Seventeen Nineteen - Proud to be the Finalists for Two Prestigious Awards at the North East Tourism Awards 2024

Pictured above: Tracey Mienie & Posy Jowett accepting awards ©Destination North East England

Seventeen Nineteen were honoured to represent the very heart of Old Sunderland at the North East Tourism Awards 2024. The project received a Bronze Award in the category for New Tourism Business of the Year, and a highly commended for the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award and celebrated their achievements at last night's Newcastle Civic Centre ceremony.

Judges from the North East Tourism Award consider a variety of factors when deciding the finalists for each award. For the New Tourism Business of the Year, finalists are recognised as a high-performing new tourism businesses with excellent market understanding, customer satisfaction and clear plans for future development. For the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award, finalists are tourism businesses that excel in providing an inclusive customer experience, particularly for those with accessibility requirements.

For both categories they were honoured to be up alongside such a high calibre of businesses, including fellow Sunderland based business The Holiday Inn Sunderland City Centre, and The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland National Park, Spectrum Holidays, The Hiddle Hut and Vindamora Country Lodges (all Northumberland based). Which only adds to the wonderful feeling of achievement felt across the board!

Tracey Mienie, Centre Manager said: "We are immensely proud to have received these two awards and acknowledgement for our hard work in two vitally important categories and this has meant the world to the team. We would like to say thank you to our wonderful visitors and customers, amazing squad of volunteers, The Churches Conservation Trust, and of course the hard work of my team here at Seventeen Nineteen. We'd also like to thank The Heritage Lottery Fund and Sunderland City Council. Without their funding and support this fantastic project and ongoing key engagement wouldn't be possible."

The North East England Tourism Awards are run in partnership with VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, and play a key role in celebrating and showcasing the range of quality tourism businesses that visitors to the North East encounter. The tourism sector continues to be the fourth largest in the region, highlighting the importance of the businesses working in the sector to the wider economy.

Tracey continues; "It's incredibly rewarding being part the project that will ensure the legacy of this beautiful and historically significant building for future generations to enjoy and use, right here in the heart of Old Sunderland."

Seventeen Nineteen is a Grade 1 listed church built in the heart of Old Sunderland in 1719. The Church of the Holy Trinity was a multi-faith church, that once also housed Sunderland's Council Chamber, first ever Library and first Fire Station. The Church of the Holy Trinity was acquired by The Churches Conservation Trust and has undergone a £5.1m restoration project. It reopened to the public in the spring of 2022.

Seventeen Nineteen is now a 160-capacity venue for concerts, corporate functions, conferences, lectures, art exhibitions, craft workshops, TV and radio production, theatre and cinema. Live music performances are a consistent highlight for the venue who hosted the first Candlelight Concerts in Sunderland, and has attracted well-known acts such as Kiki Dee, Peggy Seeger, Bob Harris, Judie Tzuke, Eleanor McEnvoy, Old Time Sailors and Bob Fox to name just a few. Cinema Seventeen Nineteen is now in full swing and is a collaboration with Sunderland Shorts Film Festival and Film Hub North; as part of the Spotlight Sunderland Project which aims to develop and build film opportunities to audiences in the City. The Autumn and Winter 2023 Fayres alone, collectively attracted around 1300 visitors.

To keep up-to-date with events planned at Seventeen Nineteen you can follow their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @17nineteen. Or via www.visitchurches.org.uk/1719/