Community Projects
In 2022, SouthGen successfully re-opened the restored Old Hospital. In three years, it has evolved into a thriving hub for the Southwold and Reydon community.
It provides: i) nine affordable homes; ii) a thriving public library; iii) a community café, The Canteen, which has achieved national recognition; iv) an outdoor learning academy.
Our community has extremes of wealth and deprivation. Our mission is ‘to create opportunities for a brighter and fairer community.’ Through the Old Hospital Hub, SouthGen now addresses social isolation, food insecurity and limited opportunities for children and young people.
Our services include:
- A monthly Sunday Community Lunch, which has served over 1,000 pay-what-you-can meals;
- A Pay-It-Forward scheme providing free food to those in need six days a week;
- A weekly Family Tea Club offering free meals and activities for primary school children & families;
- Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) clubs, with 50% of places free to pupils on Pupil Premium;
- An educational allotment where we work with teenage volunteers from a local school.
Family Tea Club
During term time, every Wednesday at 3:30pm, we welcome local families to enjoy a free, healthy meal together - fostering a sense of community and well-being.
Free games, crafts and fun activities are then available - the club provides a great opportunity for children to unwind after school and socialise with friends and family.
Our Family Tea Club is made possible in 2025 by a generous donation by Reydon Trust.
Kids Holiday Club
In collaboration with East Suffolk Council, we run a holiday club for children aged 5-10 years, during the Easter and Summer school holidays. Each session includes a healthy lunch, team games, arts and crafts, and wellbeing activities.
We offer free places for children eligible for Pupil Premium.
Pay-It-Forward Scheme
The pay-it-forward concept encourages people to help others without expecting anything in return - the recipient is encouraged to extend the kindness to someone else, creating a positive chain of generosity and kindness that spreads throughout the community
Visitors can leave a donation and we will add a voucher to our Pay-It-Forward board. Anyone can redeem a free hot meal, drink or sweet treat, with no questions asked!
Allotment Project
In 2024 we secured three abandoned plots at Southwold Allotment. Our team of volunteers and students from St Felix School have worked hard to transform the plot and bring it back to life!
With incredibly low-food miles, our harvests are used at The Canteen and for Family Tea Clubs. We are also working on providing outdoor education for young gardeners!
Sunday Community Lunch
Our first community project, which began in 2023, where everyone is welcomed – locals, part-timers and visitors alike. It’s a great opportunity to connect with others over delicious food.
We believe that high-quality, locally sourced and affordable food should be accessible to all.
So far we have provided over 1000 pay-what-you-can meals, made possible by our wonderful team of volunteers and the generous donations to our pay-it-forward scheme.
Sign up to our newsletter to keep updated on upcoming community lunches and events!
Volunteering
We have a wonderful team who regularly volunteer their time to help at our Family Tea Clubs, Community Lunches, our Allotment, as well as wider projects such as Latitude Festival Air Hubs.
Over 130 fantastic volunteers have contributed to our projects, earning us the 2024 Plunkett Foundation Rural Community Business Volunteering Award for our innovative, high-quality volunteering opportunities.
If you are interested in volunteering with us, please contact sydney@southgen.co.uk
Our Founders
The Old Hospital has been funded by 466 community members who invested in £398,000 of community shares and other generous donations from members of our community. Our other funders are shown below.
