Creative Frome: A Wellbeing Guide to Living More Creatively in Everyday Life
Discover how to bring more creativity into your everyday life in Frome. From Black Swan Arts to Made at Nest, explore a wellbeing guide to creative places that help you slow down, reconnect, and feel better.
There’s something about Frome that makes creativity feel like part of everyday life, not something reserved for weekends or special occasions. It’s in the windows, the workshops, and the sense that people are making things because they want to, not because they have to. And when life feels full or a little unclear, creativity offers a way back, giving us somewhere to place our attention, our hands, our thoughts.
Why creativity matters for wellbeing
Creativity isn’t just about producing something beautiful or impressive. It’s about process. It’s about making space for curiosity, for play, for noticing what draws you in.
When we engage creatively, even in small ways, we step out of constant consumption and into participation. We soften the pressure to have all the answers and instead follow something more alive: interest, instinct, experimentation. Creativity can regulate our nervous systems, reconnect us to ourselves, and remind us that we’re allowed to make things imperfectly.
In a town like Frome, that invitation is everywhere.
A wellbeing prescription for a more creative life in Frome
Start with wandering. Let yourself be led by what catches your eye, not what you think you “should” do.
Here are some of our favourite places to seek out creativity:
Black Swan Arts
Set in a beautiful old building, Black Swan Arts is a community-driven contemporary arts centre that supports local and emerging artists through exhibitions, open studios, and workshops. You might come for a specific show, or simply to wander through and notice what resonates. It’s a reminder that creativity takes many forms and that you don’t need to understand it all to be moved by it. Also check out The Write Place, a cosy place to work on that novel hidden away on the top floor.
The Silk Mill Studios and Gallery
Part gallery, part working space, The Silk Mill offers a closer look at creativity lived out by the artists who work here. There’s a sense of getting to witness the in-between stages—the sketches, the half-finished pieces, the process itself, challenging the idea that creativity needs to be polished to be worthwhile. With a rotating series of exhibitions, workshops and events there’s often something here to expand your world a little.
Ground
At the top of Catherine’s Hill, you’ll find Ground, a studio and shop created by the potter and artist Fi Underhill. Here you’ll get a sense that creativity can both be something you make and something you engage with. Take one of the gorgeous ceramic mugs home with you, so that an everyday, almost throwaway moment drinking your morning coffee becomes even better.
Made at Nest
Made at Nest is a welcoming pottery studio and coffee shop that invites you not just to buy something creative, but to try making something yourself. It offers a gentle nudge towards participation rather than perfection, and you’ll feel free to paint vases and bowls, tiny bears and exuberant elephants to your heart’s content. Oh and there’s cake.
Still Life Gin
There’s creativity in flavour too. At Still Life Gin, the process of distillation becomes its own kind of craft—thoughtful, sensory, experimental. It’s a different lens on creativity, one that invites you to taste and notice, not just look. You can also book sessions to make your own gin blend.
Seed
Seed is a thoughtfully curated shop filled with the best of British design from homewares, stationery, and objects that bring a sense of life and intention into your space. It’s a reminder that creativity can be as simple as how we care for our environment—what we surround ourselves with, what we bring in, and how we make a space feel like our own.
You don’t need to become “a creative person” to live more creatively. You just need to follow what feels interesting, even if it seems small or ordinary.
If you’re looking for more places like these—spaces that help you reconnect, explore and feel a little more like yourself—browse our guide for life. It’s filled with creative corners, thoughtful businesses and everyday places that make life feel better, one visit at a time.
Oh, and if you run a local place that you think would be perfect for our guide, apply to be part of our collection of places for happier days here.
Finding My Way Back to My Body: Sauna for Wellbeing in Somerset
Curious about the benefits of sauna for your wellbeing? Discover the rise of Finnish-style saunas in the UK, the mental and physical health benefits of heat and cold therapy, and how one Somerset sauna changed everything.
Why would anyone step into a hot sauna on one of the warmest days of the year?
That was my exact thought as I stood outside a bright orange door on a sun-baked industrial estate in Somerset. But beneath the surface of that contradiction was a deeper search for something. A reset. A moment of connection with my body. A pause in the chaos of modern life.
And I found it — not in a spa, but in a converted graffitied truck with steam billowing from its seams.
The idea of seeking out a sauna for better everyday wellbeing first took root while reading How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz. Her writing on Scandinavian winter rituals — particularly the reverence for sauna — felt oddly timely, even as I read it in the full bloom of British summer.
