A COMMUNITY Centre, saved by the efforts of a band of determined volunteers almost a year ago, continues to thrive.
Crook Community Centre, which started life as a church hall and was home to the Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade, was saved after the church decided to close it down and sell it. The people of Crook backed the hard-working group of volunteers with the campaign being so successful that last year it was purchased for the people of Crook and surrounding areas to use.
It is now a thriving charitable concern with the centre being a very popular venue for all manner of events, clubs, groups and more. It has been refurbished too, both inside and out, with help from local Councillor, Adrian Schulman, who is a great supporter of it. Inside, there is new flooring and an office, newly constructed, to deal with the flow of bookings, queries and the general day-to-day business of the centre. Apart from the big hall that is large enough for big parties, performances and events with large audiences, there is a training room complete with desks and computers and another room for smaller events and meetings etc.
Margaret Knipe in the new office at Crook Community Centre.
Crook Community Centre is not in any way involved with the nearby St Catherine’s church that once owned it but it does have a plethora of events going on every week day to suit all tastes. The kitchen/dining area is busy most days, providing very reasonably priced meals and snacks – some home-made- as well as hot and cold drinks. Margaret and her team are perennially behind the counter, ready to greet visitors and answer any queries.
Mondays there are three sessions from Slimming World, beginning at 8:30am and again at 10am and finally at 7pm.
Tuesdays are for the weekly Mini Markets from 8:30am – 1pm with stalls galore offering everything from hand-crafted goods, cosmetics, pet products and hand-made (to order if required) baby clothes, blankets etc. Later on, there is the Weightwatchers group from 5:30-6:30pm and finally the Kickin’ Boots line-dancing group from 7-9pm.
Wednesdays sees the popular Happy Hour from 9:30-10:30am, in the kitchen, with meals from as little as £1.20 – beans and sausages on toast for only £1.30 with 50p cups of tea/coffee. Later, from 10:30 – 2pm, lunch is offered from £2.50 with desserts from £1.50. This is followed by Bingo at 2:30 costing 50p per game.
It is very busy at the centre on Wednesdays with the ‘Wi-Fi Zone between 10 am and 11:30am. The Dog Club meets between 5-6pm while in-between, the new Pick and Mix Sweet Stall is open too.
Thursdays has the Little Movers’ group for babies and toddlers from 9:30-11am.
Fridays it is Boot and Scoot line-dancing from 1-3pm and from April 10th, a new craft group is coming to the centre between 10am and 12 noon where anyone can bring their own projects and have a natter while learning a new skill. It will begin with crochet.
Battery and small appliances recycling as well as a bookshop are part of what is on offer at Crook Community Centre.
Weekends are reserved for bookings and again, this can be anything from parties to performances. Indeed, there is a whole programme of events to look forward to in the coming months:
On Saturday, April 4, Flash presents The Crazy Magic Show, a magical family Easter show for all ages. Prepare to be amazed – entrance by ticket only (£2 per person under 2’s free) purchased beforehand (no tickets sold on the day). See below for how to contact the centre for tickets.
On Saturday, April 25th, between 11am and 2pm, everyone is invited to go along and celebrate centre’s first anniversary with an Open House event. The community is invited to go along and see the improvements and changes the volunteers have made over the past year. They WANT you to come and celebrate this milestone for the local community. You can meet the hardworking team who refused to give up when all seemed against them. You can enjoy the family friendly atmosphere and have a cuppa and a cake – and even a chat. The team would love to see you there.
On Saturday, May 16th, there will be a Crafty Destash between 10am and 3pm where a wide range of Arts and Crafts goods will be on sale from crafters who no longer have any use for them.
Sunday, August 3rd, will see An Afternoon at the Musicals with Sandy Smith and Sophie Mairi who will take you on a magical journey through the greatest musical songs ever recorded. Doors open 1:30pm, show begins 2:30pm. Refreshments will be available.
On Friday October 16th, gifted medium, Eddy Quinn returns with his captivating evening of spiritual insight and connection. 6:30-8:30pm with tickets at £7.
For more information (or ticket purchases) Crook Community Centre can be found at Market Place, Crook, Co. Durham. Dl15 8NE. Tel. 01388 765182/07740549512.
