For some villages, the local café is simply somewhere to grab a coffee. In Fernhurst, it has become something far more powerful — a lifeline connecting generations.

From dementia sufferers and widows to young families and teenagers volunteering for Duke of Edinburgh awards, Fernhurst Hub now welcomes hundreds of people through its doors each week for everything from coffee mornings and language lessons to craft clubs, NHS health checks and support groups.

Residents say the volunteer-run café has evolved into far more than somewhere to buy tea and cake — becoming the social heartbeat of the village.

Helen Souster, whose parents John and Margaret both live with dementia, said the Hub gave her family reassurance and routine.

“They call me if they haven’t seen Mum or Dad for a while,” she said. “Everyone goes over and above. It gives them purpose, somewhere they feel welcome and loved. I genuinely don’t know what they’d do without it.”

Rev Liz Yonge described the Hub as “a real light at the centre of the community, where people can find friendship, fun and always a very warm welcome”.

For Jon and Felicity Beddard, who moved to the UK 18 months ago without knowing anyone locally, the café quickly became their gateway into village life.

“We came in just to get a cup of coffee,” said Jon, 82. “But we found it incredibly welcoming. We got to know everyone and there is always somebody here to help. Moving to a new area would have been so much harder without this place.”

The Hub’s packed calendar reflects just how deeply woven it has become into village life. Weekly activities include knit-and-natter sessions, walking groups, board game afternoons, children’s music classes and carers’ groups, while around 100 people attend French, Spanish and Italian lessons there every week.

The venue has also partnered with Sussex Police and the NHS to host community support sessions, including meet-and-greets with local PCSO Nathan Ford and free health checks for residents aged 40 to 74.

Part-time Hub manager Liz Rowlings, 61, said the café has become “a space for everyone”.

“It’s amazing to see what an impact it has on so many people’s lives,” she said. “Everybody who comes here feels it’s a very special place. I truly believe it should be the blueprint for every village.”

For some regulars, the Hub has carried them through bereavement, isolation and illness.

Angela Parrott, 87, said the carers’ group became “a lifeline” while she looked after her late husband.

“Now he’s passed away, I still come along,” she said. “There’s always someone to talk to.”

Brian Rowlings, 92, joked that he visits most days “so my daughter-in-law can report back to my son that I’m still alive”.

Volunteer and language tutor Cecile Greener said: “You see people from all walks of life who might otherwise have been really lonely. This place is the heart of the village and has cracked the code on how to help people grow older without feeling isolated.”

Alongside its daily café service, the Hub organises Easter egg hunts, cream teas, repair cafés, exhibitions and photography competitions, drawing hundreds of villagers together throughout the year.

But for many residents, its greatest success is much simpler — ensuring nobody in Fernhurst feels alone.