We are a community project, based in St. Thomas' Church, here in Pennywell, Sunderland. We currently operate as a Food, Clothes and Toy project that seeks to promote the values of sustainability by recycling pre-loved clothes and toys and reconnecting them with local families who may be in need. Twice a week, we also operate as a foodbank, distributing food parcels to those who have been referred by the relevant agencies.
Our experience of operating our project here has given us wonderful insights into the kind nature of our volunteers, the generosity of their donations, and their willingness to be involved in an initiative that will help shape a community that is free from poverty, hunger and isolation.
Our passion for sustainability and our desire to eradicate poverty within in our community has led us to develop and implement plans to open a new Food Cooperative shop, based here in our church. This will be a fantastic opportunity to provide a good range of food at heavily discounted rates and more. Our mission is to empower people by allowing them to take control of their finances, as well as providing money management courses and advice to those who may need it.
As well as our shop, we are also working on plans to open a new Community Cafe for residents to enjoy food and drink in a safe, homely and comforting atmosphere. We look to overcome isolation by connecting residents together and providing them with valuable support networks. The café will provide strong volunteering and employability opportunities within the city of Sunderland, enabling volunteers to gain confidence in their own abilities, to develop their own potential, and to help shape and nurture their own local areas.
To supply both our shop and cafe, we will open our church gardens to new gardening projects. One such initiative we are working upon is to purchase beehives to produce local, ethically sourced honey for our community.
Our aim is to recruit and train up volunteers - both young and old - to come together and take care of the bees within their own community. This is an opportunity to not only learn the hugely interesting art of beekeeping, but also to gain strong enterprising skills in producing and selling honey and wax products to local businesses.
By producing a continuous supply of honey, we hope to reach out and network with local, independent businesses to work together for the greater good of Pennywell and surrounding areas.
