A Teesside food charity is celebrating 15 years of bringing people together through food, wellbeing projects and family support.
Sprouts Community Food Charity marked the anniversary after its annual Pop Up in the Park events returned to Victoria Park in Stockton during the school holidays.
The free sessions, now in their sixth year, attracted more than 300 people with sports, crafts, books, toys and school uniforms on offer.
Donations from San Seb Coffee funded the events, which were delivered with Corner House Youth Project, Evolve Sports Academy and Stockton Borough Council.
Sprouts said initiatives like Pop Up in the Park help families enjoy the school holidays without the financial pressures often associated with children's activities.
Founded 15 years ago, the charity uses food as a way of connecting people and improving health and wellbeing within local communities.
Its year-round projects include community food shops, cafés, cooking workshops, gardens, breakfast clubs, family events, volunteering and training.
Sprouts community garden. (Image: Sprouts)
Sprouts' community charity shops provide affordable food while helping reduce waste by redistributing surplus produce.
The charity also runs cooking sessions where residents can develop new skills, prepare healthy meals and take ingredients home to share with their families, helping to tackle food poverty while building confidence and practical skills that can benefit them for years to come.
The community garden gives people space to grow food and enjoy the outdoors, while the Community Café at The Community Hub on Havelock Street runs a sewing club and International Café.
Sprouts also offers volunteering and accredited training to build confidence and improve employment prospects.
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A spokesperson for the charity said: "At the heart of everything we do is our belief that food is more than food – it is a way to connect people.
"Our projects bring together children, families, older people, volunteers and people from many different cultural backgrounds. They help reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, develop skills and create stronger communities.
"We are incredibly proud that, after 15 years, Sprouts continues to grow alongside the communities we serve."
In 2024, Sprouts received the King's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour for voluntary organisations in the UK.