Seaton Lane Inn gifts £1,000 to help much-loved community centre

A community hub has been provided with a welcome boost with a £1,000 gift from a nearby landmark pub.

Dawdon Youth and Community Centre is a registered charity offering high-quality, free or low-cost services and activities that improve people’s quality of life.

The Seaton Lane Inn, part of the Inn Collection Group, has chipped in as part of the company’s Give Inn Back initiative.

Led by centre manager Marion McKenna and youth manager Joanne Bowen, the centre is open seven days a week, providing a welcoming place for more than 450 individuals and groups, local residents of all ages, children and young people.

The centre provides a wide range of services and has an open-door policy, to encourage those faced with disadvantages to participate fully and be active within the community.

It provides a comforting environment to those who need it and also hosts regular activities including karate classes, a community dance project and a support group for young mams.

The centre also hosts The Youth Hub, an inclusive children and young people’s youth project which prides itself on providing interesting, engaging youth-led activities consisting of arts, crafts, sports, active play and day trips away.

It recently ran a Christmas gift drive to provide presents to children who might otherwise have gone without. The £1,000 donation will be used early this year.

Ruth Blakely of the Seaton Lane Inn said: “The Dawdon Youth and Community Centre is a highly thought of feature of the community in Seaham and was a popular choice within the team to receive funds from the Give Inn Back fund this year.

“They provide a wide range of support and activities that really help people, be that by being a place to meet, through appeals like the food back and the Christmas present drive or through the clubs and activities that use it as a base.

Marion said: “We are so grateful to the team at the Seaton Lane Inn for choosing to donate some of their Give Inn Back fund to us. It is very welcome and will help us in the New Year to provide support to people in our community."