Did you know that in Finland, there are over 3 million saunas for a population of just 5.5 million? That’s one sauna for every two people. It’s not just a wellness trend there — it’s part of everyday life, deeply embedded in the culture. Saunas are where people slow down, open up, and sweat out more than just toxins. As Leibowitz writes:
“The sauna is an escape, both physical and mental. It’s a time to slow down, pause, and connect: with ourselves, with our bodies, with each other.”
In the UK, we’re catching up. According to the British Sauna Society, there were only 45 Finnish-style saunas across the country in 2023. By the end of 2025, that number had leapt to over 200. And in Somerset alone, new community saunas are popping up in forest clearings, rewilded farms, and, in my case, just behind the local bakery.
My first visit to Wildcat Sauna was part nervous curiosity, part midlife experiment.
The etiquette was unclear — was this a silent retreat? Were my unpainted toes allowed? But what I found instead was kindness, community, and a warm welcome. A mix of regulars and holiday-makers shared tips about 15-minute sauna cycles followed by cold plunges, and somehow, without ceremony, we all eased into it together.
I chose the hottest sauna first — a bold but not-for-me move — before relocating to the cosier wooden barrel. I found my rhythm slowly: heat, breathe, plunge. Repeat. In the cold plunge, I didn’t last long, but I lasted longer than I thought I could. There was pride in that. Progress.
And more than that — I found a kind of presence I hadn’t realised I was missing.
This small, steamy ritual has now become one of the most grounding practices in my week. I can reconnect with myself in a way that’s both physical and emotional. And I’m not alone.
Sauna offers proven health benefits:
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces stress and improves mood
Enhances circulation and immune function
But perhaps just as importantly, it offers a pause. A way to step outside the noise of everyday life and listen to yourself again.
And there’s something special about the communal nature of it too. Unlike a spa, this is a space for locals, regulars, conversations. As the Swedish Sauna Academy puts it: “In saunas, there is truth.”
There are now public or wild saunas nearby at Vallis Farm, The Glove Factory, Campwell, and more arriving each season. The trend is rising, yes — but so is the call to reconnect with ourselves.
So here’s my gentle nudge:
Have you tried a sauna for your wellbeing? Would you?
Whether you’re curious about the heat, the cold, the community, or just curious in general — this might be the warm, unfamiliar, lovely reset you didn’t know you needed.
Let me know if you sauna (and where!). I’d love to know which places are helping you feel more at home in your own body.
Sending you warmth and curiosity,
5 Places to Try Sauna in Somerset and Beyond
4. Campwell, Winsley, near Bath
5. Somerwhere Sauna, Dartington Estate
Where would you add? Let us know so we can add more saunas to our guide to life.
Vallis Farm
Seek out this farm in Somerset centered on learning and creativity, exchanging skills and ideas, while connecting you with the healing properties of nature. It’s truly a place to grow.
Go here if
You are looking for a beautiful space to share and swap skills, learn, grow and be in nature.
What is it?
Vallis Farm is a home for learning and creativity, for exchanging skills and ideas, a place to grow.
Why you need it
Nature has healing properties and this farm offers something special. Not only is the landscape stunning, the house warm and inviting but the people are welcoming and friendly.
What they offer
A range of workshops, supper clubs, weekly events such as yoga and pilates. They also encourage people to volunteer on the land to learn about their approach to sustainable gardening while being in the most healing of environments - the great outdoors!
What makes it different
Vallis Farm is a rather special place. The old Georgian farmhouse is warm and beautifully decorated with lots of spaces available to use depending on your needs.
The outside is even more stunning, just under 10 acres of rolling hills and woodland, a market garden using no-dig methods to grow local produce, a beautiful kitchen garden and roundhouse as well as shepherd’s huts that you can stay in. It's a truly restorative place to spend time.
What else do you need to know
You can book a range of spaces — whether that’s rooms in the house or the whole farm site — by the hour, for a half day or a full day, depending on your needs and budget.
Vallis Farm also welcomes people to pop up to have a look around. There is always someone there to say hello and show you this amazing place.
In their own words
Vallis Farm is led by an evolving collective of highly experienced craftspeople, compassionate educators and committed stewards of the land.
“We started Vallis Farm as a place to provide affordable spaces to local people. We have areas that have permanent tenants who are artisan craftspeople in their own right. We want people to know they will always be welcome to come and share their skills and knowledge with others. We truly are a place to grow and learn.”
