On the ground in Sunderland.

In 2019, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) awarded Churches Conservation Trust a multi-million-pound grant to preserve and restore Holy Trinity, Sunderland. This church, built in 1719, holds great significance for this north-eastern city by the sea, as it symbolizes the birth of Sunderland as an independent parish at a time of huge economic growth for the port and the region. In its prime, Holy Trinity functioned as a community hub, drawing in a congregation of over 6,000. The building housed Sunderland’s first library, its first fire engine and provided a dedicated meeting room for the 24 vestrymen in charge of administration throughout the parish.    

With the rise of rail travel and the subsequent decline of the port, Sunderland's focal point shifted westward, leaving the East End, and Holy Trinity behind. By 1988, the church, faced with a dwindling congregation and mounting repair costs, made the decision to vest the building to the CCT.

Seventeen Nineteen is an ambitious re-imagining of how the building could be used to serve the community once more as a multi-use arts venue and events space. The aim is to connect people with stories of its proud heritage and reactivate the spirit of the old East End. Now in its third year of activity, let’s take a look at what’s been going on and see how things are unfolding.

Seventeen Nineteen began with a soft launch through the Covid lockdowns, delivering online projects like Heritage Detectives and designing craft packs for local children under lockdown.

The new building was officially opened by the mayor of Sunderland on 16 April 2022, during the spring market fayre. Seasonal fayres provide a platform for local craftspeople, businesses, and performers to engage with the thousands of community members that gather to enjoy the festivities. Even Santa Claus himself makes an appearance at Christmas!  

Live music performances have been a consistent highlight for the venue. Candlelight Concerts, featuring the Northern String Quartet, transform this already dramatic space with over a thousand candles, leaving the audience with a deep sense that they have participated in something truly special.

Last year, Sunderland’s only cinema closed suddenly. Seventeen Nineteen was part of a multi-venue response from the city, hosting Sunderland Short Film Festival’s Best of the Fest screening, and launching a new community cinema for the city.

A hidden letter from 1897, re-discovered during the restoration, has become the inspiration for a BBC Radio 4 docu-drama called William’s Castle. The William Elliot letter, written by a young choir boy on the back of an order of service has captured the imagination of visitors to the church.

A collaboration with local primary schools will culminate this year in a performance of new, original sea shanties. The songs are created by the children, with help from local musicians Marty Longstaff and Ash Lowes, connecting them with the maritime heritage of the region. Seventeen Nineteen is now also a go-to venue for Sunderland students looking to learn, host events, and volunteer as part of their studies.

From craft classes to memory walks, from theatre to jazz, whether it’s a live streamed history lecture or a silent disco litter-pick, no two days at Seventeen Nineteen are exactly the same. But what does the future hold for Holy Trinity?

The conservation journey is about more than just damp, rot, and subsidence. The building, now carefully restored, may well stand for another 300 years, but not without love and attention from people who use it. Seventeen Nineteen are working to integrate Holy Trinity back into the fabric of the city through business partnership initiatives, community volunteering opportunities and high-quality events. Whilst congregations, caretakers and custodians may come and go, the key to lasting resilience is in inspiring the community to call it their own.