The Hub in Phase 3
Lockdown is being gradually eased and businesses are beginning to open their doors to the public again while trying to find the right balance between caution and economic recovery as well as emotional wellbeing.
As many of our customers know, we have been taking this health crisis very seriously, not least because we are speaking daily with members of our families, staff and friends in other countries and have decided to take it slowly to avoid unnecessary risks. At the Language Hub we believe in our duty to protect our staff as well as our customers, however, we are also very aware of the economic pressures the crisis has put on our business and, consequently, our staff.
So this is what we are doing…
Language Classes
Our classes will remain online for the time being. On our website, you will be able to find a range of adult learning conversation classes in several languages and levels. These can be booked online individually depending on your schedule. For our younger learners, we will continue to offer free sessions on Facebook Live in German, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russin, Polish and Swiss German. These include our Bounce & Rhyme and Storytime sessions.
Donations are welcome for these sessions.
If you are looking for an interactive session for your kids, especially over the summer holidays, have a look at our kids calendar.
Please keep in mind that the children’s schedule will change once they return to school in August.
We understand, that there are days when you are unable to squeeze in a Zoom session and that’s why we have decided to make these sessions available for booking on a weekly basis rather than in blocks.
As always, if you are interested in a class or language that you can’t find on our website, please get in touch and we will look into organising something. We also offer 1-to-1 as well as 2-to-1 classes for learners of Arabic, Mandarin, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, English, Japanese, Italian, which will take place online for the time being.
The Café Hub
While we really miss our guests and would love nothing more than have you all in for a cuppa, we are playing it safe and will be running the Café as a takeaway and Click & Collect for a while.
We have adapted our menu to include delicious sandwiches and salads for you to take on a picnic in your local park, or set you up for a relaxed weekend with delicious home-made cakes and snacks. On a dry day, you can sit at our tables just outside the Café.
The Café Hub is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 2pm, but as we are continually monitoring the situation and adjusting our times accordingly, please always check the website for updates.
The Library Hub
We understand that you could have done with a few books in this time, so Mirella and Michèle are working tirelessly on creating not only fully stocked shelves, but also a way for you to take out books and enjoy them at home.
In the meantime, we hope you are enjoying Storytime on Facebook Live. Don’t forget to let us know if we should give your wee ones a shout out when we’re online. You can let us know their names on our website. Just click on the tile with the session you plan to watch and insert your child’s name in the popup RSVP form. It will be our pleasure to put a personal touch to these sessions and it’s always wonderful for our teachers to know who is watching.
Community Shop
Do you want to practise our Bounce & Rhyme songs at home or are you looking for a quirky gift? Visit our online shop where you can buy CDs, toys and books in different languages? We will post them to you or you can pick them up from the Hub.
We will also be working together with local makers who can sell their items through our website. Kicking things off is Shiona with her beautiful hand-made fabric face coverings.
If you are a maker and would like to sell through our platform, please get in touch with us for further details.
Events
We may not be able to all meet at the Hub, but until we can, let’s meet online.
We are organising a special music event with the talented Glaswegian musician David Duffy on 22nd August from 5pm to 7pm. His golden voice is just what we need in times like these. So, plug your laptop, phone or tablet into your speakers or put on your headphones and sing and dance with us.
This event is a fundraiser for our library and a range of multi-lingual and intercultural community projects that will take place online and hopefully soon at our premises.
Virtual Open Day
Join us on 16th August 2020 from 12pm to 2pm for our Open Day. Children and adults will be able to attend free taster sessions in different languages and formats. This event will take place online, and the programme will be published at the end of July.
And finally…
We would like to thank all our customers for your patience and support and extend a special thanks to our staff who have adapted so quickly to new circumstances. We are confident that we will all get through this and can’t wait to see you all again soon at the Hub.
Andrea and Michèle.