Darwen Community Helpers

16/10/2026

🚨 CAN OUR COMMUNITY HELP? 🚨

We are looking for a buggy suitable for a 3-year-old child to help a family in need.

If anyone has one they no longer use and would be happy to donate, please get in touch with us at Darwen Community Helpers (DCH).

It would be greatly appreciated and would make a real difference to this family. ❤️

Thank you, as always, for your kindness and support. ❤️

16/10/2026

💚 EXCITING CHANGES AT DARWEN COMMUNITY HELPERS! 💚

From Monday 19th October, we’ll be reopening the doors of our former children’s store on Bridge Street, with a slightly different purpose!

We’re expanding what we already offer at DCH, making better use of the space and giving our community even more choice. 💚

🛍️ What can you expect?

👕 Adults’ clothing

🧸 A smaller children’s section

🏡 A variety of other affordable items

All at exactly the same prices as our existing DCH shop!

We’ll be developing the space gradually over the coming weeks, so please bear with us while we get everything organised.

🏠 AFFORDABLE ROOMS FOR HIRE

We also have rooms available for hire, suitable for classes, workshops, small businesses, community groups and more!

Whether you’re looking for occasional use or something more regular, please get in touch.

Our existing Community Hub will continue operating as normal, with all our usual activities and support services.

💚 Same DCH, same affordable prices, just a little more space to do what we do best!

We look forward to welcoming you from Monday!

A quick update: The fire surround we previously advertised for free is no longer available, as we’ll now be using it as part of our window display. 💚

Please help us spread the word! 🥰

15/10/2026

🎂❤️ 5 YEARS OF DARWEN COMMUNITY HELPERS! ❤️🎂

Five years ago yesterday, I founded Darwen Community Helpers as a small community group, never imagining just how far we would come!

What started with a simple vision of helping others has grown into an established Community Interest Company (CIC), supporting people across our community in so many different ways.

The journey hasn’t always been easy. There have been challenges, sacrifices, incredible achievements and plenty of lessons along the way, but every step has been part of our story.

Today, we celebrated this special milestone with some of our wonderful volunteers, and what better way to mark five years than with the people who help make DCH what it is today! ❤️🎂

Unfortunately, not all of our team could be with us today, but they were certainly in our thoughts, and don’t worry, nobody will be missing out on cake! 🍰🥰

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and grateful to everyone who has played a part in our journey, past and present.

From a small community group to the organisation we are today. Five years of making a difference, and we’re not finished yet! ❤️

Here’s to the next chapter and many more years of supporting our wonderful community! 🥳

12/10/2026

We still have some furniture available FREE of charge! 🛋️

If you or someone you know could make good use of it, please get in touch with us. We’d love to see it go to someone who needs it! ❤️

12/10/2026

🌞 Good Morning, Everyone! 💛

Happy Monday from all of us at Darwen Community Helpers! 😊

Just a little reminder that Age UK will be joining us at our Community Hub this afternoon from 1pm–3pm.❤️

👕 We’re also still on the lookout for clothes rails!

If anyone has any clothes rails they no longer need and would be happy to donate to DCH, we would be incredibly grateful. Every little bit of support makes a difference! 🥰

Thank you, as always, to our wonderful community for your continued kindness and support.

Have a lovely Monday, everyone! 💛

11/10/2026

Good morning everyone! ❤️

We are wondering if anybody in our lovely community has any clothes rails that they no longer need or are thinking of getting rid of?

We are looking for some for our community store at Darwen Community Helpers CIC and would be incredibly grateful for any donations.

If you have any going spare, please drop us a message.

Thank you so much for your continued support! ❤️

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

✨ COMPLETE SUBLIMATION SETUP FOR SALE – £800 ✨

Selling my entire sublimation setup as one bundle.

I spent well over £1,000 putting all of this together, with the intention of getting properly into sublimation, but I’ve simply never had the time to use it.

The majority of what you see is brand new and unused. The tumbler press has literally only been used three times.

There is a huge amount included, including:

• Epson XP-2200 sublimation printer
• Large HTVRONT heat press
• HTVRONT tumbler press
• Hat/cap press
• Binding machine
• 36 brand new individually boxed sublimation mugs
• Sublimation tumblers
• Sublimation paper
• Transfer vinyl
• Heat resistant tape
• Various accessories and supplies
• Plus everything else pictured

I paid over £700 for a large part of the equipment alone, before purchasing the printer and adding all the extra stock, mugs and supplies.

I’m asking £800 for absolutely everything.

For somebody who’s been thinking about starting sublimation, personalisation or even a little side business, this saves having to build a setup from scratch. You could pretty much take this away and get started.

I’m not looking to split it at the moment because I’d much rather see the whole setup go to somebody who will actually use it.

£800 – collection from Darwen.

Genuine enquiries welcome. ❤️

10/10/2026

💚 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2026 💚

Today, I want to talk about something that I think we sometimes forget when discussing mental health.

Life doesn’t stop just because you’re struggling.

The bills still need paying. The children still need looking after. Work still needs doing. People still need you, responsibilities don’t disappear, and the world carries on regardless of how you’re feeling inside.

And sometimes, that can be incredibly overwhelming.

We live in a world where we’re constantly encouraged to be strong, stay positive, keep busy and push through whatever life throws at us.

But what happens when you’ve been strong for too long?

What happens when the person everyone turns to for support is the one who needs supporting?

What happens when simply getting through another day feels like an achievement in itself?

I think we need to change the way we look at mental health.

It’s not always about reaching crisis point. It’s about recognising when life is becoming too much, understanding our own limitations and learning that we don’t have to carry everything on our shoulders.

It’s about giving ourselves permission to rest without feeling guilty.

It’s about recognising that healing isn’t always a straightforward journey. There will be good days, difficult days, setbacks and moments of progress that nobody else will ever see.

And it’s about understanding that someone can be doing incredibly well in one area of their life while struggling desperately in another.

As a community, we have a responsibility to look beyond appearances, to show compassion and to create spaces where people feel comfortable being themselves, even on their difficult days.

Here at Darwen Community Helpers, we believe community support goes far beyond providing practical help. It’s about human connection, belonging and reminding people that they are valued.

Today isn’t about finding the perfect words or sharing the perfect quote.

It’s about recognising that mental health is part of everyday life, and the conversations, understanding and support shouldn’t end when World Mental Health Day is over.

And perhaps one of the most important things we can learn is that looking after ourselves is just as important as looking after everyone else. 💚

10/10/2026

📢 Community Clean-Up Update

Hi everyone! 👋

Unfortunately, the community clean-up around Shorey Bank, which we were due to take part in tomorrow, has been cancelled due to a shortage of litter grabbers.

It’s a shame, as we were really looking forward to getting involved and doing our bit for the local community.

Hopefully, we’ll have another opportunity to take part in a future clean-up! 💚

A big thank you to all our wonderful DCH volunteers who had offered their time to help. Your willingness to get involved and make a difference is always appreciated! ❤️