A former worship hall in County Durham has been brought back into community use after being leased for a peppercorn annual rent of just £5 and a stottie.
The new CRT Seaham Hub, based in the former Ebenezer Hall at Harbour Walk, Seaham, is run by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, a charity supporting former mining communities across Britain.
The hub has been opened to provide a welcoming space for people to get together, access support, build skills and improve health and wellbeing. It will also enable organisations to deliver activities and services under one roof.
Not-for-profit landlord believe housing supported the project with a £5,114 community grant towards equipment including laptops, a tutor, and gardening and craft supplies. Colleagues also helped clear the garden as part of the transformation, while its Employability Team offers outreach support by working with partners such as the CRT.
Alan Smith, Chief Executive of believe housing, said: “There is a strong link between the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and housing associations like believe housing in supporting healthier, more sustainable communities.
“We know people can face real barriers around training, employment and wellbeing, and having the right support available locally can make a big difference.
“We’re pleased to support the new hub and to continue working alongside partners to help residents build confidence, develop skills and take positive steps forward.”
To open the Seaham Hub, the CRT secured funding from believe housing and Durham County Council’s Easington and Seaham Local Network, alongside a unique lease from the building’s owner, Peter Vine, a surveyor from Sussex.
Peter bought the hall several years ago after discovering his grandfather, John Watson, had helped to build it during the 1920s as a place of worship and support for local people.
For five years he leased it to a beauty academy and, when that came to an end, he was keen to find a new community use for it.
Peter said: “I bought it so it wouldn’t be flattened, and I wanted it to be used by a charity doing good work for local people. That’s exactly what’s happened.
“I’d been trying to find the right use, and when I found the Trust and saw what they do, it just felt right. It looks fantastic and I’m sure it will do a lot of good.”
Explaining the lease, he added: “I’m a surveyor and, in my role, I negotiate leases worth £300,000 to £500,000 a year in rent for corporate clients, so this is a bit different.
“£5 was the rent we agreed, but I needed to come up with a consideration in kind and that’s when we came up with the stottie.”
The unusual agreement was inspired by a memory from Peter’s teens of hearing about the traditional northeast bread – a nod to both the region and his family’s roots.
Andy Lock, Chief Executive of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “We were set up with a clear purpose: to help communities recover from the closure of the coal industry and create new opportunities for local people.
“The new Seaham Hub is a great example of that work in action.
“I’ve never seen a lease agreement with a stottie cake as a prerequisite, but hopefully Peter saw something in us as an organisation and gave us this deal and the opportunity to bring this space back into community use. By working with partners, our team can provide the support and opportunities people in Seaham need.”
Applications are now open for a bursary supporting people living in social housing with the cost of education, training and new opportunities, with awards of up to £500 available.
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believe housing is working with Durham University on a research project exploring the barriers facing economically inactive people in County Durham, helping to inform future partnership action.
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Nik Welsh, Executive Director at believe housing, has been appointed chair of the Pride in Place Peterlee East board, supporting £20m of community‑led investment in the town.
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