Community centre set for revamp after £72k funding

A community centre which first opened in a wooden hut hopes a funding boost will see it survive the next three decades.

Parkside Community Centre, in Seaham, County Durham, is set to undergo a revamp after receiving £72,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Denise Cameron said funding was not easy to get and the team of volunteers were "over the moon" when they found out a bid was successful.

Work to the existing building, which has been home to the centre for 30 years, is planned to start on 16 February and will include repainting, repairs to the entrance and installing new shutters and lights.

"At the moment, funding is a big problem in everybody's centre," the 66-year-old said.

"Everybody's fighting for the same money, the same pots and it's hard to get any type of funding."

The centre, which began operating from a wooden hut more than 40 years ago, is preparing to mark 30 years since it moved into the Heathway building.

Cameron said more than 300 people were using the facility, which is run by a team of 12.

"I think it was big help to a lot of people once the pits had closed," she said.

"There was somewhere for the young people. We had the football courts, there was somewhere for them to do exercise

"It was nice place to be. You came in and met your neighbours, had a cup of tea."

Volunteers hope to secure funding to revamp the football pitches at the site in the future.

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