Volunteers at the RSPCA shop in Rushden’s Newton Road are hoping a recent renovation project will bring the community together.

Inside, the space currently has provision for a range of services, including a sensory room, workspace, pet care services including a food bank, printing services and tea and coffee facilities, but volunteers at the shop are keen to evolve with the needs of the town.

The shop was partially renovated in January 2025 and in May this year re-opened with a fresh new look, which volunteers are now looking to capitalise on by asking the community how it can help improve social cohesion in the future, as well as ‘harness people’s talents’ within Rushden.

Tracey Smith, former mayor of Rushden and current volunteer at the RSPCA, said: "We will turn this place into anything the community wants.

Volunteers at the shop say they are hoping to 'open it up to as many people as we can'

placeholder image — Volunteers at the shop say they are hoping to 'open it up to as many people as we can'

“We’ve got to put the money where the community wants it, we need to think outside the box.

“There’s always a quiet space here, we want to open it up to as many people as we can.

“We’ve got a lot of retired people in Rushden who are bored stiff, they can come down and give advice.

“We want some ideas from the community on what they want. There isn’t a community centre anywhere.

RSPCA Northamptonshire Branch Community Welfare Hub in Newton Road, Rushden

“People are sick of not being able to get hold of the relevant places, there’s nowhere for people to go anymore. We’re here for the community, let’s get it used.”

The now-named RSPCA Northamptonshire Branch Community Welfare Hub is open weekdays from 10am until 2pm.

RSPCA Northamptonshire Branch is a separate charity from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and works to offer specialised support to pets, including also working with local vets for health treatment and vaccinations.

The locally-based charity is entirely responsible for raising its own funds, be it through charity shop sales, fundraising events, grants or public donations.

Ethan Hopkinson, business support manager for RSPCA Northamptonshire and former mayor of Irthlingborough, added: “Our objective when we changed the vision was that animal welfare isn’t a standalone issue, those who are struggling to feed their pets or pay their vet bills, there are normally other factors that affect that.

“We want to tackle the root cause of these issues rather than symptoms of the problem.”

The space will be used by Northants Police for local surgeries, as well as meetings of the youth council, with volunteers operating a flexible approach to opening hours to best fit the needs of the community long-term. Volunteers are also hoping to provide welfare checks for the homeless and a regular, pet-friendly warm room during the winter months.

The Rushden Neighbourhood Policing Team will host a drop-in session on Saturday, July 18 from 4pm until 5pm, where people will have the opportunity to meet raise and concerns or local issues.

More information about booking the space, and what it can offer can be found by emailing the shop at [email protected].