Hope Street Xchange

28/10/2026

Last night, we had the pleasure of hosting Sunderland Pianoforte Society's first recital in their new home at University of Sunderland! 🎹🎶

A special evening filled with beautiful music from the very talented Martin Roscoe. ✨

We are already looking forward to more wonderful recitals here in the new year! For more info on future dates visit: https://sunderlandpianofortesociety.org/recital-schedule-2027/

27/10/2026

Culture House Business Brunch: Grow Your Business

10am-1pm, 4th November

Culture House, Sunderland

Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/culture-house-business-brunch-grow-your-business-tickets-1998944095600?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Business and Intellectual Property Centre - North East is excited to be working with the new Culture House in Sunderland to deliver weekly business drop-in sessions. To celebrate, we will be holding a special business brunch, showcasing the local support available for anyone looking to grow their business.

Whether your business needs some help to stay afloat or is looking to expand and increase in profit, you will take away plenty of useful advice from this session. In addition to introducing some of the free support services for businesses in Sunderland, we will be hearing from the following three Experts-in-Residence:

⭐ Scott Rowland: Scott is the director of HiThrive, which specialises in business growth, business turnaround, and change management. He has a wealth of experience in improving business performance and turning around failing businesses.

⭐ Tracy Clarkson: Specialising in business resilience and productivity, Tracy can grasp what’s important to a business quickly, spot opportunities and identify when, how and at what benefit/risk to take decisions forward. She helps businesses adapt to a changing environment.

⭐ Kat Sykes: A change management expert and director of ‘Game Changing Outcomes’, Kat uses innovative techniques to engage business directors, staff and volunteers. Her activities encourage everyone in the business to see the same vision, want to achieve the same goals, and agree measurable actions.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to network over a delicious free brunch.

23/10/2026

We now have a donation station for the RSPCA Sunderland, Hartlepool & South Tyneside Local Branch 🐾

An independent pet food bank to support people in the local area who are struggling to afford food for their furry family members.
Donations would help to provide pet food to local people experiencing financial hardship, ensuring they can continue feeding their beloved dogs and cats during difficult times.

If you'd like to donate some pet food, please visit reception in either Hope Street Xchange or St Peter's Gate Business Centre 🐶🐱❤️

21/10/2026

🚀 Ready to take your business idea to the next level?

Join us at Hope Street Xchange on 9th & 10th November for Investor Ready: Building a Backable Business.

You’ll have the chance to connect with fellow founders from universities across the North East, share experiences, and build valuable connections within the region’s growing startup community. You’ll explore what investors look for in a business, learn how to strengthen your business model, and discover whether investment is the right next step for your venture.

Whether you’re developing an early-stage idea or looking to scale your business, this is a great opportunity to gain practical knowledge, fresh perspectives, and the confidence to move forward!

For more info contact the team at [email protected].

Sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=YNmgFnTuVk-iKhmuBXkYsjJkr7_d1QRMmOnnUaYS6ehURExHMDNLMkwzUkVNSzdYNENZWDdMWjlJTS4u&route=shorturl&fbclid=IwY2xjawVFWXRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMW9DZmVSaHJyRnk5UGhGZTZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeB-uoc_L59d8Y6FRfKCTCmzzV8sXreYo9rWoPJbC6Ob9LtUttockWstqcq6o_aem_6JaxPUeQdlMSqBOILJbBVg

14/10/2026

🌈 A little bit of colour over Hope Street Xchange taken yesterday by a lovely colleague…

A reminder that even on the greyest of days, there’s always something positive on the horizon.
Here’s to new ideas, new opportunities, growing businesses and the brilliant community of people who make Hope Street Xchange what it is.

06/10/2026

🔴 Wear Red Day 2026 🔴

Join us on Friday 16 October where we'll be taking part in Wear Red Day and standing together to show that there is no place for racism in our communities!

Wear something red, we'd love to see you get involved! ❤

🔴 Wear Red Day 2026 🔴

On Friday 16 October, we'll be joining Wear Red Day and standing together to show that there is no place for racism in our communities.

Wear something red, start conversations, and help support the important work of Wear Red Day and Show Racism the Red Card. Together, we can help create a more inclusive and welcoming society for everyone.

As this year's campaign says: "Change Hearts. Change Minds. Change Lives."

Whether it's a red T-shirt, jumper, scarf, or badge, we'd love to see you get involved and show your support.

Find out more: https://buff.ly/hkh2PVE

28/09/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and donated to our Macmillan Cancer Support coffee mornings at both business centres! 💚 🍰 ☕

We Raised £420 for Macmillan Cancer Support! 💚 🍰 ☕

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Macmillan Coffee Mornings at St Peter's Gate and Hope Street Xchange.

Thanks to your generosity, we raised an amazing £420 to support people living with cancer. We're so grateful to be part of such a kind and supportive community.

24/09/2026

Highlighting our business tenant AB Heritage and how the Help to Grow: Management Course at the University of Sunderland has helped the business to grow!

The Help to Grow: Management Course was created to support SME leaders to increase the resilience and performance of their businesses. Developed by a team of small business experts at Small Business Charter accredited business schools, it has already helped thousands of SMEs across the UK

Andy discusses how the course has helped his business to build strong foundations and create a defined structure - improving standards, procedures and quality processes leading to an increase in turnover and efficiency.

Read the full article here:https://buff.ly/YVV592l
For more information on upcoming Help to Grow courses, visit: https://buff.ly/3KpJmkw

Andy Buckley founded AB Heritage in 2009. Help to Grow: Management gave him the knowledge to build a more resilient business.

22/09/2026

Our coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer Supportt is in full swing! 🍰🫖☕

We have lots of lovely cakes and other homemade treats, and plenty of tea and coffee - why not pop in for a cake and a cuppa, all to support a fantastic cause! 💚

If you'd like to make a donation, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/sunderlandmacmillan?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_donation_received_-_nth_donation

📍 Hope Street Xchange Reception

18/09/2026

Join us for our Coffee Morning to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support on September 22nd! Everyone's welcome!☕ 🍰

Any donations of cakes and bakes would be appreciated! Help us make this event extra special, and raise as much money as possible for a wonderful cause!

We hope to see you there - there's a cuppa and a cake with your name on it! 💚

📅 Tuesday 22nd September - from 10am
📍 Hope Street Xchange reception