Sunflower Winter Season 2025

Seasons Greetings and Seeds….
the editorial bit
Thanks to Amanda Wood of The Woodshed Gallery for the beautiful seasonal image above

We wish everyone a peaceful and contented festive season
Look after yourselves and thanks for all your support.

We’re passionate about partnership and this time of year tells us a lot about values, relationships and being together. Who said it was easy?
Never mind New Year resolutions, we have exciting news about our plans for 2026, to go further with supporting the Community Building Network and working on the major concept of One Folkestone – bringing our community capacity together.

Food is a major issue in daily life and also brings us together in many ways.
It’s been great to meet up with Kerry Gallivan from the Danny Gallivan Trust food project and to add to our  food project team with Charmaine Jacobs joining SFH.
We’ll be working to join up local food services and do our best to help tackle need.

We are advertising a host of Sunflower House opportunities for next year, including several specialised volunteer roles and a new job with our Community Support Team.

We have new programmes and old favourites continuing next year and some projects by other community teams to highlight in this issue.

Take care and look after each other!
The Sunflower House team

In this issue….

• BYOB and a bit of enterprise

• New partners moving in, moving around!

  • Common Grounding Dance Company

  • Flexer & Sandiland movement classes

• Community Building

  • Cheriton Community Network

  • CBN & community shop: good news!

• Food Matters & Warm Welcome Winter diary

• Folkestone is a Library (Folkestone has a Library)

• Community Support Team: Volunteer roles & new opportunities

• 2025: Sunflower House in numbers… we did a lot of work!

CATERING ENTERPRISE – cooking up a storm!

The BYOB project was simply delicious. The Growing Kent and Medway team helped build confidence and nurture local entrepreneurs and their business ideas.
The group were at Folkestone Christmas Market on Saturday 13th, with a lot of interest in their products and plans – not least the Lucy’s Little Nibbles petfood, which will be on sale shortly at Not for Humans in the Old High Street!
We are planning on following this project up with more work to support home business ideas, help people to take a fresh look at getting into work or training by being realistic about the barriers and problems.
Our key partners in this will be Connect to Work – look out for our new sessions at the Cheriton Community Network!

COMMUNITY BUILDING!

ON NOVEMBER 1st we took on responsibility for Cheriton Community Network.

Our third venue is an amazing mix of community café, inclusive drop-in centre and home to a number of music, wellbeing and support projects.
The team there have been wonderful in ‘going with the flow’ as we have introduced a few new ideas with our Sunflower House house style – while keeping the unique vibe and character, brought to CCN by a brilliant team of volunteers.
Last but by no means least, a special mention goes to the Cheriton Larder team who keep the free community food flowing from supermarket to shopping bag.
Main opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10:00 am – 2:00pm

CBN: the community building network!

BREAKING NEWS!! We are thrilled to announce that we have won a National Lottery award of £20k to help us develop the Community Building Network and in particular the idea of a Community Shop – a first stop for advice, info and support.
Watch this space for further announcements in the New Year….

Food Matters: joined up thinking

Food services over the festive season…. we’ve done our very best to check these are accurate. Keep an eye on our social media for updates.
Warm Welcome sessions – a snack and usually emergency food packs kept in stock
Cheriton Network Closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day
Sunflower House warm welcome café open Friday 26th; January 2nd
The Community Room open as usual Weds 24th and 31st December
Rainbow Services – emergency support for homeless people – see calendar below
Gallavan Trust – Hot food 5:30 – 7pm by Folkestone Magistrates Court
No service 26th – 29th December
Action on Homelessness – Closed Thursdays 25th December and 1st January

Folkestone is a Library….
Image below is from a bronze sculpture of the Grace Hill Library gates by Mike Perry The Folkestone Miniaturist

isDecember 22nd marks 3 years since KCC closed Grace Hill Library.
The small Save Our Library campaign team, supported by SFH, has continued to work for a practical solution to see this building saved for our community.
During 2025 we successfully partnered with Creative Folkestone to develop a community partnership proposal, as part of a vision for further regeneration work.
The plan is simple: three floors of a beautiful building reimagined as a combination of Arts, Learning and Community. The plans are detailed enough to show how funding can be secured from grants and other sources to repair the historic damage and give new life and a new type of Library back to our community.
Now it is up to the elected County Councillors to make a decision.
We understand that a report will be presented to KCC cabinet in early 2026 with just two choices: Members will choose to go for disposal or our proposal.
We invite everyone with an interest to let your local Councillor know your views.
Folkestone is a Library book festival – launching in March 2026
We’re delighted to have a voice on the steering group for this three year project to explore words and stories – with a tongue in cheek reference to the library situation.
Seeing every person as a living resource for learning, development, storytelling and knowledge is at the heart of the Folkestone is a Library project. We hope to provide a strong link connecting this programme with our local writing groups, historians and others with lived experience and a passion for our community. Watch this space!

A new year, new interest:
Join Our Team in 2026…

If interested in any of these opportunities, please just drop us a line! (use this email link)

Sunflower House: 2025 in numbers…

• 8 members of the Community Building Network and counting…
• 50 projects and programmes
• 50 volunteers signed up to support our work
• 50 tonnes of food shared through our Pantry
• 350 people a week provided with affordable or free food
• 500+ activity participants every week
• 1000+ followers on social media