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Left to right Ann Thurlow Durham City Freemen, Rita Brown Lady Freeman,
Theresa Ford Freemen Charitable Trust, John Booth Freemen Charitable Trust
Coxhoe Village Hall, built in two stages in the 1930s and celebrating its 90th anniversary last year, is home for a wide range of local organisations and available to people in surrounding villages.
Since Covid the premises, which supports more than 20 clubs and groups, as well as providing a venue for special family and community events, has overgone a £150,000 major overhaul. It includes a lift to make the entire premises disabled accessible; the replacement of main electric distribution boards; a face-lift of downstairs toilets and provision of a new facilities on the first floor; repairs to the sprung dance floor, the upgrade of downstairs and upstairs fire doors and new windows.
But after the 21 st century upgrade officials faced an unexpected £4,000-plus additional bill when major malfunctions in automatic hydraulic doors at the front-entrance reached crisis point.
Stuart Dunn Coxhoe Village Hall
Stuart Dunn, who chairs the team managing the centre, said the hydraulics, installed over decade ago, were failing to the point of being beyond repair and posing a danger to people going in and out of the building.
He explained: “When the right-hand door opened, its partner on the left was taking longer to open and close. It made access for wheelchair users and parents with buggies particularly difficult. The risk of colliding with the doors and the threat of injury was frequent. Even trying to lock the doors open was no longer an option.”
Rita Brown
Rita Brown, who also happens to be a Lady Freeman, suggested to Stuart that the freemen’s charitable trust might be able to help. The hall’s subsequent appeal was considered and the trust pledged £2,000 – almost half the cost of replacement hydraulics.
All images by Geoff Kitson Photography - https://geoffkitsonphotography.co.uk/