The much-loved former Marine Training Centre is being reborn as Hengistbury Head Outdoors (HHO). Now in the final phase of renovation, the project is moving quickly towards reopening this spring, but the final push depends on continued community support.
A group of passionate local people stepped forward to save this precious place, securing a significant government grantfrom the Community Ownership Fund and a 99-year lease from the council. They formed Hengistbury Head Outdoors as a Community Benefit Society, meaning it is owned by the community, run for community benefit, and designed to serve future generations rather than private profit.
HHO will be a year-round wellbeing hub, reconnecting people to nature on land and on water. It will offer affordable, accessible activities for children, families and older people alike, from water sports and outdoor learning to wellbeing sessions and community gatherings, helping people move more, feel better and belong.
Not everyone in this beautiful area has equal access to nature or connection. Loneliness, poor mental health, inactivity and cost affect people of all ages and backgrounds. HHO exists to remove those barriers, but it can only do so with the continued backing of the community.
Crucially, any surplus HHO generated will be reinvested directly back into the hub, supporting inclusive programmes and environmental care.
Thanks to extraordinary local support, real progress has already been made. The centre is becoming a welcoming space, flooded with light and open to stunning views of land and water. Over 60 people have invested through community shares, alongside more than 1,000 community members and supporters who have already given money, time, skills, materials and encouragement.
To open fully this spring, further donations and community share investment are now urgently needed. Every contribution helps complete the renovation and ensures the centre can open its doors to everyone.
Before opening to the wider public, HHO is inviting the community to step inside and be part of its next chapter.