Where inspires them
“It's proven time and again that nature has huge restorative effects. Not just on our mood but also on our memory, cognition and executive functions. We believe that being outside repairs the soul. If the weather is not our friend, our beautiful house has green views from every window which are also proven to help repair and restore our mental health. Having a place to just "be" is the most inspiring thing for us.”
Frome Boulder Rooms
Frome Boulder Rooms is a modern, inclusive bouldering centre offering climbing for all levels, from beginners to experienced climbers. With a welcoming community, strength training areas, and expert coaching, it’s a place where movement, confidence, and connection come together.
Perfect For
Anyone who wants to move, build strength, and challenge themselves in a fun, supportive environment—whether you’re an experienced climber or just looking for a new way to move your body and clear your mind.
Why You’ll Love It
Frome Boulder Rooms is a climbing gym that encourages movement, strength, and connection.
Designed for all levels—from complete beginners to seasoned climbers—this state-of-the-art bouldering centre offers a welcoming environment where you can challenge yourself, learn new skills, and build confidence one climb at a time.
Whether you’re here to push your limits, train with friends, or just have fun on the walls, this is a place where movement and community come together.
What Makes It Special
A modern bouldering facility – Thoughtfully designed walls with routes for all abilities, from easy climbs to serious challenges.
More than just climbing – Strength and conditioning areas, coaching, and movement classes to support every aspect of your training.
A welcoming space – A friendly, inclusive atmosphere where you can climb at your own pace, whether you're here for fitness, fun, or flow.
The Story Behind It
Founded by a team of passionate climbers, Frome Boulder Rooms was created to make climbing more accessible, more social, and more fun.
With a mission to build a space where movement meets community, they designed a centre that isn’t just about strength—it’s about mind-body connection, confidence, and progression.
Whether you’re tackling your first climb or working on advanced techniques, this is a space where everyone is encouraged to learn..
Something Else We Love
The friendly, community-driven vibe—Frome Boulder Rooms isn’t just about scaling the walls; it’s about sharing the experience. Whether it’s a social climbing night, a women’s session, or coaching for all abilities, this is a place where support and encouragement come as standard..
The If Lost Take
We love Frome Boulder Rooms because it proves that climbing isn’t just about reaching the top—it’s about the process. Whether you’re here for fitness, focus, or fun, this space reminds us that every challenge can be tackled one move at a time..
Sherlock & Pages
Sherlock & Pages in Frome is an independent bookshop specializing in nature writing, conservation, and environmental sustainability. It serves as a magical (and a little mischievous) hub for those passionate about reconnecting with the natural world.
Perfect For
Anyone seeking books that inspire a deeper connection with nature, those interested in locating meaning in their lives, and anyone looking to support independent book shops.
Why You’ll Love It
Nestled in the heart of Frome, Sherlock & Pages is a tiny bookshop — of just 1500 titles — with a big ambition. Co-founder Luke Sherlock has said “My dream as a person is to have the most beautiful, soulful bookshop surrounded by stories and community.”
True to his promise, together with his partner Agathe Cavicchioli, he has created somewhere magical — and sometimes mischievous — that holds a carefully curated collection of books that mostly celebrate nature, but also bring in other areas such as conservation, folklore, history and pilgrimage.
This truly charming book shop invites you to embark on journeys — sometimes physical, sometimes of the mind and spirit, all while fostering a deep connection to the natural world.
What Makes It Special
Nature-Centered Collection – Specializing in books about nature, conservation, and environmental sustainability, Sherlock & Pages offers readers a chance to reconnect with some of the best writing about the natural world.
Community Reach – In a town that believes in maintaining its independent spirit, Sherlock & Pages foster a sense of community and shared values. They are always happy to recommend the latest titles or beloved reads when you stop by. But don’t worry if you’re not local, you can also check out their YouTube Channel
Personal Touch & Advocacy – The people behind it have created not just a platform for cherished reads, but also for the story of the joys and difficulties of running a bookshop. Making literal space in the world for the things we love can be extraordinarily hard and rewarding. Their campaigns, and honesty, around this have highlighted how important it is to support the independent spaces in our community because when we don’t, we lose them too.
The Story Behind It
Luke Sherlock and Agathe Cavicchioli, both with backgrounds in climate action and sustainability, founded Sherlock & Pages in October 2023. After experiencing an intense bout of climate anxiety, Luke sought to create a positive space for community building and discussion on conservation, including what’s past and what’s to come.
Their shared passion for nature and literature led them to establish a sanctuary where readers can explore themes of nature, conservation, and history, anything that helps us connect with the world around us in restorative ways.
