Sedgemoor Community Connector was formed in August 2025, but the directors behind it have been rooted in the Bridgwater community for much longer.

Before launching the CIC, I had worked as the Community Development Officer for the local council for three years. Lisa had previously worked in a local mental health service supporting men, and Kira has spent time in lived experience spaces giving back to her communities.

Collectively, we also bring lived experience of many of the challenges we see in our community — childhood poverty and neglect, domestic violence, mental health struggles, neurodivergence, care experience, providing unpaid care for loved ones, family bereavement and supporting those fleeing violence. Between us all, we wear at least one of those badges.

Sedgemoor Community Connector was created out of a recognised need in our town and a shared passion to create more opportunities, build equality and empower people to expect better things for themselves and their families.

Since launching, we have worked across Bridgwater delivering community drop-ins, peer-led group sessions and practical support for anyone who comes through our door. Where some may see struggle or hopelessness, we see resilience, strength and curiosity. Our role is simply to create spaces where people can come together, support one another and grow stronger as a community.

Over the winter months alone we have provided more than 300 hot meals, distributed over 50 warm bags, and served what sometimes feels like a million cups of tea. Along the way we have laughed, cried and celebrated small wins together with our community, sharing the ups and downs of everyday life.

Over the past six months we have also worked alongside a wide range of brilliant partners including SASP, Bridgwater Town Council, Abri Housing, LiveWest, Homes in Somerset, Village Agents, NHS Somerset and Public Health to help bring support directly into communities in places that feel welcoming and accessible.

From the beginning, our long-term vision was to open a community hub in the centre of Bridgwater — something we originally expected might happen around 2027. However, in January this year a wonderful and unexpected opportunity came our way that suddenly made this vision feel much closer.

Thanks to the generosity and belief of a local donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, we are now in a position to begin turning that dream into a reality.

We are incredibly excited to say that our hub, Bridgwater Community Hub, will soon have a home in the centre of Bridgwater — and now the real work begins.

Over the years we have learned that our community needs a space that is welcoming, warm and accessible. A place where people can find affordable food and drink, somewhere to sit and chat with others, with free access to the internet, books to read, activities to take part in, and where someone is always around to offer a helping hand when life feels a little overwhelming.

Our vision is to create an affordable “pay it forward” café, alongside an area focused on reuse and recycling where people can browse affordable preloved items. There will be a comfortable community space where people can meet, chat, seek advice, or use a shared computer to access the internet.

We already facilitate group work with members of the general community, neurodivergent adults and families, and the hub will allow us to bring this work together into one welcoming space that is central and accessible to everyone.

We believe that strong communities are built in simple everyday moments — over a cup of tea, a shared meal, a friendly conversation, or someone taking the time to listen when life feels difficult. Bridgwater Community Hub will be a place where those moments can happen every day, creating a space where people feel welcome, supported and part of something bigger than themselves.

Right now, what we have is an empty shell and a very limited budget.

What we need is help to transform the space into somewhere that truly works for the community.

To get the hub ready to open by early summer, we are appealing for support from local businesses and members of our community.

To get started we are looking for support with:

• A functioning kitchen

• Kitchen equipment

• Five dining tables and chairs

• Clothes rails for our preloved section

• Shelving

• A comfortable sofa for the community seating area

If you would like to help us bring Bridgwater Community Hub to life, you can support our project by donating through our fundraising page here:

Support us on GoFundMe

We are also incredibly grateful for donations of equipment, furniture or materials that could help us transform the space.

If you would prefer to donate directly, you can also support the project here:

Support us Through SumUp

Together we can create a welcoming space in the heart of Bridgwater where everyone feels they belong.