Building a new community from a Methodist Church
Opened in May 2024, the Welcome Centre has become the heart of rural Easington Colliery, where it offers affordable and green activities every day for the whole family.
03 June 2025
“On Mondays, my youngest two will attend Jungle Tots for toddler time. Tuesdays are for the coffee cup community, and in the evening, my middle children go to the youth club. On Wednesdays, we visit the food pantry, which is a great help for our family of seven. Thursdays bring us to Café Together for great value and community. Finally, the middle kids return to the youth club on Fridays.”
Louise who was at the centre and finishing breakfast with her partnerThe family relies on the Welcome Centre for their children to enjoy safe activities, but they also use the food pantry for their weekly shopping which allows them to save money and to save the food from landfill.
Easington Colliery is in the top 10% of the multiple indices of deprivation. Angela, the founder of the centre, recognised the need: “The Welcome Centre was created in response to the need for local support for Easington residents. Before it opened, people had to travel up to three miles away to access food parcels, benefits, advice and other support as there were no nearby resources and the local bus links were inadequate.”
When she heard that the future of Easington Colliery Methodist Church in the Darlington District was uncertain, she got in touch with Revd Beverly Hollings, Superintendent of the Castle Eden Circuit, and asked if she could lease it. What was supposed to be a small project ended up refurbishing most of the building with a new kitchen, toilets, windows and heating system along with structural repairs to the walls and floor, damp proofing, wall ties and new electrics.
Focus Easington, a Community Benefit Society, has the lease of the building until 2033 and The Welcome Centre operates with funding from various sources. “We have been fortunate to acquire UK Shared Prosperity Funding – a government funding for local investments – allowing us to fully equip the building for future needs,” adds Angela.
The Welcome Centre provides services to the community from just £2 shopping at the community pantry to offering digital support and advice for people. They are part of a food wastage distribution scheme and keen promotors of community energy for people in Easington Colliery to become greener.
The centre relies on its volunteers but Angela recently secured funding from the NE Mayors Fund to employ a Community & Youth Development coordinator and a cleaner. Declan, a volunteer and youth worker says, “I love volunteering here. I get to meet new people and help build the community.”
Since the beginning of the project, hundreds of people have attended the centre and thousands of meals have been served. The building no-longer looks run down, making it a much nicer place for its residents. The community garden opened in March 2025 providing a lovely outdoor area for everyone to enjoy safely, with an allotment for gardening. Lots of people attend to socialise, eat and some just to chat and get help.
When refurbishing the building, they kept some of the items from inside the church such as the clock, the cross crafted from the screen behind the communion table and the lectern. The stained-glass windows will also be upcycled. Easington Colliery Methodist Church is still a registered church and the new and increasing congregation worships in the main hall every other Sunday.