Roof repairs carried out at Wooler community building thanks to Newcastle Building Society fund

A £15,000 grant has helped fund roof repairs at a community building in Wooler.
Newcastle Building Society chief executive Andrew Haigh with (left) Patrick Sheard and Tom Johnston of the Glendale Gateway Trust.Newcastle Building Society chief executive Andrew Haigh with (left) Patrick Sheard and Tom Johnston of the Glendale Gateway Trust.
Newcastle Building Society chief executive Andrew Haigh with (left) Patrick Sheard and Tom Johnston of the Glendale Gateway Trust.

The grant from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation has been used to repair the leaking atrium roof and re-carpet the Cheviot Centre.

The building is a bustling hub of activity, owned and operated by the Glendale Gateway Trust, and has been vital in supporting its community since it opened in 2001.

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As it is home to a variety of services, from the local library to the police, the centre has an important role to play in serving the local people of Wooler and welcomes around 10,000 to 12,000 visitors per year.

The move will bring financial services provision back within walking distance of the majority of residents who have been without local financial provision for the more than 12 months.

Patrick Sheard, Trust chairman, said: “We first introduced the Cheviot Centre in 2001 following a community consultation which had shown there were too many fragmented community facilities in Wooler.

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“So the idea was to try and create a community hub which would accommodate lots of different services and facilities in a sustainable way. Nineteen years on, it demonstrates it was the right idea!

“We’re delighted in the changes the grant from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund has enabled us to do.”

“The new roof and carpet has reinvigorated the hub and we’re looking forward to welcoming Newcastle Building Society into the Cheviot Centre.”Newcastle Building Society chief executive, Andrew Haigh, said: “The Cheviot Centre in Wooler is a bustling community hub and is the perfect example of community and people coming together to support their town.“This grant of £15,000 has supported the Glendale Gateway Trust in repairing the glazed atrium roof and re-carpeting the centre.“We were delighted that the fund was able to help the Trust to maintain the centre and to help ensure the future of a community building which serves the people of Wooler so well.”The fund provides grants to charities and community groups located in or around the communities served by the society's branch network.