The shop's tagline, "Long Live the Hedgerows," reflects its dedication to conservation and the natural world.
The If Lost Take
We love Sherlock & Pages because it’s more than just a bookshop—it’s a beacon for environmental consciousness and a kind of nature-led self-exploration. It’s clear focus feels refreshing, as it brings together stories that inspire action and reflection, encouraging us all to become stewards of the world around us, even if that means that we just start noticing it again.
Something Else We Love
Luke has also created an avid following on Instagram through his account @englishpilgrim for his pilgrimages to churches, and has written his own book on the subject: Forgotten Church: Exploring England’s Hidden Treasures.
Some Practical Details
Frome, Somerset, UK
P.S.
If you visit, make sure to pop next door to independent shop Seed and the gorgeous florist Bramble & Wild.
42 Acres
Explore 42 Acres, a 173-acre regenerative estate and nature reserve in Somerset offering transformative retreats and nature-based experiences. Swim in the lake, meditate in the treehouse, or nourish yourself with farm-to-table food grown on-site.
Go here if: You’re looking to get into nature, reawaken your deep-rooted instincts and nourish yourself.
What is it: Set over 173 acres of wild land and ancient forest, 42 Acres is a regenerative estate and nature reserve where you can reconnect with nature, yourself and others.
Explore the self-guided and led retreats, often in partnership with world-renowned practitioners and aligned with nature, that encourage you to dream, grow, learn and rest. Stay in a restored 13th-century former hermitage, converted barge or under the stars in a luxury bell tent. Swim in the lake, meditate in the treehouse, sauna in the woods and nourish yourself with food grown on the land.
Why you need it: 42 Acres was first conceived in 2015 by siblings Lara and Seth Tabatznik as a home for personal, social and environmental change after having been deeply inspired by some powerful personal retreats and workshops in their own lives. Both Seth and Lara are strong advocates that outer change in the world starts with the self, or to quote Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
What they offer: At its core, 42 Acres invites people to reconnect with nature, self and others but has now grown to offer so much more including a range of wellbeing and nature-based experiences and events, a regenerative farm and an abundant nature reserve.
What makes it different: Living within an ancient forest, host to a variety of wild meadows and vast open fields and the source of four different rivers within a stone’s throw, this is a place for planting your dreams.
What you need to know: You can visit 42 Acres in several ways — as a guest on a day experience, workshop or energy exchange or by visiting them on retreat. All booked guests are free to roam the estate, swim in the lake and explore. Food, accommodation and experiences need to be pre-booked on their website.
In their own words:
“Our vision is to grow and consume in a way that serves the health of people and the planet. Our market gardens and regenerative farm use and permaculture and biodynamic-inspired principles. We grow, forage and wild-tend to create wholesome, nutrient-dense food. As we cultivate and restore health in our earth, we restore the worlds within ourselves.
We use our deepest intuition, ancient tools and shared knowledge to establish regenerative spaces, curate transformational experiences, and foster opportunities to learn, heal and grow.”
42 Acres is a 173 -acre retreat centre, regenerative estate and nature reserve in Witham Friary, just outside of Frome, Somerset
All images courtesy of 42 Acres.
The Frome Kindness Festival
How a small town in Somerset is trying to be kinder
“Frome is already full of kindness, but there’s always scope for more – particularly towards the people that we don’t feel close to.
The scientific evidence is that simply watching someone else doing something kind can set a ripple of positive change in motion. As Aesop said: No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”
Go here if: you would like to be a kinder person, you would like to have more kindness in your life, or you would like to make where you live and work a better place
What is it: Brought to you by The Good Heart, a local non-profit, this week-long festival aims to make Frome, a market town in Somerset, the kindest place on earth
Why you’ll love it: When else do you get to put kindness front and center in your life, and the lives of others? And how often is kindness even the aim that we have for the communities in which we live and work?
What you need to know: Now in its second year, The Frome Kindness Festival takes place from 5th to 11 March, 2023.
Each day of the Festival has a kindness-related theme, and events range from a Caravan of Kindness to a West Country afternoon tea with Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond.
There will be a debate about Kindness in Social Media, a film extravaganza, and clothes swaps for children and adults, including a catwalk where eco-conscious shoppers can be photographed in their new outfits.
On the streets, there will be live music, pop-ups and a flash mob featuring a specially commissioned Kindness Dance. The Boyle Cross in the centre of the town will be decorated with a super-sized hat that encourages passers-by to “put your kindness hat on.”
