Local Heroes launches a new project bringing people in Sunderland together through food and stories
Local Heroes has launched Breaking Bread – a new community project in partnership with Sunderland College and Highfield Academy.
In a time when it’s easy to feel divided, Breaking Bread is about rediscovering what we have in common through food, memories and shared experience.
Led by parents, children and staff at Highfield Academy, as well as the wider community, the project uses food and food memories to spark connection, conversation and understanding.
Whether it’s a handed-down recipe, food memory or a story shared around the table, Breaking Bread explores how culture, tradition and everyday life shapes who we are, and how we can use the power of food to build relationships and strengthen the community through celebrating shared experiences.
“Breaking Bread gives our families a way to come together that feels natural, honest and meaningful,” says Melanie Davies, headteacher at Highfield Academy. “We are excited to be part of this project and rebuild a sense of community, one conversation at a time.”
Local Heroes is a regional storytelling platform which uses live events, film, podcasts, documentaries and creative projects like Breaking Bread to shine a light on the people, places and stories that define, inspire and connect communities.
“We created Breaking Bread to give people a reason to sit, share, talk and listen,” says Chris Jewitt, co-founder of Local Heroes. “This project is about human connection and how we shape each other’s worlds.”
Sunderland College, part of college group Education Partnership North East (EPNE), has supported the project.
Vikkie Morton, vice principal of Student Life and Stronger Communities at EPNE, says: “Sunderland College is proud to help spark a project that is rooted in the belief that food can be a bridge between generations, cultures and experiences to build lasting connections. With Highfield Academy at its heart, this initiative is planting the seeds of belonging, pride and togetherness – not just for Pallion, but as a model for communities across the city.”
Cllr Beth Jones, cabinet member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, says: “We’re delighted to be funding this inter-generational food project through the Community Recovery Fund and to be working in collaboration with Highfield Academy, Local Heroes and Sunderland College on the project.
“Food is something that we can all relate to and it’s such a brilliant way of bringing people together to share their stories and experiences and connect our communities.”
The project will run throughout the 2025/2026 academic school year, starting in September 2025, with each term including activities such as sharing and collecting recipes and community dining, as well as one-to-one interviews with children, staff and families recorded through film, photography and illustrations.
Everyone is invited to take part – to break bread, share stories and be part of something meaningful.
For more on Local Heroes, including where to find the films and podcast – which has already featured Si King and Appetite columnist Laura Middleton – as well as information on the food markets it hosts across the region, visit www.wearelocalheroes.com
