Guests also enjoyed a delicious buffet in Café Connect, with the glorious autumn sunshine adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
The event was an opportunity to showcase the Hub's achievements, introduce new people to the support available and, importantly, hear directly from those who use the service about how it can continue to develop.
Guests included members of Stockport's mental health and community network, with representatives from the British Red Cross, Healthwatch, Stockport Council's Neighbourhood Coordinators and FikaWelie joining the celebrations.
The event was an opportunity to showcase the Hub's achievements, introduce new people to the support available and, importantly, hear directly from those who use the service about how it can continue to develop.
A year of making a difference
Since Making Space took over delivery of Stockport's Mental Health Prevention and Enablement Service in 2025, the Hub has continued to grow as a welcoming community where people can find connection, purpose and support with their mental health recovery.
Supporting adults aged 18 and over who currently access, or have previously accessed, secondary mental health services, Stockport Connect Hub combines group activities and workshops with personalised one-to-one support, both at the Hub and through community outreach.
Over the past year, the service has achieved some impressive milestones:
- 420 referrals received
- 452 assessments completed
- 859 direct contacts recorded
- Over 850 volunteering hours contributed
- 21 active volunteers, up from eight
- An average of just 6.5 days from referral to initial triage
Behind these figures are people building confidence, making friends, learning new skills and taking positive steps towards greater independence.
Daryhl Lewis, Wellbeing Services Lead at Making Space, said:
Our first year at Stockport Connect Hub has been about so much more than providing mental health support. It's been about creating a community where people feel welcomed, valued and empowered to take positive steps in their recovery.
We're incredibly proud of what the team, volunteers and people accessing the service have achieved together. Seeing people grow in confidence, develop friendships and move from receiving support to helping others is particularly rewarding.
This first anniversary is a chance to celebrate those achievements, thank everyone who has contributed and look ahead to how we can continue making a difference across Stockport.
New opportunities, friendships and connections
Over the last year, Making Space has introduced several developments designed to help people improve their wellbeing, build independence and become more involved in their local community.
One of the biggest additions has been Café Connect, a welcoming community café providing a friendly place to meet, enjoy food and drink and make new connections. The café has also created eight volunteering opportunities, helping people develop practical skills, confidence and a sense of purpose.
The Hub has expanded its programme of activities to include neurodiversity sessions, Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) workshops, peer-led groups and football sessions.
The introduction of the No Limits group has given people accessing support the opportunity to organise their own social activities outside the service, helping to reduce isolation and build friendships that extend beyond the Hub.
Monthly Our Space meetings also bring colleagues and people accessing support together to share ideas and influence decisions about how the service develops.
Alongside these activities, the team has introduced new approaches to recovery planning, undertaken motivational interviewing training and continued improving referral pathways to help people access the right support as promptly as possible.
Partnership working has also been a key focus, strengthening connections with organisations including Stockport Open Door and the new Wellbeing Hub, Beacon Counselling, Castlewood Court and other local community services.
Having fun and shaping the future
The relaunch wasn't just about looking back. It was also an opportunity for people to have their say about what comes next.
One of the highlights was a giant Snakes and Ladders board, which brought a fun and creative approach to co-production.
As people played, they were encouraged to share their ideas about what they would like to see at the Hub and what would help them most.
More than 15 pieces of feedback were collected, providing valuable ideas to help shape future activities and improvements.
Ryan Worland, Stockport Connect Hub Service Manager, said:
It was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate the Hub, especially with the sunshine making it such a lovely day. We welcomed lots of familiar faces as well as people discovering the service for the first time.
The relaunch was a great opportunity to showcase everything we offer and celebrate how far we've come, but what made it particularly special was hearing directly from the people we support.
Our giant Snakes and Ladders game was a fun way to get everyone involved and gather ideas about what they'd like to see in the future. That feedback is really important because we want people to be at the heart of shaping their own service.
We're excited about what comes next and look forward to continuing to build on the friendships, partnerships and opportunities we've created over the past year.
Looking ahead
Building on its first-year achievements, Stockport Connect Hub is looking to strengthen community partnerships, develop more volunteering and employment opportunities, expand recovery-focused support and reach more people experiencing isolation.
The team will also continue working alongside people accessing the service to make sure their experiences, ideas and aspirations help shape its future.
Find out more about Stockport Connect Hub
Based at Progress House, 35A Adswood Lane, Stockport, SK2 6RE, the Hub is open Monday to Friday and offers group activities, workshops and one-to-one support.
Café Connect is open Monday to Friday, 10.30am -2.30pm, providing a welcoming space for people to meet and enjoy refreshments.
People can refer themselves or be referred by a professional.
- Telephone: 0161 429 9744
- Email: [email protected]
Find out more about Stockport Connect Hub and the support available here.
