New city car park paves the way for charitable donations

Local community charities based across Wearside have benefitted from a plethora of donations given out by a civil engineering contractor helping to redevelop Sunderland city centre.

Organisations including More Than Grandparents, Veterans in Crisis, Grace House North East, Blandford Street Community Project and Fighting All Cancers Together (FACT) have collectively received more than £6,000 from East Riding of Yorkshire-based, CR Reynolds, which following the company's work to improve pedestrian and landscaped areas around the Station project, is currently transforming land in Holmeside into a new multi-purpose car park.

Funded by the Government's Transforming Cities Fund which aims to improve productivity by investing in public and sustainable transport infrastructure, the 4,800 m2 site is close to completion and will serve Sunderland's new train station and transport hub as well as provide additional capacity for commuters and those visiting the city centre.

It will provide space for 196 vehicles as well as EV charging points, a mobility hub and secure cycle storage facilities, and is part of the council's ongoing regeneration and investment programme. The car park is also included in the council's 'Free After 3' initiative offering free parking after 3pm (Monday-Friday) to support city centre businesses and amenities.

The facility will officially open to the public in Autumn, which also coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and a time when one of the charities, FACT, will be delivering its special 'Kindness Kits' to some of its most vulnerable service users.

Money donated by CR Reynolds has helped the organisation, which supports more than 300 people across Wearside, to create more than 100 kits comprising of toiletries, household products, food items and clothing.

Joanne Smith, Founder and CEO of FACT explained, "Living with and beyond cancer brings its own set of difficult challenges. As well as the wellbeing and medical aspects, the financial impact that many families face can rapidly become overwhelming so the Kindness Kits can go a long way.

"The donation from the team at CR Reynolds is very much appreciated and will help us to further support our service users here in Sunderland. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month so the donation is very timely to help us raise awareness of how important early detection and prevention is, as well as the care and support patients, their friends and families can access."

As part of its social values policy, both CR Reynolds and Sunderland City Council liaised with Sunderland Voluntary Sector Alliance to attract bids for donations. Chris Butts of CR Reynolds said, "We have worked in Sunderland for a few years now and wanted to give something back to the community that we have served as part of the project. 

"As well as these donations, we also worked closely with Sunderland College to welcome 18 work placement students onto the development site and engage in career fayres for those interested in civil engineering as a career. We're delighted to have played a role both on a development and community level and hope the donations make a real difference."

Sunderland City Council is currently embarking on an ambitious, multi-million pound investment, regeneration and redevelopment programme that is reimagining the city centre to include a new business district, high-quality housing, cultural venues, improved transport connectivity and public realm spaces.

The new Station Car Park is a key part of the redevelopment, adding another dimension to the Holmeside area.

Cllr Michael Mordey, Leader of Sunderland City Council, commented, "This is another great addition to the city centre which will provide ease of access and encourage more people to use and park close to the shops, cafes and other local amenities including Mowbray Park and the Winter Gardens. The additional cycling hub and EV charging facilities also encourage sustainable, low carbon travel and this is something which has been at the heart of our redevelopment plans. We're excited to see it open."

Find out more about FACT in this video