A DERELICT building that was once at the heart of community life in Shildon has been restored.

The old rest house, in the town's Hackworth Park, was built in 1924 with donations from local miners.

For years it was the town's meeting place for social, community and education events, but eventually it fell into disrepair.

Now the building is once again ready to take its rightful place in the community, after being rebuilt by contractor Newton Moor, of Ushaw Moor. The work has been made possible thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Single Regeneration Budget, SureStart and Shildon Town Council.

The project is one of the final stages of a scheme costing £900,000 that has seen the restoration of the bandstand and water fountain, the restoration of the Timothy Hackworth statue, and provision of a skate park and a play area for the under-fives.

The final contract for footpath restoration, seating, litter bins, lighting and horticultural works is to be completed shortly.

To celebrate the near completion of the work, the town council will hold a fun day on July 17, at which the rest house will be formally unveiled.

Town clerk Mick Waterson said: "The keys to the building have been handed over but the facility is not yet open to the public because we need to put the furniture in.

"We will be inviting residents to come and view it for the first time at our fun day in the park."

The council is hoping that once people see the finished building at the fun day they will register to set up a 'Friends of the Hackworth Park' group, and a committee will be formed to oversee the day-to-day management of it.

Mr Waterson said: "The people of Shildon should justifiably be proud of this facility, and in the future everyone will have a part to play to ensure that the benefits as originally envisaged in the 1920s continue."