Community centre which has served Sunderland for more than 50 years boosts offering

A community centre which has served Sunderland for more than 50 years is boosting its offering.

St Michael's Community Centre in Hill View has teamed up with charity Back on the Map, who do great work in enhancing lives in Hendon, to help reach even more people.

It's the latest chapter for the former Grangetown Community Centre in Stannington Grove, which underwent a makeover in lockdown to bring it up to date.

It was also given a new name, St Michael’s Community Centre, to reflect its position as the only community centre in the St Michael’s ward, with a new management committee also in place.

It offers a wide range of activities for the community, from parent and toddler groups and youth groups to health and wellbeing meetings.

It also holds weekly Warm Welcome events where residents can pop in for a cuppa, meet new people and find out what support services are available.

Liz McEvoy chair of St Michael's Community Association, said: "For the last two years, St Michael's Community Centre team has been working with the local community to improve the building and services at our community centre. It is now a well-used centre at the heart of the community.

"This is now an exciting new stage for the centre to develop services that the community want and need. So we have teamed up with Back on the Map, an experienced local charity, to work with us to offer more.

"This includes youth services, Warm Welcome drop ins, health and wellbeing activities and parent and toddler groups.

"We know it will go from strength to strength."

The new partnership was launched with an event at the community centre featuring a cookery demonstration and stalls from Back on the Map, Citizens Advice Bureau, Gentoo and Age UK.

Back on the Map chair, Julie Gray, said: "The event is part of a wider city-wide Link for Life programme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Funds.

"We are working in partnership with the trustees of St Michael's Community Association to deliver services to reach local families affected by the cost of living crisis. 

"Winter wrapped up events and weekly ‘Warm Welcome’ drop ins will be held both at St Michael's CA and at our main centre, Carnegie Community Corner on Villette Road.

"These sessions are aimed at encouraging struggling residents across Hendon, Grangetown and Ashbrooke to come along and find out what support is on offer and meet new people.

"There are also opportunities for local people to support this work through volunteering to be a Warm Welcome buddy or Neighbourhood Buddy and join our accredited volunteering pathway."

Michael Dixon, ward councillor for St Michael's ward said it was great to see such partnership working between the neighbouring wards of Hendon and St Michael's

He said: "The addition of Back on the Map to administer the community centre is a very positive development. As a ward councillor and management committee member, who has been closely involved with the community centre for years, I look forward to us working really well together."

Warm Welcome drop ins

Warm Welcome drop ins at St Michael's Community Centre take place between 9:30am-12:30pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to meet new people, have a bite to eat and a cuppa.

You can get in touch with the community centre at [email protected] with any questions or suggestions of what you would like to see at the group or check out its Facebook page here.