By Mal Butler
A Ryde centre, which has helped hundreds of people recover from addiction, is facing a grim future unless volunteers can raise £7,000 to pay its rent.
Ryde Hive CIC has been run by Sara Coombes since April 2025, and currently occupies three adjacent buildings in the High Street.
It is home to free workshops, support groups, and a thrift shop. As well as helping those with addictions, it supports the homeless and victims of domestic abuse, and also holds children’s and family activities.
Sara said: “It breaks my heart to see it like this. I was an addict for 25 years myself and I finally got help through a treatment programme.
“Around eight years ago, I was part of the Rob Hill Foundation, a charity, set-up by Chris Hill, the twin brother of Rob, who died after an Ecstasy overdose.
“But after he closed his clinic in 2024, he asked me if I wanted to branch out on my own and take a ‘trainer’s programme’, which I did, and set up Sara’s Solutions doing eight-week private addiction courses.
“However, I was getting so many requests from people who could not afford the courses, I began doing voluntary weekly workshops.
“These can help, and I have had people who have done the workshop and come out the other side, but it’s not enough for their needs.
“So we started to expand from one building and set up a charity shop next door. Local people have really backed us and we have been inundated with goods and essential items, many of which we give away for free to people who need our help.
“The charity shop is so successful, we took on another building as an overflow, but we want to turn that building into a community area which would include a cafe and, among other things, showers for the homeless.
“Our model would have three different aspects, Ryde Thrift Hive, Ryde Learning Hive and Ryde Community Hive, and we have applied for a government start-up grant, but we won’t find out if we have got that until December. We have also gone for a second separate grant, but been told that money comes from a different pot, and we have to wait on a decision there as well.
“Without some support, we face losing all we have built up. I don’t want our hard work to go to waste, but without the funding we fear for our future.
“I’m working voluntary day and night and feel I’m burning myself out. Our plan is do-able but it needs all three parts of the operation to be working in tandem and bringing in funds, and this isn’t happening at the moment.”
Ryde Hive has made a difference to so many people in the town, and beyond, with one of its clients, Tom, saying: “It is absolutely superb and helped me with my recovery and I am hopefully back onwards and upwards again. It’s such a great team and I enjoy coming to the recovery groups. It’s a great place to meet people and make new friends. Thank you.”
Isle of Wight Observer