The existing premises in Gilesgate were built in 1899 and belonged to Newcastle Diocese, used as an annex of Hexham Abbey.
Known as the Abbey Institute or St Wilfrid’s Institute, it was the venue for Sunday School and other church related
activities. During the war, like many large buildings in Hexham it was used to billet troops, at one time a detachment of
the Border Regiment. A local War Veteran remembers being housed there.
In 1962 the premises were sold to The Community Association “Otherwise known as Hexham Community Centre”
which had formerly used various premises in Haugh Lane down the bank nearer the railway. Newcastle Diocese was relieved to
sell for £5,000, a price which reflected the awareness of the extent of deterioration and probable cost of ongoing maintenance.
Hexham Community Centre devoted a lot of energy to upgrading the premises helped by frequent grants from Northumberland
County Council who for many years part funded the employment of a Warden. A purpose built second floor area with coffee bar
was used by youth clubs two evenings a week.
The ground floor and first floor rooms were regularly let to User Groups such as Weight Watchers, Sequence Dancers
and Karate, who appreciated the effort to make things as good as possible. The community spirit was good but the constant
need for patching-up maintenance was a drain on hard earned resources.
In 1990 Hexham was chosen as a town which could benefit from the improving of some form of community facility. Hexham
Community Centre was chosen by the Town Council as it was owned by a Trust and any money spent on the premises would benefit
the whole town
Two Councillors, John Lynch and Norman Reed were keen to establish a Youth Café and Drop-in centre for local youth
and used this in support.
The project widened and new ideas advocated refurbishment of the entire premises under the direction of an architect
The Community Centre Committee were divided in their response and indeed almost rejected the plan. There were
fears that so large a project would result in outside control and the Centre would lose the independence which had shaped
its flexible approach to users. When the decision had to be reached, the Chairman, Stan Batey, pleaded for acceptance , saying
it would be less than responsible to future users to ignore the inevitable deterioration of the building and also miss the
opportunity to develop a modern community centre.. Acceptance was agreed and plans for refurbishment began. With
grants from the large Charities including National Lottery, European Fund, Tudor Trust and Garfield Weston Trust , refurbishment
was completed at a cost of nearly £300,000 and occupation began in 1997.
The result was beyond all expectations and the Community Centre has become a valuable community asset with offices
for the voluntary sector and halls and rooms meeting the needs of a wide range of interest groups from all the area.
A
new Trust, Hexham & Tynedale Community Trust with an updated Constitution was set up with Stan Batey its first Chairman.
After three years Stan Batey became President with John Lynch as Chairman. Sadly John died and was succeeded by the present
Chairman Jane Wrigley.
After nine years demand has increased. There are hopes for enlargement with imaginative new features to keep abreast
of modern ideas.
