A COMMUNITY centre once facing closure is to be completely refurbished with a lottery grant of £108,000.

Dipton Community Association is celebrating after being awarded the money to revamp Dipton Jubilee Centre.

The windfall, from The National Lottery Community Fund, will also help the centre to expand its sessions and increase the capacity of the facilities.

The centre will be able to host private bookings, parties, funeral teas and wedding receptions.

All works are to be completed during the Covid-19 closure, meaning a new start for the centre when normal life resumes.

Trustee Karen Dodds said: “It feels like the whole of Dipton has won the lottery. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to modernise all of the building. I still can’t believe we were awarded such a huge amount. Once the centre is open again, everyone is going to see a huge difference.”

The current building was opened in 1994 and stands on the site of the former centre which was opened in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of George V.

When complete, the centre will have new windows and doors, a new zoned heating system, a commercial kitchen with servery, new toilets, a disabled toilet and baby changing facilities.

Current trustees stepped in three years ago when the centre was on the verge of being shut down.

The local community rallied around and raised £5,500 with various social nights and raffles.

After an article appeared in The Northern Echo a former resident, who now lives in the USA, donated an additional £4,500, clearing the centre of its debt.

This allowed centre trustees to concentrate on repaying the community for their support by modernising the building, as no repairs had been done for some time.

Gregg Peart, Dipton Community Association’s chairman, said: “It often felt like it would take a lifetime to have a modern centre, but thanks the support of The National Lottery Community Fund our dreams are becoming a reality.

“It’s very exciting. I’m looking forward to the day we can reopen the doors and welcome the community to our fantastic venue.”