A COMMUNITY centre which had been expected to close on Thursday will remain open with a new name and management committee.

The survival of the Shildon Centre, in Main Street, Shildon, had been in doubt since Durham County Council withdrew funding last year.

Shildon Centre Limited, which ran the centre, applied for charitable status and announced its independence, in a bid to secure other finance.

The bid was unsuccessful so the management committee dissolved, meaning that the building would close and the services running from it would stop.

Now, a rival management committee has stepped in and said that the facility will remain open and be known as the Shildon People's Centre.

Colin Devonport, the new company secretary, said: "We got together as a group to try to ensure that the centre could still operate in some capacity, after we heard the current management board would be disbanding and the building would be returned to the county council.

"With no immediate funding, we will keep the centre going with the help of volunteers.

"We may have to close for a few days to ensure that we have adequate insurance cover for public liability, but we are confident we can move on and offer services to interested groups in the town.

"People have said the Shildon Centre is more than just a building. This is correct, it is about supporting those who need help, in any way we can.

"The Shildon People's centre will certainly not just be a building, or a group of directors.

"We will develop and, in time, offer as many services as we can to the people of Shildon."

The centre was set up in 1985 in a former police station.

As the Shildon Centre, it provided accommodation for a community transport scheme and a drop-in cafe.

It also offered a range of advocacy, administration and counselling services.

Shildon Town and Sedgefield Borough Councillor Vernon Chapman said: "The new volunteers will have a lot of work on their hands, but they are committed to making the centre work."