Monthly Meetings

We meet at 2 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Congregational Church, Kilwardby St, Ashby.
There is normally a guest speaker or, in December, musical entertainment.
This is followed by tea, coffee and biscuits and a chance to meet and talk with other members.

Tea Rota and Reporting Groups

25th November - Megan McMenamin - 'Bright Hope House'

Megan came along to tell us all about Bright Hope House, but first she introduced their President Emeritus Stewart Shepherd to give us an overview of the charity's history. Stewart, it turned out, is Megan's granddad.

Stewart started out as a volunteer for Sue Ryder Home at Staunton Harold and when it closed down in 2002 he and several others decided to form Hospice Hope to try to help replace it in some way. They opened a support café in Legion House, Ashby. Ashby and Coalville Hospitals both had palliative care suites although much smaller than the 300 beds that Sue Ryder provided. Hospice Hope was able to fund an 'at home' team and community nurses. Eventually in 2017 they were able to open a day centre when a local doctor was moving to Madagascar and offered them her own home to use. When she returned, she moved upstairs in her own home to allow the day centre to continue downstairs! They realised that this could not continue and approached NW Leics District Council for help. The council offered some land in Swannington at a peppercorn rent and Bloor Homes generously offered to build and pay for the new centre. At this point Hospice Hope was renamed Bright Hope and Bright Hope House was born.

Megan now took over: The centre now offers a variety of services to those who need them including Day Care, Counselling, Support Cafes, Befriending, Way Back to Wellness, Complementary Therapy and Bereavement Support. They support 180 people each week helped by 180 volunteers.

In 2025 Bright Hope was awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service which is the MBE for volunteer groups.

Bright Hope is constantly fundraising for the public and through Corporate sponsors as it cost between £350 - £400,000 each year to maintain the wonderful services it provides to those in need.