PEOPLE in Willington have called in business experts to try to reopen a centre that stands as a memorial to the town's mining heritage.

Brancepeth Miners' Welfare Hall was erected for the men of the former Brancepeth Colliery and their families, and maintained with weekly 6d contributions.

Many of the people who grew up celebrating weddings, birthdays and other milestones in the 74-year-old hall are working to reopen it.

It recently housed the Arrivals One gym -part of Spectrum Leisure Centre - which was closed in April as part of council cutbacks.

Wear Valley District Council is working with campaigners to try to keep the hall open.

Yesterday, the Willington Community and Brancepeth Miners' Welfare Group met district council leader Councillor Olive Brown, and the authority's director of community services, Paul Dobson, to discuss how to reopen the facility.

The group has commissioned a business plan to try to find a viable way of running the centre.

Jean Walters, from Willington, said: "The council have put their cards on the table and we have put our cards on the table. We are working together on this to, hopefully, reopen the hall."

Coun Brown said: "The meeting was very positive.

"Everything is in its very early stages at the moment. We have to get all the business plans together, which are looking into how it can be used for the community.

"But what we are aiming to do is work in partnership with other people.

"The problem is cash. Anybody can get a grant to set it in motion, but it is the upkeep."