The door has been opened to allow easier access to a well-used community building thanks to a donation by Durham City Freemen.

Officials of Coxhoe Village Hall were faced with being shut out of their own premises by the threatened failure of hydraulic entrance doors.

It was the one remaining issue faced after the 90-year-old community building received a major overhaul in 2021.

But a timely donation by the Freemen has provided the key to avert the potential crisis.

(Image: Geoff Kitson)

The village hall was built in two stages in the 1930s and celebrated its 90th anniversary last year.

It is home to a wide range of local organisations in the County Durham community and is also made available to residents in surrounding villages.

In the aftermath of the Covid crisis the premises, which supports more than 20 clubs and groups, has undergone a £150,000 major refurbishment.

It included the provision of a lift to make the entire premises disabled accessible, the replacement of main electric distribution boards, a face-lift of the downstairs toilets and the provision of new first floor facilities.

Repairs were made to the sprung dance floor, while there was also an upgrade of downstairs and upstairs fire doors and the fitting of new windows.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

But after the revamp officials faced an unexpected £4,000-plus additional bill when major malfunctions in automatic hydraulic doors at the front entrance reached crisis point.

Stuart Dunn, who chairs the centre's management team, said the hydraulics, installed more than a decade ago, were failing to the point of being beyond repair.

They also posed a danger to people going in and out of the building.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

“When the right-hand door opened, its partner on the left was taking longer to open and close.

“It made access for wheelchair users and parents with buggies particularly difficult.

“The risk of colliding with the doors and the threat of injury was frequent.

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“Even trying to lock the doors open was no longer an option.”

One of the hall’s dozen-strong trustees, Rita Brown, who is also a Lady Freeman, suggested to Mr Dunn that the Freemen’s charitable trust might be able to help.

Following consideration of the hall’s subsequent appeal, the trust pledged £2,000, making up almost half of the cost of replacement hydraulics.