Grindon has a vibrant community project which is helping both the local people and the environment.
Grindon Church Community Project
I visited Grindon Church Community Project in Sunderland and talked with Kati Whiteoak, chair of trustees and long-time volunteer and Thomas Little, administrator and trustee and volunteer about the great work that they do there.
I was given a lovely warm welcome and Kati told me that the motto of the community centre is:
“if the front door is open the kettle is on!”
When I visited, the volunteers at the community centre were busy preparing to hold a festival with music on Saturday 8 August, This was to celebrate the beautiful garden they have, which is one of a network of four community gardens in Sunderland. The community centre had received a grant to help them to develop it, after the serious rioting in Sunderland in the summer of 2024.
Bringing people together
The centre uses the garden and centre, bringing people together to foster a stronger sense of community and helping people in various ways.
In this way, the environment is being used to help the local community.
The people at the centre ask the local people what help they need and what they want from the centre and then respond to what the community wants. This may or may not involve formal worship, but they have told some people about how they can get recycled Bibles …
The centre seems to be part of a trend in the area and I was told that pubs in the area as well as the church, have moved towards being community centres.
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
The community garden
Thomas then showed me around the lovely community garden that they have at Grindon Church Community Project.
A local primary school came in and the pupils learned how to grow salad in a box with lettuce, cress, rocket and spring onions. These foods were chosen because they grow fast! Unsurprisingly, the pupils really enjoyed doing this. Thomas also told me how the children tasted raspberries in the garden and found that they tasted different to those from the supermarket….and had a better taste!
In all, the garden covers1.1 acres wrapped around the church in a horseshoe and the promotion of biodiversity is very important. In the garden they grow willows and have willow craft sessions to help local people to learn how to make things out of the willow, which is an easy type of wood to use. They are also in the process of installing a pond.
There are sections of the garden which are specifically for wildlife and also a special bug garden.
Thomas commented that they are beginning to be where they want to be with the garden. More and more local families are using the centre and the garden, which is becoming a real community asset and among other features there is a dedicated session for neuro diverse people.
They have raised growing beds, which people can come in and use. as well as having poly tunnels and a greenhouse. They are also able to collect rainwater, which has no doubt been very useful in this hot, dry summer.
In the garden, they grow soft fruits such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries and gooseberries
They are also growing pumpkins for Halloween and organising a pick a size competition for the local community, with the winner to be announce on 31 October itself.
They have a small grove and additionally they compost as much waste as possible.
The garden has a lovely orchard, which produces several thousand pounds of fruit every summer. There are four different types of apple grown, along with pears and plums. These are used in the summer when they offer local people a free meal every Thursday as they can use food from the garden. In some form or other, the free meals go on all year.
Finally, there are workshops as well, which can be used by local people.
Back inside the centre there is an art gallery with some really good local artwork from local people and this is an initiative that will be extended in the coming months.
A great community asset
It was a real pleasure to visit this great church community centre, where local people and the environment are at the heart of all that they do.
In what are often seen as dark and divisive times, the Grindon Church Community Project is a beacon of very welcome light, showing just what can be done, when people look after each other and the world around them.
