What's on in your community

Discover what’s happening across County Durham this summer and explore community projects you can join in on!

Wondering what’s on for you and the family this autumn?

From pumpkin trails and spooky storytelling to craft workshops and community festivals, there’s plenty happening across County Durham this season. Whether you’re looking for half-term activities, Halloween events, or ways to connect with your local community, we’ve supported a range of projects to help bring people together.

Many of these events are made possible through our community grants — supporting everything from family fun days to wellbeing workshops and local initiatives that make a real difference.

If you’d like to learn more about any of our funded projects or how to apply for a grant, we’d love to hear from you! You can reach out directly to the Community Investment Coordinator for your area, or contact our friendly team on 0300 1311 999 or by email at CommunityGrant@believehousing.co.uk.

You can also explore more about our grants online at: believe housing community grants

 

 

Upcoming events

halloween

Kids Halloween party Ushaw Moor Action Group

Free Halloween party for primary school children.

📍The Hut, Ushaw Moor
📅Saturday 25, October
⌚2pm - 5pm

A day of fun filled activities for the whole family, including sports, arts and crafts, inflatables, and an entertainer, alongside a healthy meal and snacks.

halloween

Mad Alice Theatre

A drama fun day for children aged seven to 13 years old, including creating their won 'silly and spooky Halloween' performances.

📍Stanhope Community Centre
📅Wednesday 25, October
⌚9.30am-3.30pm

halloween

North Pennines Startgazing Festival

The North Pennines Stargazing Festival is back for 2025 – running between Wednesday, 22 October and Sunday, 2 November. There are almost 30 events on offer, from stargazing to volunteering opportunities

Find out more
halloween

October Half Term at Locomotion

Join in with free Autumn themed family craft activities this October half term
📍Locomotion museum, Shildon
📅Tuesday 28 and Wednesday, 29 October

Find out more
Person carving a jack-o'-lantern from an orange pumpkin with triangular eyes and a jagged mouth with fangs drawn on it. A knife is being used to cut along the lines. The background is dark fabric with small red pumpkin-shaped lanterns scattered around

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Delivered by Browney Residents Association
📅Friday, 31 October
⌚ 2pm

Sports clubs and teams

Belmont Community school, Wellfield community school.

Mondays 8-9pm Wellfield. Wednesdays 6-7 Belmont plus matches all over the northeast on Saturdays

Football for 18- to 20-year-old men.

Sherburn Village Community Centre
Sunday afternoons between mid-September and mid-March 1pm until 4pm.

Country and Line dancing classes for all ages and abilities.

Belmont Community Centre
5.30pm – 7.30pm every Tuesday

A SEN specific sports and well-being group for young people with disabilities aged 11-19

Eden Lane

Wednesday nights and Sundays through out the rugby season

The club offers a free hot meal for every child who plays.

Acre Rigg Academy,

Monday to Thursday 4.30pm – 7.30pm with matches played Saturday and Sunday Mornings.

Football training for children and young adults in the Peterlee area.

Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland

Training Thursdays 6pm – 7:15pm and Saturdays 9am – 10:15am, matches every Sunday from 27th July to April/March 2026

Under 12’s football team open to all children under 12 years old

Station Road, West Auckland

Monday, Wednesday – 6.15pm – 7.15pm – Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 5.30 – 6.30pm A boxing club for children aged 8 years up.

Coaching complete beginners and experienced active boxers.

Framwellgate School

Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays 6-8pm

A netball club for women aged 16 and over.

Parkside Academy for Training and Washington, Sunderland, Durham for matches.

Football training Monday & Friday from 5:30pm till 8:30pm and Saturday for matches. Football training and games for children from under 7’s to under 17’s.

Belmont community centre

From Sunday 30th March and once a fortnight every Sunday for the next year.

Adults football team connected to the Cheesy Waffle’s charity for special needs.

Meadowfield Leisure Centre, New Ferens Park and New College, Durham. Durham FC

Thursday evenings.

Football club for children from under 6 teams to under 16’s.

Children's clubs

Seaham Leisure Centre, The Recreation Ground, Deneside

Mondays 10am-11am

Play session for pre-school children and their carers.

