GRIT Studios Stockport wins Sharing Table Award!

Worth £5,000, the Award was designed to celebrate the importance of communities sharing friendship, skills, food and resources.

With hundreds of applicants all across the UK, Sophie and the team from GRIT Studios Stockport won over our judging panel with a brilliant story of transformation.

Once an industrial space that was unloved and forgotten, GRIT opened in October 2021 as a creative space for artists and makers. From copper bashers to resin artists and jewellery makers, the space has fast become a cultural hub in the heart of the town centre.

Over the past 3 years, the GRIT team have transformed their wider site to create a biodiverse and low-impact centre for young people and the local community to meet and connect.

At the start of the project, there was tension between local business owners and residents, and public spaces that were frequently fly-tipped and unclaimed. Working closely with Stockport Council, GRIT arranged a community clean-up which began to spark bigger things.

Recognising the rich variety of wildlife such as badgers, foxes and hedgehogs around the site, but a lack of green space and plant life, a community garden was created using donated plants and old oil drums from the local scrap yard. The team have long-terms plans for the garden, with hopes to introduce a wildlife pond, plant native flowers and grow food for the community.

As well as providing a large Sharing Table created by City & Guilds and local youths, the Award will support the development of the community garden and help provide summer holiday sessions (designed for all!) focused on biodiversity.

We were honoured to join GRIT Stockport’s Big Lunch this summer and catch-up with the local community. With art being created all around us, children playing in the garden and good food and laughs had by all, it was a true celebration of an amazing community project.

Congratulations to Sophie and team!