Children enjoyed a fun-filled craft day at City Hall while learning about Riverside Sunderland and the city’s changing skyline.
Knight Frank, which manages City Hall and The Beam, partnered with ARTventurers to host the craft workshops for kids and grandchildren of people who work at Riverside Sunderland, giving them the opportunity to learn about the developing urban quarter while getting creative.
Held in the chamber – one of City Hall’s most prominent rooms used by Sunderland City Council and the community for weddings, conferences and events – the 90-minute craft sessions were led by Frances McLaughlin from ARTventurers Sunderland East and Seaham, a children’s group aimed at getting little ones into arts and crafts.
The children each created their own fish to be added to a large canvas which will be displayed in City Hall, as well as clay river monsters to take home and a riverside boat scene using recycled bottles and newspapers.
Laura Kerry, assistant general manager at Knight Frank, said: “It was lovely to see the faces of the children when they walked into to City Hall for the first time.
“They were all so impressed by the facilities, and it was a great opportunity to tell them what’s happening with the Riverside Sunderland development. Hopefully they will have aspirations to live and work here one day.”
Riverside Sunderland is one of the most ambitious city centre regeneration projects in the UK, including residential, commercial and leisure developments which aim to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent.
The new urban quarter will also lead the way for Sunderland City Council’s ambitious plans to make the city carbon neutral by 2040.
From using modern methods of construction (MMC) to building energy efficient homes, to promoting the use of active and low carbon transport as well as renewables and smart energy networks, Riverside Sunderland is building a sustainable future for the city’s young people.
Children who attended the craft sessions could see the transformation taking place from the windows of City Hall, as they learned about the area’s exciting future through creative activities and low carbon initiatives such as Sunderland’s new Refill scheme, which is helping people across the city to cut down on plastic waste by supporting businesses and consumers to embrace reuse systems.
Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to have children enjoying the facilities in City Hall and learning about how Riverside Sunderland is redefining our city.
“Our children deserve a city centre they can be proud of as they grow up, and Riverside Sunderland is fast evolving into a dynamic and sustainable place they will be able to live, work and play.
“It’s developments like this that will create a bright and sustainable future for our young people.”
For more information on Riverside Sunderland, visit: https://www.riversidesunderland.com/
To keep up to date with the city’s low carbon work, follow the hashtag #WearSustainable on social media or visit https://www.mysunderland.co.uk/LowCarbon.
And to learn about the Refill scheme and how you can get involved, visit https://www.refill.org.uk/.