Former Seaton Carew Methodist Church given new lease of life

Seaton Carew Methodist Church, in Farndale Road, is being transformed into a creative arts and well being centre for the whole community to use.

The church was built in 1937 but has not held services since December 2022.

Project manager Alex Whitehead-Byers plans on hosting a range of creative workshops and holistic therapies in the renovated church as well as coffee mornings, local art exhibitions, community art projects and seasonal fairs.

The Thrive Hive CIC, a community interest company which Alex set up in March 2023 to launch the project, has already received £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund in funding.

Alex, who was born in Hartlepool but moved to Hampshire at the age of 27, returned to the town in June 2021 at the age of 50 and is looking forward to transforming the 86-year-old buildings into something new.

She said: “I came up to hire the hall then I realised the plan was to close it. I had a conversation with the church about what my plans were and they said they would like it to go back to the community but they had no one to run it so I said I will do it.

"They have been really supportive.

"I’m just bringing it back to life.”

The refurbishment aims to retain as much of the church features and history as possible, including the blue organ in the chapel.

The Thrive Hive CIC has already had a lot of interest from local community and music groups and is already running a knit and natter group every Tuesday at 2pm.

Alex said: “Creativity is really good for your health and mental well being,/ So to have a community project with creativity as the focus is amazing.”

The church hall has already been refurbished and is available for hire, with work on the vestry, chapel and adjoining rooms currently in progress.

Once a large part of the chapel has been refurbished, Alex is planning on holding an open day to allow locals to see the facilities on offer and discuss future activities and events they would like to see at the church.