Darlington District NPNP projects by Helle Sewell

March 2026

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 14:50:57 UTC

six8nine project are featured in the Hartlepool Opportunities Partnership newsletter because we received a grant to make improvements to our premises. six8nine have also been accepted as a Community Response Hub by the Community Resilience Emergency Group.

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:11:48 UTC

The vision of six8nine is to provide the local community with opportunities to meet, grow and become united. A space where value is placed on human life through activities that support the mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Their mission is to be a base to participate in God’s mission and to be witnesses to God’s love through loving, caring and service in our broken world. We aim to establish a worshipping and disciplining community at six8nine.

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:14:23 UTC

Contact info

Sue Hutchinson - community pioneer

07737 381060

suesix8nine@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/thesix8nine?locale=en_GB

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QbkQAbBkhbH4ATpQ6

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:17:01 UTC

Contact info

01642 763676

info@thornabylifecentre.org

thornabylifecentre.org

https://maps.app.goo.gl/HczBgtFzUSoqC78Z7

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:18:06 UTC

Our vibrant community centre on Stanstead Way enriches lives in Thornaby. We're here to support, connect, and inspire. Discover our programs, events, and initiatives, and join us in building a thriving, joyful community!

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:32:40 UTC

Contact info

Emma Dacey

hope4eastcleveland@gmail.com

https://maps.app.goo.gl/36326AD5BVTbBkzq5

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-03-31 15:35:42 UTC

We are an inclusive church that cares, serves and loves all through the love of Christ.

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 09:24:32 UTC

Contact info

Deacon Liesl Warren

deaconliesl07@yahoo.com

Based in 3 locations:

Willington Open Door Methodist Church

01388 745460

https://www.facebook.com/willingtonopendoor

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CkN268oHyXLs2riHA

Trinity Methodist Church, Spennymoor

welcome@trinityspennymoor.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/TrinitySpennymoor

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tJgDJBFFaCb6osYr7

Tudhoe Methodist Church

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:40:11 UTC

Our vision across the 3 sites is to strengthen the focus on building those new Christian communities which we are seeing developing and empowering people involved to continue to shape it.

We are also learning the importance of ensuring whatever happens is inspired and influenced by the communities we are working with. We do not enforce 'our thing' but let the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the tools we need to grow in discipleship and the work we do in the these communities.

Project at Trinity

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:47:53 UTC

Project at Trinity

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:51:25 UTC

Project at Tudhoe

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:52:16 UTC

Project at Willington

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:55:38 UTC

In May 2025 the church was awarded the A Rocha GOLD Eco award.

Project at Willington

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 14:57:24 UTC

WHY statement

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 15:01:03 UTC

Our 'why' statement says:

‘Thornaby Methodist Church strives to grow community with faith, hope and love so that everyone can know a deep sense of personal worth, find friendship, benefit from mutual support, discover a sense of belonging and experience life in all its fullness'.

Everything before the ‘so that’ in this statement is our sense of mission. Everything after the ‘so that’ is our vision. It is not just our vision for what goes on in our premises. It is our vision for the whole community, for our world!

Mucky Duck

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 15:12:02 UTC

Mucky Duck is a pop space that has been used at local events to demonstrate how Hope Church East Cleveland is present at their community events.

This tent can also be used by various churches in the Circuit at their local events to create space where people can pop in and meet a friendly face, have refreshments and find people who are happy to have spiritual conversations.

