At the beginning of June it was revealed that the city will gain a new cultural hub thanks to the Canny Space project – multi-million pound plans to transform a 300-year old church and bring it back into the heart of the community.

Now three more groups are well on their way to telling some very different stories of Sunderland’s past.

[quote=Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East]"These projects show just how diverse, fascinating and deserving of celebration Sunderland’s heritage is!"[/quote]

The University of Sunderland’s WALK Research Centre are following in the footsteps of St Bede, once Europe’s greatest scholar. With the help of poetry, art and natural historians, participants will walk Bedes Way and get in touch with our medieval past.

Taking a look at more recent history, the Living History North East group will carry out vital work and planning to secure the future of historic Donnison House and one of the region’s largest and most significant oral history collections exploring social history and identity.

Finally, over at the Bangladeshi Community Centre, a team is getting ready to capture the stories of Sunderland’s largest and longest established ethnic community. Despite a relatively short history in the city, there is a wealth of rich cultural traditions, challenges and memories to explore.

Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East, said: "These projects show just how diverse, fascinating and deserving of celebration Sunderland’s heritage is!"

What makes the news of these four projects even better is that Sunderland is one of HLF’s priority areas. This means that the city has received fewer grants than other places and so is one the North East team are keen to encourage applications from to enable people from communities across the area celebrate the place they call home.

What part of Sunderland’s heritage would you like to explore? Let us know on our @HLFNorthEast Twitter and take part in celebrating Sunderland’s success!