At heart: “the Festival aims to bring together young and old to celebrate, practice and explore the power of kindness to improve mental and physical health, transform relationships and strengthen communities.”
Something to do: Join the Kindness Challenge, where local individuals, groups, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to give back. You’re invited to do something kind, imaginative, special and down-to-earth.
Even if you can’t sign up for the Kindness Challenge, you could bring in acts of kindness wherever you are. See some ideas for how to do that here.
Read The Compassionate Project, a great book about how Frome turned to human kindness to solve the problem of loneliness.
The Compassionate Frome Project a.k.a. Health Connections Mendip
How a small town in England is teaching us the value of community.
“Across the country, and across the world, people of good heart and goodwill are quietly working on imaginative projects to improve the quality of their own lives, the lives of those around them, and the world in which they live. Many such initiatives happen in relatively obscure places through the actions of ordinary people outside the usual centres of power who are motivated by that active concern for others which is the hallmark of compassion. Beyond the immediate benefits accruing from their work, those small committed groups may, consciously or unconsciously, be preparing the ground for radical change in the way society as a whole conducts its affairs. They are, in a real sense, encouraging us all to be more fully human.”
What is it: A different way of responding to the modern life ailments that present themselves at the doctor’s office, this experiment in connection as a remedy in the rural town of Frome has lessons for us all and has now been captured in the book The Compassionate Project: A Case for Hope & Humankindness from the Town that Beat Loneliness by Dr. Julian Abel and Lindsay Clarke.
What you need to know: People show up at their GP for reasons that go beyond the realm of medicine —social isolation amongst the elderly, loss of motivation due to developing an illness, fear stemming from changes in environment or lifestyle, a loss of self-esteem following a career or relationship shift — but they are often looking for an antidote that lies more in the realm of compassion.
Led by Dr. Helen Kingston, a GP in Frome’s Medical Practice, and Jenny Hartnoll, a local community development worker, the Compassionate Frome Project makes connections between people who need something to help their situation and the existing community resources that might respond to that need. Where gaps in initiatives exist, Health Connections Mendip develops new ones with the local community. The project has also established supportive infrastructure (such as arranging lifts and even accompanying clients shy of going alone) where there were issues of access.
Between 2013 and 2017, the Compassionate Frome Project led to a reduction in the rate of ER emergencies across the town by 15% at a moment when the county of Somerset in which Frome is located registered an increase of 30%.
Why you’ll love it: Those ten minutes you get with your doctor start to look very different within this model. Rather than prescribing a cure for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, or loss in the form of pills, another avenue is opened up that leads into the community, into interest groups, into motivations and connections of a different sort.
Why we think it's different: What we put into our lives — just as with food — has impacts on how we are able to live those lives. We now know that the quality of our social connections affects our health. Chronic loneliness increases by 20% the risk of early death. Good social relationships have been found to have more positive impacts on hypertension than medication, reduce inflammation, and minimize the risk of death more effectively than “losing weight, improving diet, and stopping smoking or drinking.” As authors Abel & Cole note in their book: “Though we identify ourselves as individuals, we actually live in the plural. We are interdependent beings cared for by the people around us who form those networks of relationship that provide us with support, companionship, and the basic necessities of life.”
The Compassionate Project has become a model for how we can improve our own situations by reaching out to the community around us and how we can attempt to resolve some of the modern conditions that are on the rise such as our sense of isolation, a growing lack of purpose, and a pervasive unease at our uncertain world, together. This idea is gaining ground: A Compassionate City Charter is being developed by the Welsh government and has been adopted by the towns of Plymouth and Inverclyde in the UK.
Something to do inspired by this project: Care for relationships in your life. Often we skim over the people in our lives, and invest our time elsewhere, like our careers or Netflix. Spend 15 minutes each day talking to someone you care about (from one of our favorite thinkers Dr. Vivek Murthy); write a letter, text, or WhatsApp message to someone you may have neglected; say hello to someone on your walk; put the phone away in the queue when you collect take-out or coffee, be aware of those around you. Even causal interactions impact how we feel and can lighten our days.
Pilea Plant Shop
Head to Pilea to choose a houseplant that won’t just brighten your room but also brighten your day.
What is it: A gorgeous shop devoted to houseplants situated at the top of Frome’s hill of independents.
Why you’ll love it: With names like Monstera deliciosa cheese plants, Calathea lancifolia rattlesnakes, and Sedum burritos you might be confused about what you are choosing, and how to care for it. But at Pilea, it's all about bringing you together with a plant that you love and that you feel able to care for.
