Community Corner

This week is pretty special in the journey of Northern Heart and Soul. On Tuesday, we left one group of people who were talking about a new era in the borough to pick up some keys and open the doors at what we’ve named Community Corner.

The idea of starting something afresh really resonated. It feels to me like we are beginning again, starting over, yet knowing many of the words to the song and having enough material for our first album. We have a dream of offering Christmas Day breakfast and were hit with a dose of reality. I’m lay in bed feeling grim and Gill has somehow morphed into ‘Contract Manager’ as we discover gas leaks, dodgy windows and leaking roofs. That’s in addition to the planned plans like sort out utilities, create another toilet, knock a wall down or two, fit a kitchen and generally create cosiness. Luckily we seem to have dropped lucky with the landlord and are so connected to local trades people these days that it’s been no hard task getting people we know, trust and who come recommended to price jobs up for us. And we can make decisions quick and close to the ground, so I’ve not completely written of the possibility of Christmas Day breakfast just yet.

Who knows where this next part of the journey may take us. We’ve had so many offerings from local people and collaborators already. It truly feels as if this place belongs to us. People seem already invested. Once we’ve made everything safe then we’ll invite folk in to dream together.

We’ve people who want to open the doors to create spaces to connect. “I don’t want anyone to feel lonely round here.’ There’s people who want to share their skills, ‘I can teach calligraphy’. There’s stitchers and fixers. Bee keepers, growers and gardeners. Hope bringers and harm preventers. Meditators, artists, healers and traders. Rent a shelfers, sell paint-ers, creators and I want more mate -ers. Swap clothes, play board games, share Sunday lunch. Sit and watch the world go by, paint a mural, drink a coffee, play hopscotch, share a story. What a picture of possibilities that paints.

We are simply stewarding the resource, keeping it in good, safe and common hands, holding the risk whilst we work out how we might want to hold it together.

Take a look . This is where ‘this’ story started. It would be fair to say that we are besides ourselves with excitement and so thankful to all those who invest in and believe in the local work.