The CARE Hub: our community space in Grimsby
The CARE Hub is a free drop-in community space at 86–88 Victoria Street in Grimsby, designed as a public living room for the town.
It is a place to sit, meet others, have a cup of tea and spend time in a calm and comfortable setting.
Our doors are open Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 14:00.
Anyone is welcome to drop in and you do not need an appointment or a reason to come.
If you would like advice or are facing a difficult situation, members of our Crisis Support Team are available:
Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00.
You can speak to someone on the day or arrange an appointment.
A building with history, serving a community in need
86-88 Victoria Street has been part of Grimsby for generations. Many local people have memories of using the building as a bank, meeting friends, and conducting everyday business there. Its closure in 2018 was felt across the community, and its subsequent decline into disrepair became a symbol of wider neglect in the town centre. CARE purchased the building in July 2023 and completed Phase One works in January 2026. The ground floor is now complete, with a public living room, reception area, private crisis support rooms, toilets, and a small kitchenette. Phase Two is underway to improve accessibility with a lift and central staircase. Phase Three will complete the upper floors to provide additional space for groups, activities, and partner organisations, so we can provide better services and reach more people.
“We see people every week who are at breaking point. They're dealing with homelessness, domestic violence, mental health crisis, debt - often all at once. Sometimes they've tried everywhere else and nothing has worked. We never want to turn anyone away. For seven years, 86-88 Victoria Street stood empty and falling apart. Now it’s more than a beautiful space. This space changes everything.”
- Anne Bickerstaffe, CEO of CARE
How beauty has the power to heal
We intentionally set out to create a generous, luxurious space that quietly invites humanity - a deliberate move away from the usual institutional feeling of these spaces. Often, spaces for people in crisis are designed to be practical and efficient, but they’re not always places where people feel comfortable or welcome. Neuroaesthetics research consistently links calm and visually harmonious environments with improved emotional regulation. When stress reduces, people regain access to empathy, memory, and reflection, enabling them to open up without being asked to. So, we made a conscious decision to do something different with The CARE Hub.
With the help of award-winning interior designer Scott Maddux and luxury furnishing donations from Morris & Co., we have created a space that feels calm, warm, dignified, and unexpectedly beautiful, because we believe it says to people they are worth it. Beauty is not an indulgence here, but a tool for safety, trust and human connection, already transforming how visitors feel and behave. Scott was keen to uphold a high standard of craftsmanship, using heritage materials that stand the test of time and promote a natural sense of wellbeing. The striking ‘Bird’ in ‘Webbs Blue’ design by William Morris, wallpapered across the ceiling in the public living room, is already stopping people in their tracks. An eclectic mix of vintage chairs and comfortable sofas are upholstered in iconic patterns such as ‘Artichoke’ velvet, and several colourways of ‘Honeysuckle’ and ‘Tulip’, with coordinating paint colours from Morris & Co. in all the rooms.
“You really have created a beautiful space that feels warm and caring. I couldn't agree more with your thoughts on the power of beautiful spaces and places where wonder can be found and connections naturally unfold.”
- Dr Louise Jarvis, Principal Community Educational Psychologist for North East Lincolnshire
Welcoming His Majesty King Charles III
We are honoured that His Majesty The King visited The CARE Hub on 11 June 2026. The King was welcomed into the public living room by our CEO, Anne Bickerstaffe, where His Majesty spent time sitting and talking with some of the people from our community who have been visiting the Hub for support since opening our doors in January. During a tour around the office, The King met our wonderful team of staff and volunteers, and we shared our renovation plans for the next phases of work at 86-88 Victoria Street, which will increase our capacity to help more people and host community activities.
When Anne Bickerstaffe asked His Majesty which wallpaper was his favourite, he chose ‘The Stumpery’ from the new Highgrove by Sanderson collection, created in partnership with The Kings Foundation. We will be including this design in our plans!
The King also met CARE’s founder, David Robinson, our trustees and the design team who helped to transform this former derelict bank building into such a welcoming and nurturing environment – Scott Maddux, interior designer, Lisa Montague, CEO, and Claire Vallis, Design Director, Sanderson Design Group, and Alex Smith, Architect.
To commemorate the visit, The King unveiled a plaque behind a curtain made from one of our favourite William Morris designs, before leaving for a walkabout outside. We designed our Hub with joy, dignity and beauty in mind - a place where people are treated with kindness and can begin to feel like themselves again. We are deeply grateful for this recognition from His Majesty The King to see the work for himself and hear about our future ambitions.
A heart-felt thank you
Our new community space has already seen a seven-fold increase in visitors, enabling us to build relationships and support around 60-70 people per day.
This first phase renovation of the building was made possible with support from:
- FCC Communities Foundation, Landfill Communities Fund
- East Coast Community Fund, on behalf of Ørsted
- Community Ownership Fund.
- North East Lincolnshire Activation and Community Engagement Fund
Wallpapers, fabrics and paints were donated by Morris & Co., part of the Sanderson Design Group, with interior design by Scott Maddux.
The next phases of the renovation are being generously supported by: Benefact Trust, Bernard Sunley Foundation, Bradbury Foundation Hong Kong, Clothworkers' Foundation, Edward Gostling Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Joseph Rank Trust, Key Fund, Laing Family Trusts, National Lottery Fund, Wolfson Foundation, 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust.
