Teams celebrate National Lottery windfall with £300,000 boost to project which keeps youngsters busy

The Eden Hill People Centre, in Peterlee, aims to offer services to young people in the area and ensure the community is resilient in the future,

Now East Durham Area Action Partnership (APP), Groundwork, Horden and Peterlee Rugby Club, and Horden Youth and Community Centre, have been successful in applying for £374,878 from the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund for to support the programme.

The service includes delivering school holiday programmes, a drop in service, youth programmes, community events, and working within the local schools.

The project first came together in the summer of 2017 when the young people in the community had come forward to express that they felt there was nothing affordable for them to do during the school holidays.

Since then the project has expanded, with the group meeting three times a week at Horden and Peterlee Rugby Club.

Councillor Angela Surtees, chairman of the East Durham AAP board, said: “We’re immensely proud to be part of such a fantastic project that has really helped shape the community in Eden Hill.

"Parents and children have come together to provide a fantastic variety of services that have improved the lives of many in the area, and with this funding will they will be able tocontinue their fantastic work for the next three years.”

The group is open to anyone to join and people who would like to make a difference to their community are encouraged to go along to the rugby club on Thursday mornings to find out more about how they can get involved.