Beekeeping course in Sunderland among buzzing plans for Pennywell, as group has big ideas for the area in 2023

Hope4All Community Interest Company plans to start bee keeping courses as well as producing its own honey to be used in its shop and cafe.

Its hopes for the New Year have been shared with the Sunderland Echo by the group’s Community Lead Kimberley Ho who explained: “We try to empower people by showing that every person has unique ability, and help them to reach and achieve their aspirations.”

Kimberley said: “We aim to change the narrative of the tired perceptions of Pennywell and show that people can aspire and achieve with the right encouragement, value and care.”

Now the group can enjoy the future even more with a share of the charity proceeds raised at the Sunderland Echo Business Excellence Awards.

It was one of three causes to share money raised through a raffle and silent auction which raised around £2,500.

All three causes are the chosen charities of Sunderland City Council who were the headline sponsors of the awards.

Boosts for Bunnyhill and Downhill

Watch out for stories to come on the other two causes, Downhill Pond and Community Garden, and Friends of Bunnyhill.

Hope4All started as a small foodbank within the church at St Thomas but Kimberley added: “We saw a need for a more long term solution as foodbank packages are only a short term relief to often complex needs.

"We noted that people did not want to rely on food banks and we decided to open our food co-operative Shop4All in 2021.

"It gives people back the choice and independence away from the reliance of food banks because all of the food is supplied at a cost which is always lower than a supermarket. People can learn to money manage, as well as cook nutritious meals on a budget.”

Beekeeping for all

Since lockdown, the group has opened Cafe4All to help combat social isolation.

It provides ‘a safe and welcoming environment, alongside home cooked nutritious meals using locally supplied ingredients at a very low cost for people to enjoy a cafe experience whatever their budget’.

But that’s not where the story ends. Kimberley added: “We operate a clothing and homeware sustainability shop. All pre-loved items are redistributed back into the community, used for our crafty club or recycled to save items from landfill.

“We have most recently obtained our first beehives in our church gardens. We plan on delivering beekeeping courses as well as producing our own honey which will be supplied in our shop, cafe and sold to local businesses.”

Lots on the way in Spring

"In the spring we will deliver educational programmes within our garden spaces in which we grow seasonal vegetables to the local schools within the surrounding areas.

“We also run Mucky Pups playgroup , providing a fun and interactive pre-school group which is at full capacity each week.”

And for the musically minded, there’s the Bee Tones music group which was opened at the request of customers.

More than 320 people used the Hope4All services. In the meantime, to find out more about Hope4All, visit its Facebook page or its YouTube page.