Works starts on new £600,000-plus Sunderland community hub in former bowls pavilion

A former Sunderland bowling pavilion is to be transformed into a new hub offering support for struggling families and activities for bored youngsters.

Pallion Action Group has secured more than £600,000 from the national UK Shared Prosperity Fund and National Lottery – Community Funding to renovate the derelict building King George V Park in Palgrove Road.

The organisation will provide a range of community-led educational, recreational, social and health based opportunities for all ages and abilities, as well as working with the Connor Brown Trust, set up by the parents of murdered teenager Connor Brown, to keep young people off the streets and reduce anti-social behaviour and knife crime.

Manager Karen Noble said there was a serious demand for support for families in the area.

"We have seen a 200% increase in demand for our services, so there is a huge need for something like this," she said.

The group has held two volunteering days to tackle the building's garden, while building work is due to start soon.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness and members of the Violence Reduction Team joined representatives from Gentoo, Sunderland City Council, Re-Gen, National Lottery, Wise Group and Muckles to launch the project.

"We are tidying up the outside of the building now and work is due to start inside next week, then we hope to open in July," said Karen.

"We are so excited to be part of a legacy for Connor and look forward to creating this fantastic hub."

Pallion Action Group is one of 13 charities to receive more than £1million in National Lottery funding over the past three months.

Among Gentoo colleagues who volunteered today was Mark Telford, a gardener in the grounds maintenance team. It was a real labour of love for Mark as he grew up in the street overlooking the pavilion and the work brought back lots of boyhood memories: “We’ve been renovating the bowling greens, taking rubbish away, pruning and tidying up," he said.

"I was born just over the road and used to come here as a bairn so it is nice to return to my old hunting ground.

"I spent hours here playing football, bowls and tennis and looking forward to putting something back into regenerating the place.”