In June 2019 the Elephant and Castle Community Hub opened in the shopping centre, offering a popular and well-attended range of fitness and wellbeing classes, arts and crafts workshops running 5 days per week.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, a virtual Community Hub was launched in March 2020, taking the physical classes and community support initiatives online. The virtual Hub provides everything from arts and crafts classes and baby music sessions, to online quizzes and a weekly community choir practise. Since March 2020 there has been over 9.5k visitors to the hub, with over 14000 views.
9500
Up to 9500 people visiting the virtual community hub since March 2020
14000
14000+ views on the virtual community hub since its launch in March 2020
“It has an amazing impact. Amazing positive impact, especially now! When we cannot meet. We cannot see each other in person and be a community in that sense. What happens is, the Community Hub is a platform, a place where people can. Even though it’s virtual, they can meet and do something that they are all passionate about.”
Paulina Knapik, Community Hub Choir Director commenting on the Virtual Hub
“It’s been a godsend to the community, it’s really great. Because every day there is a different activity going on.”
Lee Kempster, Community Member
“It brings inclusion, no discrimination. So it’s including old, young, people of different ethnicities, disabilities. It brings together a community. Definitely, no matter what language you speak. Especially with dance, everyone knows how to dance. That’s a language that everyone can interact with.”
Mo Oriogun, Community Member
If interested in joining in the fun, you can find us at
or on Facebook @whatsonatelephant
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Our latest edition particularly focuses on life as we emerge out of lockdown, including stories from traders in Castle Square, Elephant Arcade and Ash Avenue as well as interviews with local lockdown heroes.
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