CROOK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION TAKE OVER ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH HALL
THE church hall – formally St Catherine’s – in Crook Market Place has been saved from closure by the
people of the town.
Crook Community Association came into being in February 2024 and took over from St.
Catherine’s Community Association and renaming the premises accordingly.
The building had originally been the Church Hall and Sunday School from when it was built in the
very early 1900’s. It remained as that until 1981 when the St. Catherine’s Community Association
took the management of it, on a 21 year lease. This lease was renewed in 2003 to allow for funding
to be granted to improve the facilities by adding an extension to the front of the building allowing
for new toilet facilities, a new kitchen and cafe area. There was also a general refurbishment of the
rest of the facilities. The use of the building increased after this.
When Covid hit the country in 2020 it was a very difficult time for the centre but the volunteers
continued, as best they could, under the restrictions and when those restrictions were fully lifted,
the committee looked at the way forward for the centre.
This included bringing back the Tuesday Mini Market and cafe and introducing the Wednesday
Community Cafe and Afternoon Bingo. All of these proved very popular and other users, including
Weight Watchers and Slimming World, started to use the upgraded facilities for their weekly
activities.
Margaret Knipe takes up the next part of the story: “ In the summer of 2022, as discussions on the
next lease were due to commence, we were informed by the church of their intention to not renew
the lease but sell the building.
“ The Committee took a while to absorb this news then decided that the facilities the centre
provides should not be lost and embarked on a campaign to raise awareness of this situation within
the community and start fundraising activities and also looked into possible grant funding to allow
them to purchase the building.”
This involved changing the charity status of the organisation to a Charitable Incorporated
Organisation thus the change of name to show it was for the people of Crook and surrounding areas.
“There then followed a bit of a roller coaster ride trying to find funding, especially when a change
of Government resulted in the cancelling of a fund to which we were just about to apply,” continued
Margaret.
“The committee negotiated with the church to allow us an extension so we could source an
alternative and that happened in late 2024 when Durham County Council had funding for areas of
renewal and then two local councillors, Patricia Jopling and Mike Currah and the 3 Towns Area
Action Partnership, came forward with monies from their budgets which enable the committee to
progress the sale.
“Adding those funds to the results of the fundraising that had been done over the previous 2
years, and we are very pleased to announce that Crook Community Association became the owners
of the building on the 2 nd of April 2025.”
And so, after a Herculian effort by the committee, supported by the people of the town, Crook
retains the hall as a community building for future generations to enjoy.
We would like to say a very big THANK YOU to all those who supported us in our endeavours and
that the building is here for the future, Said Margaret.
“Please feel welcome to visit us and see what we have on offer, become involved in the future
plans and activities and help this local resource to flourish.”
Congratulations to the hard-working committee who refused to give up and never doubted that
they could save the hall.
