This building should be a soft play, a café and a community hub. But right now it sits empty.

Active Families NE won the tender for Southwick Community Centre and secured over £500,000 of funding to transform it into a space for families, older residents and the wider community.

But a Freedom of Information request has revealed that local Southwick councillors blocked the lease from going through, placing it on hold “indefinitely” and leaving the building sitting empty.

We could be in this building right now serving the community that needs it.

We know this space was once a much-loved bar. Under the Council’s own tender rules this couldn’t continue — but in its place we planned to bring back regular social suppers with hot food, entertainment and a place for residents to come together.

Since we went public:

• The story has been covered by BBC, GB News, the Chronicle and the Sunderland Echo
• We’ve leafleted all 3,500 households in Southwick so residents know what’s happening
• We’ve submitted formal complaints to the Council and the Ombudsman
• And despite countless emails, meetings and calls, we are still receiving no response

Meanwhile the building remains empty.

Southwick deserves a soft play.
Southwick deserves a community hub.
Southwick deserves the truth.

We already have 300 written signatures from residents, but we now need over 1,000 online so our voices cannot be ignored.

✍️ Sign the petition
📢 Share it with friends and neighbours
💛 Stand with Southwick

Click the link and sign now.https://www.change.org/standwithsouthwick

#StandWithSouthwick