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 15:17:47 UTC

Contact info

emma@dandtcircuit.org.uk

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CPRLWXzJmAsU1Eo57

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 15:18:33 UTC

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-01 15:22:28 UTC

Our Story:

The Well Methodist Church was planted into the building formerly known as Northland Methodist Church in October 2019. The Northland congregation ceased to meet in 2017. Darlington Methodist Circuit decided to retain the building as a community hosting space, prayerfully discerning a way ahead for the premises. Around the same time, Pierremont Methodist Church, meeting in a building less than a mile away had developed plans and received funding to re-develop their premises. Sensing the limited capacity of the re-developed Pierremont site for their growing congregation together with a growing and distinct sense of God’s call to ‘cast our nets on the other side’, the decision was taken to close Pierremont and plant The Well in the former Northlands building. This process was affirmed by a number of prophetic words. The intention was to plant a church with a two-fold focus. Firstly, to be distinctly intergenerational in intent and expression, and secondly, to be a church that loves, serves and works with our local community. Maintaining a church planted a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic, including pivoting to online worship, has been a joyous challenge. We have a core membership of some 33 people but have a wider number of people attached to our church. If everyone associated with worshipping life of The Well were together on a given Sunday, there would be 60+ of us – around half of whom are children and young people. Some of our church family are from ‘non-church’ backgrounds, but report having found a home with us. We are deliberately cultivating a culture of family for all. We regularly see new people joining us for worship – but recognise the need to deepen discipleship for all whilst facing the challenge of capacity in enabling this. In this sense, we recognise the need to develop ‘inward mission’ in order to sustain and grow ‘outward mission’ in the longer term.

Project at Willington

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:23:47 UTC

In this video you can hear about the work that is being done under the umbrella of Church at the Margins. The Pioneer Deacon's story is part of 3 stories of how people at the margins are being served.

The origin story

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:27:07 UTC

Here you can watch the origin story for six8nine.

Project at Willington

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:33:22 UTC

In this video Liesl, the Pioneer Deacon tells us about the work that Willington Open Door Methodist Church does in their community under the umbrella of OCC (Our Confident Community).

Our location

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:38:47 UTC

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:45:06 UTC

Sprouts Community Food Charity works out of Thornaby Life Centre offering much needed supplies for living. The shop is open every Wednesday 12 - 2:30pm.

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-02 14:51:32 UTC

Umbrella Hugs CIC - a social enterprise empowering their local communities & nourishing the local roots operates on the premises of Thornaby Life Centre brining many parents to toddler group every week.

2026-04-20 19:32:29 UTC

2026-04-20 19:33:22 UTC

2026-04-20 19:41:00 UTC

Easter 2026 Kids club where 40 children were present and learnt about Jesus. The leaders provided moments of worship, joy, reflection and stories. The Church ran two sessions.

2026-04-20 19:55:59 UTC

A social event for young people to Lightwater Valley over Easter 2026 - building relationships and providing enrichment.

Youth leaders programme

2026-04-20 19:57:16 UTC

Youth leaders programme is to encourage older young people to act as role models for other youth. We work together with Scripture Union.

Here to help

2026-04-20 19:59:38 UTC

We have monthly here to help sessions. These are supported by outside agencies including police, fire service, family hub, council services, mental health and more. We are aiming to provide signposting to the most vulnerable in our community.

Community Grocery

2026-04-20 20:01:32 UTC

Open four days a week acting as a low cost shop. This is supported by a Fare Share subscription. Allows low cost shopping, £3 and £5 basket. This time is also where people make connections.

Open Monday 11-12.30pm, Tuesday 10am till 2pm, Thursday 11am till 2pm, Friday 10am till 11.30am.

The membership is over 500 people, and average daily attendance is around 35-75 people.

Children's worship

2026-04-20 20:03:25 UTC

Hope Church East Cleveland provides gathering for worship opportunities for young people and children. Weekly sessions run on a Friday night, and then additional in school holidays. It aims to enable faith development.

Youth Sessions

2026-04-20 20:04:37 UTC

These are weekly on a Friday evening including teaching, worship and prayer. We also have social events alongside during the school holidays.

Forest Church

2026-04-20 20:06:01 UTC

This is to offer Forest church and green space activities. We build into the flourish and notice aspects of the Methodist Way of Life.

Community liaison

2026-04-20 20:08:18 UTC

We support wider community events. For example taking an active role in the Lanterns events as part of a community art event.

Prayer spaces

2026-04-20 20:09:43 UTC

The building contains a number of interactive prayer spaces. These change throughout the year and are used both individually and by the groups who use the space.

