Community centre saved by National Lottery funds
GoogleA community centre in danger of closing has been saved by National Lottery funding.
The future of the Wingate Community Centre in County Durham has been secured with £254,235 of funding spread over three years.
Janet Nicholson, 80, has been running a nursery play group for 51 years at the centre and said it was a great load off her mind knowing it was safe for another three years.
Wingate Parish Council clerk Graeme Reid said if the centre had closed there would have been no other community buildings in the area.
The centre was run by a community association before it transferred to the parish council in May 2025.
In the months since the centre has been kept open, the parish clerk said it had taken "a lot of hard work".
Reid said: "It has been very difficult without a centre manager, we have been relying on a lot of volunteer time.
"Over the last few months we have been working with the National Lottery to see if there was any sort of funds available."
'Spirit of Wingate alive'
The money will help the parish council hire a manager and put on more events in the hall.
"It is first and foremost a social gathering place for the community," Reid said.
"That is one of the things that the National Lottery wants to see more of."
Nicholson said when she heard rumours of the centre shutting "it was a big shock" and she felt sick.
She believes it is important for keeping the community spirit of Wingate alive.
"It keeps people in touch, some of the people who come to the play group are new mothers who don't know anybody in the village so they make friends," she said.