£2 per child and £1 per additional child.  First session free.

Tiny Feet Playgroup, Howden-Le-Wear.

9am – 11am Thursdays during term time.

Activities for 0- to 3-year-olds.

Easington Colliery Primary School, Whickham Street, Easington Colliery.

Saturdays 10-12pm   Intergenerational outdoor two hour play sessions for children and their families.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Sessions are free.

Activities can be adapted for all abilities and ages.

The beaches at Seaham – Mostly likely Red Acre, but it will be weather and tide dependant

The dates will be programmed based on low water falling between 10am and 3pm.Pre-school children and their parents.

Exploring rock pools and learning about the sea environment and how we should look after it.

Carrside Youth & Community Hall

9:00am to 11:30am on Thursday mornings.

Playgroup for babies and young children aged under 3 years old.

Specialised clubs

Butterwick Hospice, Bishop Auckland
Once a week for three hours

Weekly arts and crafts group for people with a life-limiting illness from throughout the South West Durham region.

Crook Community Association.

Wednesday mornings 10am till 11.30am

IT sessions to help anyone in the community struggling with IT, laptops, emails and smart phones.

The Well, 46 East Green, West Auckland.

Café, food bank and advice. Open to anyone.

Durham City Indoor Bowls Centre.

Abbey Rd, Pity Me, Durham DH1 5GE.

75 mins weekly for a minimum of 10 weeks.

Confident Autism Parenting (CAP) Workshops, Webinars, Podcasts and Q-CHAT.

The Sensory Place

Field and fodder, Bearpark.

31st Oct.

A nature-based learning and wellbeing opportunities for children and families, particularly those with additional needs, disabilities, and those facing social isolation and financial hardship.

The McIntyre Centre, Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland.

From April 2025 to February 2026.

Support group for women, a four-session rota of Crafting, Meditation, Show & Tell and Guest Speakers.

Bishop Auckland Group 6pm-8pm every Thursday.

Support group for men Our support leads to increased resilience, friendships decreasing social isolation and loneliness. We achieve this by empowering men grappling with life challenges, mental and physical health issues through support, health education, shared experiences, positive male role modelling.

Howden-le-Wear Village Hall, Hargill Haven, Howden Le Wear, Crook

Village Friends drop in runs every Tuesday from 2pm to 4pm for cuppa, cake, conversation and quiz type activities.

Men’s Supper Club at 6.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month, with snacks, cards, dominoes, quizzes and conversation.

Connect Group run various events and activities which are set out in an agreed programme of negotiated dates and times.

ManHealth, Hartlepool

Thursday 6:30pm – 8:30pm

ManHealth provide male peer support groups across our region. Tackling the pressing issue of suicide, and mental and physical health issues in men.

Cooking and food related clubs

Come plant blubs with Browney Residents Association

Fair Exchange Community Garden
Saturday, 8 November
2pm until 4pm.

Crook Community Leisure

Every Monday and Thursday throughout the year 10.45 am-12.45pm

A community group to alleviate social isolation and incorporating friendship and well-being in a safe environment. Open to everyone.

Murton Salvation Army, Cookson Terrace, Murton

Tuesday 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Saturday 9.30am – 11.00am

Provision of affordable meals open to all.

ÂŁ3 for a full breakfast, and ÂŁ3 for two course lunch.

Stephens Terrace, Wheatley Hill, County Durham, DH6 3JS

Weekly on a Tuesday 11.30am – 2.00pm

Food and activities for the older members of the community. Transport also available.

Coxhoe Village Hall

Every Monday 9.00am – 11.00am
Every Thursday 5.00pm – 6.30pm

Food pantry open to anyone to access.

Laurel Avenue Community Association, Laurel Avenue, Durham, DH1 2EY

Weekly on a Tuesday from 9.30am – 12.00pm

The Laughy Café @ Laurel

Free breakfast and activities for over 50’s in the Sherburn Road, Sherburn Road Estate, Gilesgate Moor, Belmont, Sherburn Hill, Carville, Gilesgate and Claypath areas.