horden youth and community centre
Peterlee
Horden used to be a mining village, and back in the Sixties, it was the pit that
defined what our community was. Young people were a vital part of that group,
and the Centre you see today grew out of the Youth Club that started in 1966 in
the renovated pit canteen — and the Girls' Infant School (later a Mixed Infants,
but the girls don't like to remember that part). Horden Youth Club moved from
their first building into one on Sunderland Road, and from there to a "hut" in
the school playground. When the Infant School closed its doors to little ones,
Durham County Council offered the facility to the Youth Club. By the time they
were ready to move in, in the late Seventies, rain had seeped into the building
and where the pool table now stands in the main hall, a huge hole was dug to
make the floor safe and re-lay the beautiful parquet flooring. When the repair
and refurbishment was finished, Horden Youth Centre was born. It's all
right — the hole was filled in, but if ever we tell you that a former staff
member is still here in spirit, please don't ask too many questions… It was
decided that two rooms could be offered to other people in Horden and so, for a
while, what are now the dining room and training room were used for all sorts of
activities leaving the rest of the building for the young people. It was at that
point that we became Horden Youth and Community Centre, but it was several years
before the "Youth" and the "Community" bits joined together in the way you see
us now. Many changes have taken place in the intervening years, not least
becoming first a registered charity and, later, a limited company. And now?
Regardless of any surface changes, what we are at our core doesn't change at
all. Quite simply, we are here to offer pursuits and experiences to the local
community which encourage choice and personal development. By keeping costs down
and creating a warm and friendly environment, as well as operating an 'open
door' policy for anyone who requires help, advice, signposting or support — and
often just someone to listen — we strive, every day, to provide a hub for people
to become involved with new people and the wider community around them. In
keeping with our motto 'from the cradle (almost) to the grave', we offer
services for all age groups from the very young to the elderly. Take a deep
breath, now… Our Nursery provides affordable child care for 2 to 5 year olds;
the tweenies are well catered for with dance and gymnastics classes; the Youth
Club caters for 11 to 19 year-olds; there is usually a huge variety of classes
and activities for adults; and apart from our Luncheon Club, Friday Afternoon
Bingo Club and Gentle Fitness group, we are planning even more events for the
over 65s. This will include a Fifties-style coffee bar complete with 'frothy
coffee' and period music, so keep an eye on the Centre notices, website,
newsletters and local press for further details as we get them! Other future
plans include 'Hole in the Wall Enterprises', a social enterprise venture that
has grown out of our clippy mat group; open days; fairs (that's table-top sales,
not waltzers and dodgems — but you never know!); and, of course, an ever-growing
list of activities and courses. We know our past and our present, and are
ever-hopeful that we will go from strength to strength in our future. We want
people to use the Centre because that's what it's here for. We need to know what
the community wants from us, and we need the people of Horden to tell us. We
invite you — whether you want to join us and join in, offer your services, or
complain that we're getting it all wrong — to come in for a chat any time and
help us continue to help Horden — the way Horden wants!
