The village of Murton in County Durham has been graced with a new social hub, named Heart on the Terrace, aimed at welcoming and supporting all in the community.
The hub, which officially opened on 9 October 2021, is hosting a number of supportive gatherings, ranging from ‘Stay and Play’ for parents and their pre-schoolers to ‘Heart full of Memories’, in which people can socialise and discuss their past.
Cooking sessions run every Wednesday for women trying to rebuild their lives in collaboration with the community group Handcrafted, and weekly pantry sessions will offer customers heavily subsidised food, clothes and toys.
Heart on the Terrace is the latest location to be launched as part of Durham Diocese’s ‘Communities of Hope’ project, which is a series of support networks across the North East devoted to bringing self-sufficiency and diverse centres, with activities and services, to communities most in need. These services are provided by local people, for local people, and aim to spread compassion through a series of supportive events.
The Right Reverend Sarah Clark, Bishop of Jarrow said: “The sense of community in Murton is extremely strong, however experiences such as social isolation and economic hardship are also very real here. That’s why a hub such as `Heart on the Terrace’, where people can come together and feel a sense of community and belonging, is so important.
“Here in Murton, people have gathered together from all parts of the community, seeking to bring light into the lives of people who are living through dark times. Light in the darkness, that experience of hope, is something that people need and one person on their own is never as bright as many people working together.”
Food and supplies are supported greatly by a collaboration with supermarket chain Morrison’s ‘Community Champion’. Murton’s champion Stephanie Carrel helps provide food for the pantry, baby resources like nappies and wipes and volunteers to help with specific events. All supplies are provided by their local Morrisons in Dalton Park.
For those wanting to learn more about the events at Heart on the Terrace, their full weekly schedule is available here.
If you love working with people and are a practicing Christian, applications are available for a new Community Engagement Leader, deadline 15 October 2021. If you want to learn more about this role you can contact Leanne Davis at leanne.davis@communitiesofhope.uk.
To learn more about the project, please contact Communities of Hope at connect.murton@communtiesofhope.uk
You can stay up to date with Murton’s Community of Hope project via their Facebook and Instagram. Followers will be able to keep track of future events, including their Holiday Club (running through October half term), No trick our treat (for Halloween) and their Christmas Mission.