Church hit by storm gets £11,000 funding for new roof

A church has been handed a major cash boost as it prepares to repair its failing roof.
Coun Joan Atkinson and Irene Gilbert outside East Boldon Methodist Churchs Community Hall.Coun Joan Atkinson and Irene Gilbert outside East Boldon Methodist Churchs Community Hall.
Coun Joan Atkinson and Irene Gilbert outside East Boldon Methodist Churchs Community Hall.

East Boldon Methodist Church is celebrating winning £11,000 in funding from the SUEZ Communities Trust.

It comes as the church, in Bridle Path, East Boldon, gets ready to renew its roof.

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Rain got into the church’s community hall through the roof during a storm in March 2017.

The hall was closed to all community organisations for almost a week while temporary repair work was completed, with the electrics having been affected.

Insurers Methodist Insurance informed the church that a new roof was still needed at the hall - which is used by organisations and people of all ages.

The funding from the SUEZ Communities Trust – which helps to improve public recreation facilities including village halls, community centres, sport, heritage, green spaces and play areas – will now help towards that.

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Irene Gilbert, a senior steward at the church, said: “East Boldon Methodist Church operates under the slogan ‘church and community working together’.

“The Community Hall is a valued resource that enables diversity and participation, whether it be families, groups or individuals.

“Many people benefit from this valuable hub within East Boldon, and the funding from SUEZ ensures that this will continue.”

SUEZ Communities Trust chairman Marek Gordon added: “SUEZ Communities Trust provides funding awards through the Landfill Communities Fund.

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“This important source of funding has been available since 1997 and has provided such worthy projects with more than £1.4billion.

“We were delighted to be able to offer funding to East Boldon Methodist Church.”

To date, the SUEZ Communities Trust has supported more than 3,900 projects to a combined value of over £110million.