Edward Hain Memorial Centre celebrates launch weekend for new health centre
The hub in St Ives will offer services including medical and clinical sessions and wellbeing support
A St Ives Hospital, which was closed by the NHS, is officially launching as a re-opened health centre.
People are being invited to a celebratory open weekend at the new Edward Hain Memorial Centre from today (Saturday 9 September) and Sunday 10th.
The community in St Ives are celebrating having saved one of its iconic buildings, which has been bought for £1,020,000 from the NHS, with its future safeguarded.
Lynne Isaacs, chair of the new Edward Hain Centre said: "We hope the whole town will turn out to look around the centre and hear about what we have planned. We’ll be running various events over that weekend, too. Everyone is welcome!”
The former hospital’s League of Friends, formed in the 1960s, helped to raise funds for the hospital. When the NHS announced in late 2021 that they intended to sell the building, the Friends were determined to prevent its legacy from being lost to commercial development.
Last month, it was announced that one million pounds had been raised to save it - and bring 'vital health services' back to the community.
Kit Hain Grindstaff, Trustee and great granddaughter of Edward Hain, said: "The hospital served the town for almost 100 years before the NHS closed it. We were negotiating all of last year and raising money, doing all these fundraising events. The Friends had already got a large amount amassed over years of fundraising so we knew we could get the money to do it."
"We do still need the support of the local community because we need to pay off that mortgage, so we're hoping to continue to raise funds.
The services at the new centre will include medical and clinical sessions across all ages and needs, offered by providers with whom discussions are already underway. Many will be free at the point of delivery.
The aim is also to support people with conditions like Parkinson's, dementia, and other mental health challenges, as well as working with health-related groups and charities offering broader wellbeing and preventive services such as food quality awareness and yoga.
You can find more details on their website.