What you need to know: With everyday and exotic selections, the people who work here are happy to consult with you about which plant will thrive in your home. They’ll even send you on your way with a short guide to making your plant happy (ie keeping it alive).
How to bring this into your life: When the store closes, the carefully chosen plants head online. Workshops aren’t running at the moment, but when they are we recommend you check them out for some creative plant inspiration.
Why we think it matters: Bringing greenery into our home is an act of conscious self-care. Having houseplants around us has been connected to a better sense of calm and well-being, reduced anxiety, and a happier mood. They have even been connected to better concentration and improved memory, as well as physiological benefits like higher pain tolerance, lower blood pressure, and reduced headaches, fatigue, and cortisol levels. Add to this that some houseplants have been shown to improve air quality – NASA even has a list of which ones to buy for your homes. That Ficus plant that you may be coveting for your lounge looks good but it also supports human health.
In their own words: “Pilea plant shop provides beautiful and more unusual houseplants. It's really important that our customers feel confident taking a plant home to nurture. These days there are so many varieties of houseplants available. We love getting excited with people about the varieties that can be sourced, helping them understand how to look after them in their homes, replicating the tropical climates that the plants often originate from.”
RISE
Somerset’s RISE is both a place to come together and a modern day twist on traditional church.
“A place to relax, play, work, eat. A place to be together”
Above the entrance is a simple sign that says ‘Rise’. This sets the tone for all that goes on inside: a café, bakery and play space, an active calendar of workshops, events and activities, office space for socially-minded businesses, and a contemporary art gallery that shouts out local and national talent. Here, in a sensitively converted church, are all those components that once made this space so appealing to the congregation it previously housed: community, positivity, hope and connection.
Three years ago, Io Fox and Ed Roberts, a former teacher and nurse, bought this church, originally built in the early 1800s. It had fallen in recent years on its own hard times. The congregation of the United Reform Church had been dwindling for a while, so much so that the building was put on the market. But rather than shape this space into luxury apartments or private offices, the new owners did something remarkable. They shifted the emphasis to a wider purpose, giving a modern spin to the architecture, history and ideals this church once offered. Through their renovations, they weren’t intent on erasing what had once past, but rather building on it. Everywhere there are traces of what the building was before: etched arched windows, stone plaques, a working organ that dominates the main space. Keeping the look and feel of the place, they acknowledged its abiding history, and even embraced its former community and intent (a couple has since got married here).
They also did this, they allowed the community in which it sits in Frome, a small town in Somerset known for its creativity, a say in how this project evolved. They kept those long-time hallowed doors open to whoever needed them in maybe a different way, inviting in businesses, practitioners, parents, and charities who were seeking space to develop initiatives of their own. They welcomed everyone, with the aim of similarly nurturing people within its walls, so that Rise could truly reflect the community in which it is situated. And the local people that it served, answered the call, creating a new sense of life in this space, forming and shaping its content, giving this building new and more relevant purpose.
Three years on, Rise is now a buzzing multi-use space. The central atrium has been given over to Rye Bakery which runs a friendly café incorporating local suppliers, simple food and organic sources where possible. On Friday it hosts community building pizza nights. There’s also a play space (Alfred’s Tower) for the little ones, which has a handmade feel to it, a nice antidote to the bright plastic that usually comes with the kid’s area, and a sweet reading space. Most laudable though is the stunning woven nest space, a semi-private huddle for nursing moms and for smaller gatherings.
The mezzanine space where the congregation would once have sat, has become an increasingly well regarded contemporary art gallery, The Whittox Gallery, curated by Sara Robson. It shows local and national contemporary artists and designers in an exhibition program that roams across all media.
Sort of behind the scenes, The Old School and The Sun Room, have become spaces to hire by anyone, for private and public events. The downstairs offices and work spaces have been rented out to socially-minded organizations, like OpenStoryTellers, a charity that aims to empower people with learning disabilities and autism.
Across all these spaces are an active range of classes, workshops and events for all ages, abilities and backgrounds such as yoga classes, wellbeing sessions (like one on unleashing creative genius), exercise groups (see the popular Mojo moves and hoop dances), art and science clubs. A therapeutic choir just started in the space.
Rise is a modern-day church without really being a church at all. It works within that rich history of places where people gather, connect and believe, and gives those very fundamental human needs a thoroughly modern-day twist. In its name and its mission, Rise uplifts those who work here, engage here and play here. There’s a reason churches were once the heart of the community, and there’s a reason why Rise has become a space that local people flock to again.
