May 2021 Update
St Sidwell’s Centre is now open for Room Bookings, for free ESOL classes, for Gardening and for Volunteering opportunities. Our Cafe has re-opened with outside seating and takeaway options, and our Cookery School will restart soon.
THE SIDWELL STREET BAKEHOUSE
We are still baking our wonderful bread at The Sidwell Street Bakehouse, now relocated to 178/179 Sidwell Street. For the time being, we are only open 3 days a week, from Thursday to Saturday but we’re planning to open for a fourth day each week sometime in May. Alternatively, you can order your bread for home delivery by visiting our online shop here.
THE SIDWELL STREET COOKERY SCHOOL
We’re very impatient to relaunch our range of one-off Cookery workshops and longer-term Cookery courses and, hopefully, we’ll be able to start advertising the programme and taking new bookings within a couple of months. If you are interested in learning how to cook, in learning new recipes or in sharing your cooking skills with other, please get in touch by phoning 01392 666222 or emailing manager@stsidwells.org.uk
To keep busy, some of our cooks have been experimenting with filming cookery demonstrations at home. Go to our Cookery School pages to have a look at what’s there…. and maybe try one of the recipes out at home? For those who would prefer a more interactive format, our cooks are also running Zoom Cook-along sessions once-a-fortnight at 5pm on Monday afternoons. If you are interested in joining in, phone us and, if there are enough places available, we will send you the Zoom link
GARDENING
We’re very grateful to the dedicated group of volunteers who continue to come in weekly to maintain the gardens and grow fruit and veg. Julie Smith, from Sow and Grow, the professional gardener who was working with us last year is still with us and is planning a schedule of new sessions for our Urban Gardening and Conservation Programme that will hopefully be able to start again in April.
From mid May 2021 onwards we will be running two gardening sessions per week, on Monday and Thursday 1-3pm. If you are interested in joining our volunteer gardeners or attending one of Julie’s training sessions then please phone us on 01392 666222 or email Julie on gardening@stsidwells.org.uk. Thank you!
ROOM HIRE
Room bookings can now be made on-line Here.
Phone 01392 666222 between 10am and 3pm Monday to Friday for more information.
ESOL CLASSES
We are currently offering the following ESOL classes:
- Tuesdays 6pm – 7.30pm Upper Intermediate with Harry
- Wednesdays 1pm – 3pm English and Drama with Julian
- Fridays 10am – 12pm Beginners with Kate and Advanced with Dave
For more information contact us on 01392 666222 or email manager@stsidwells.org.uk
About us
We are an independent community centre in the heart of Exeter giving a warm welcome regardless of background, ability or circumstance. We offer a wide programme of activities, events and services for the local community.
We run a community café, a bakery and a cookery school; we grow vegetables look after one of the few large green spaces in the city centre; we offer affordable meeting room and venue hire; provide free ESOL classes; act as a local heritage hub for the Eastern quarter of Exeter city-centre; and offer volunteering and work-experience opportunities across all areas of our work.
