A CHARITY partnership has launched a £350,000 campaign to transform a derelict patch of land next to a community centre into a vibrant welfare hub.

Great Aycliffe Community Aid Partnership hopes to extend Agnew Community Centre in Newton Aycliffe to create a base for small charities to help deprived people in the town.

The hub will provide desperately-needed storage facilities for Lifeline Community Action, a crisis intervention charity which provides household essentials to families and individuals in need.

There are also plans to run a new food bank from the centre and the partnership is in talks with a credit union with the view of providing financial support to residents.

Set up in 2013, Great Aycliffe Community Partnership is made up of groups and charities committed to helping those in need in the Newton Aycliffe area.

It was the idea of Syd Howarth, of Newton News, who was keen to bring organisations together to share resources and provide more effective support.

Members include Lifeline Community Action, County Durham Furniture Help Scheme, livin, Stonham and local churches.

Mr Howarth said: “It's all people with an interest in helping people. I noticed there were a lot of groups all doing great work in the town and the idea was to bring them together to avoid duplication and become more efficient, while improving communication to allow groups to make referrals to those better placed to help.”

The welfare hub, which would also house meeting rooms and offices for the charities to interview clients and organise their affairs, is the partnership’s first project and is expected to cost £350,000.

The partnership is applying for grants to help cover the costs and would like to to hear from anyone able to help.

Planning permission has not yet been secured but the Agnew Community Centre is fully behind the project and the group is confident it will be forthcoming.

Partnership chairman Steve Mitten, of Chilton-based County Durham Furniture Help Scheme, said: “This is a really exciting project for the area. It is going to give the smaller charities the chance to have a secure base and share resources. It would also benefit the people living in that area as they won’t have to travel into the town centre to access services like the food bank.”

Any Newton Aycliffe charities which would like to join the partnership should contact the Agnew Community Centre on 01325 321504.