A NEW community hub has opened at the site of former police station in Wrexham. 

Rachel Lloyd and Kim Sankey Jones, owners of Homestead Nursery in Gresford, purchased the old police station in the village before Covid, with plans to turn it into a nursery. 

Despite being granted planning permission for a change of use to a nursery, following several rejections and appeals, the pair revisited their plans and decided that they wanted to make it a space for the community to use and enjoy. 

Here's what it looked like before refurbishment...

Before the refurbishment

The business applied for UK Shared Prosperity funding to refurbish the building and were successful due to their plans to regenerate a disused building to benefit the community.

After months of hard work, the site has been transformed into a community hub, which will offer children's classes, coffee and cake mornings as well as rooms for private hire. 

With a focus on the importance of early years and the current mental health crisis, Rachel and Kim are wanting to provide a "warm and welcoming space for all the community to share". 

The pair said: "As former early years teacher and former midwife/health visitor, we have lots of professional knowledge and experience between us which is why we decided seven years ago to give up our careers and set up Homestead Nursery to put what we believe and love into practice. 

AFTER refurbishment...

After the refurbishment

"Having bought the police station before covid, having had lots of planning rejections, we were lucky enough to receive UK Shared Prosperity funding and we are so excited to finally be able to open our doors on our latest new venture. 

"Originally we had planned for this to be a children's nursery but this doesn't now make sense four years after buying it. From our experience at nursery we quickly identified a gap in our provision, recognising that parents want and need time and support to connect with each other, share experience and develop relationships and have a space to spend quality time with their children. 

MOST READ:

"The police station will focus on stay and play sessions passing on our knowledge, skills and experience to parents whilst playing and spending time with their children.

"Also encouraging parents, children and our wider community to spend time together during our coffee and cake club sessions in a lovely, welcoming, nurturing coffee shop space.

"We are hoping that this will foster a sense of community and support mental health and wellbeing for families and our local community by connecting in our space as we really do believe that we are better together. "

For more information about the community hub and its timetables, you can visit their website or Facebook page.