From right to left: Cllr Douglas Oliver, Richard Holden MP, Ian Galloway, Treasurer of Burnhope Community Centre.
A £40,000 investment to improve Burnhope Community Centre from the National Lottery Community Fund has been welcomed by local leaders today. Richard Holden MP for North West Durham visited last Saturday to speak about how they will spend the money.
Joined by local Councillor Doug Oliver, Mr Holden visited to discuss how £41,772 investment from the National Lottery Community Fund will be spent and the tangible impact it will have on the village’s elderly community.
Ageing Better
The funding is part of an ‘Ageing Better’ grant which will be used to kickstart a refurbishment project that will engage local elderly people who use the centre. It is hoped that the project will help combat social isolation among the older population.
There has been tens of thousands of pounds of similar investment pouring into North West Durham last year. In total over £61,000 in total to further improve community assets in the area.
“When I spoke to Ian at the Burnhope Community Centre last weekend, he felt like they had won the lottery! They were absolutely thrilled they will be getting over £40,000 and are very much looking forward to seeing and feeling the positive impact this funding will undoubtedly have.”
Richard Holden MP
Community Centre
The Community Centre itself was built in 2017 after a grant from the National Lottery and currently hosts a range of services including a gym, coffee mornings and regular “Warm Space” events where people can come to warm up and with some hot food and snacks.
“The additional funding provided by the National Lottery to help people celebrate The King’s coronation is a great initiative and I would encourage other good causes in North West Durham to apply for this and any other. I will ”
Richard Holden MP
Final thought
The National Lottery is doing important work funding spaces where communities can gather together and where voluntary groups can host their events. These little connections and the facilities required to maintain them can be lost in the great debates over Government funding but the roots people put down in their local area, often starting at centres just like Burnhope are essential elements of their well-being, identity and flourishing.