RESIDENTS of Horden, near Peterlee, are celebrating after getting half a million pounds in lottery funding to refurbish their 100-year-old community hall.

Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund confirmed it is to give £469,779 to volunteers and community groups and local agencies to refurbish the building behind St Mary's Church.

The successful application follows dedicated efforts from the community, determined to save and sustain the building behind St Mary’s Church.

Those who have driven the project forward include, members of St Mary’s Church which owns the building, Horden Colliery Residents Association, Accent Foundation, Accent Regeneration, East Durham Trust.

The cash boost follows £32,620 lottery funding awarded earlier this year to appoint the building professionals and surveyors needed to fully refurbish the building with new rooms, heating, lighting, carparking, first floor, lift, signage, modern equipment and structural repairs.

The refurbished building will be open and available to the wider community and surrounding area.

The project plans to work closely with neighbouring venues to make sure services complement each other for the benefit of local people where deprivation, worklessness and community safety are key priorities.

New training rooms, a fitness suite, internet cafe and a resource hub will be created to offer residents activities and services which delivers an approach to neighbourhood management to get service providers and users working more closely together.

Trained volunteers will be key to managing and developing the centre. The project’s business plan sets out how the building will be run in the years to come.

With planning permission granted and most of the funding in place, work is due to start next spring with doors to be opened in late 2013.

In recognition of the hall’s history, it is proposed to rename the it the Horden Centennial Centre (HCC). People can follow the project’s progress by logging on to www.hordencentennialcentre.blogspot.com