Romsey Superbook to be replaced by Casbrook Home Care community hub

Superbook, in The Hundred, closed for the final time on Sunday, June 18. But the bookshop won’t be empty for long with Casbrook Home Care getting the keys for the unit on Friday, June 23.

The Romsey care company, which has been serving the community for 15 years, will be relocating from down the road at number 74 to 20a after purchasing the unit outright.

Casbrook Home Care's current base (Image: Adele Bouchard)Company owner David Betteridge plans to reinvent the space as a community hub and health clinic to provide social groups, activities and resources to vulnerable people and their carers in the area.

READ MORE: Final days before Romsey bookshop Superbook closes for good

Mr Betteridge, who also owns Casbrook Property Management, said: “It’s a really big, long shop and that’s why I’m planning to do so many things.

“We’d like to get involved with surgeries and help them ease their waiting lists with our health clinic – providing services such as a mini-MOT with blood pressure readings, diabetes checks and BMI tests as well as hopefully blood tests and flu jabs in the future.

“We don’t have a day centre in Romsey any more and is so expensive in Romsey just to go out and have a coffee – some old people can’t afford it. From my experience with the elderly, some are really quite house bound and lonely. This will provide a place where they can pop in, try some crafts or gardening and get help with forms and IT.

Casbrook Home Care team (Image: David Betteridge)

“I hope local charities and business will help out. It would be great to get some cakes from bakeries and someone like a retired hairdresser who’d be willing to give up their time for free. There’s a lot of nice people in Romsey who are willing to give and old people are our bread and butter here.

“I hate seeing empty shops and I’m hoping people will be positive about us moving there. We’re not a retailers but we want people to treat it as a community centre. It least its not an empty shop or another coffee shop, charity shop or an estate agent as people would say.

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Romsey Superbook (Image: Adele Bouchard)

“Peter Bell (who owned Superbrook) is definitely happy with us taking over. It’s been really hard for him but we get on really well. He’s been great, he’s going to leave any of the books they weren’t able to sell so we can make a little book club and a library.”

The care company owner also hopes to utilise the courtyard at the back as a community garden. Mr Betteridge anticipates around £30,000 to £40,000 will be needed to make the space fit for purpose.

The Hub will operate as a free drop in service with social groups such as hobby craft afternoons, technology tuition and regular talks from charities including Dementia and Parkinson's UK each week.

Casbrook staff will continue to work from 74 The Hundred until the new unit is ready, with the plan of opening around early August.