Family Feastival

2026-04-20 20:11:12 UTC

We encourage families to journey in faith together. This picture shows a prayer area at the February 2026 session. We run these sessions in the half term holidays.

Bible teaching

2026-04-20 20:12:41 UTC

Young people learn about teachings in the Bible, along with life application. We use logos to help them to link these parts to the different aspects of the MWoL.

Christmas Experience

2026-04-20 20:14:19 UTC

This annual event draws in around 300 people. Families get to experience 7 different interactive prayer spaces. We organise one such event every year as it is being requested by the community.

Youth Carols

2026-04-20 20:15:32 UTC

In 2025 Christmas a specific carol service was led by and for children and young people in the Town Hall. Over 800 young people were involved in some way with this event, from making lanterns to taking part.

Schools

2026-04-20 20:16:33 UTC

We have links with local schools where we support events, fayres, workshops and facilitate faith events.

The Well - what we do

grahambright — 2026-04-21 08:17:58 UTC

The Well Methodist Church and Community Hosting Space is situated in LSOA (Lower Super Output Area) - Darlington 004B – which is one of the 15% most deprived areas in the country by Multiple Indices of Deprivation (MID). It serves this area and neighbouring areas of the town and region with people coming to access services and support, including The BabyBank, from as far away as Middlesbrough. We are proud to be part of and serve a community that is growing in diversity and find ourselves supporting increasing numbers of homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers, as well as other foreign nationals who are making our area home. As a community hub, we run a thrift shop, community cafe, community pantry, Darlington BabyBank, community garden, mental health support groups, as we seek to tackle isolation and exclusion. We have uniformed organizations (Scouts/Girls'/Boys' Brigades), host Darlington Menshed, offer 'Make Lunch' activity sessions for families during school holidays, run toddler groups, cooking classes, work in partnership with others including The Bread and Butter Thing (a food redistribution charity), Darlington Borough Council, and our local funeral directors. We run Pilates and dancercise classes, a monthly afternoon tea for older folks. We are presently exploring opportunities to build links with the Gypsy/Roma/Traveller community. We offer a monthly Messy Church for families connected with our community work, who may find ‘Sunday Church’ too big a next step as well as weekly Sunday services which engage a younger and very diverse congregation.

The Well - a little bit of history and context

grahambright — 2026-04-21 08:19:58 UTC

The former Northland Methodist Church ceased to meet in 2017. A group of people from the Darlington and Teesdale Methodist Circuit felt that the building as a community resource should be retained. The resulting vision for a community church and hub was born with initial work on developing a community hub commencing in 2018 and The Well as church AND hub becoming fully-fledged in October 2019.

New group!

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-22 16:38:20 UTC

Colour Your Mind is starting 1st May at Six8nine.
Colour Your Mind uses creative and meditation practices to help lower stress. Bringing peace to mind and body.
Doors open at 12pm with the kettle on and session starts at 12.30pm - 2.30pm including a optional 15min Soulful Pause.

Project at Trinity

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-04-27 09:51:34 UTC

We have Wobbly Wednesday on the 29th April to spend a relaxed couple of hours cooking and eating together. It's free, open to everyone and will save you thinking about what to make for tea!

Project at Willington

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-05-05 19:17:52 UTC

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-05-14 08:48:32 UTC

Contact info

Rev Charity Hamilton

mbromethodisthub@gmail.com

54 Borough Road
Middlesbrough
Cleveland
TS1 2JH

07344 413 626

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079341687409&locale=en_GB

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vVfNKGgUdRWcVDfR6

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-05-18 07:53:33 UTC

Our purpose

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-05-18 07:54:04 UTC

darlingtondistrictenabler — 2026-06-20 20:46:14 UTC

On the 20th of May 2026 the Middlesbrough Methodist Hub team hosted some people from around the circuit on the first of their special days helping people to see what is going on with the town centre chaplaincy & to see a more hope filled Boro!