Run-down Easington church gets new lease of life as community asset

A church saved from the brink of closure is being transformed to welcome its community to use a range of services.

Easington Colliery Methodist Church was declared 'at risk' in 2022 and looked likely close due to costs and a dwindling congregation.

But a new community benefit society, Focus Easington, stepped in to lease the church and support its reopening as a community asset called The Welcome Centre.  

Focus Easington plans to modernise the building so the current youth provision, 'CAFÉ Together' lunch club and regular worship can continue alongside new activities.

This could include a community larder offering cooking lessons and healthy food packages, a community launderette, support for veterans, digital access, a garden, and advice, employability and health and wellbeing sessions.

Rooms will be available for local groups and businesses to hire to raise income.

North East housing association, believe housing, has partnered with regeneration and construction specialist RE:GEN Group, to help give the centre a new lease of life.

A £30,000 capital community grant from believe housing is going towards renovation work including new windows, an upgraded heating system, and planting in the garden.

RE:GEN Group has donated £10,000 to redesign and landscape the community garden, with an additional £5,000 from believe housing. And RE:GEN has committed labour and materials, to transform the outdated kitchen with state-of-the-art facilities.

Faye Gordon of believe housing, said: “By supporting The Welcome Centre, we are not only helping to save it as place of worship, but also helping it to grow as a valuable community facility, creating opportunities to support and engage local residents for generations.

Lee Francis, CEO of RE:GEN Group, said: “We’re all very much bought into the mission of Focus Easington and are proud to be helping rebuild a vibrant community space that epitomises a collective spirit of growth and resilience.”

Methodist minister, Rev Bev Hollings, said: “It will provide a secure base for a worshipping presence in Easington for the next generation and somewhere people can come to for baptisms, weddings (including same sex couples) and funerals.

“We hope that lots of people in the community will come and share with us in this adventure.”

To support the centre’s refurbishment, or volunteer once it reopens, call Cllr Angela Surtees on 07900 702339, or email [email protected]