CORONAVIRUS might have set the project back, but work is taking shape behind the scenes for the launch of The Hive's new venue.

Renovations will take place 'as soon as possible' at the former De Bees club, in Winsford, ready for a new community cinema, live music venue and community asset.

The Hive committee had hoped to have the new venue open in time for the summer before the pandemic struck.

But having secured significant grant funding before Covid-19 hit Britain, preparations have been able to continue for the exciting project, although no firm timescales can be confirmed given the ongoing crisis.

Cllr Damon Horrill, founding member of The Hive, told the Guardian: "Everything came to a halt with coronavirus but we have been looking forwards. We are going to have some more announcements to make quite soon.

"The good news is that we got the funding in place before lockdown. It was a relief to secure that, and the architect has been working through lockdown.

"Works will be progressing as soon as possible."

The Hive Live Ltd, a charitable community benefit society, completed the purchase of the De Bees site in January.

It followed considerable fundraising efforts, plus community investments using the online Ethex platform and grant funding from Big Society Capital – all totalling £160,000.

A further £100,000 was then raised to carry out renovations, thanks to a £50,000 grant from More Than a Pub and a £50,000 loan from Co-operative and Community Finance.

The Hive team has been busy volunteering with What's For Tea over the past few months, which has so served close to 1,500 meals for vulnerable and isolating Winsford residents, and expanded to cover Middlewich on Sunday.

It is a successful model that Cllr Horrill is keen to continue beyond lockdown with the launch of a What's For Tea community dining area at The Hive venue.

"There are quite a lot of people that we have been supporting through What's For Tea that are not specifically because of Covid-19," he said.

"So we had been looking at how we could carry things on. The idea would be to have food at the prices we are doing at the moment, but after lockdown.

"We have met a lot of people who were isolating for a long time for different reasons, and we hope they can get the trust and confidence so they can come out. To have communal dining is community-building."

Find out more about What's For Tea at whatsfortea.net or for details on The Hive see thehivelive.org