THE manager of a homeless hostel that was earmarked for closure has been given an award for his fight to keep it open.

The Salvation Army is hopeful that Tom Raine Court, in Darlington, will now be able to continue, due in part to the efforts of the centre manager, Tony Thornton.

The Christian organisation has submitted a bid to Darlington Borough Council for a new contract to house vulnerable adults and is confident it will be awarded the tender.

As a result of Mr Thornton’s work to keep the centre open, he has been given an I’ll Fight award in the Salvation Army’s Social Service Awards.

Tom Raine Court, which has 37 residents and employs 21 staff, was faced with closure after learning last year that Darlington Borough Council was insisting upon modifications to the building, while cutting its grant by up to 40 per cent.

A 1,000-name petition against the closure was handed to the council as a result.

The hostel was due to close at the end of this month, however, the council is now reviewing its policy and has invited bids for a four-year contract.

Mr Thornton was given an MBE last year for his work with the homeless.

He said: “I am honoured, but this was really a team effort, our staff have really stuck together. I think this is recognition that we run a very good centre.

“There’s also been a lot of support for the Salvation Army in the town – we’ve been here for 12 years and we hope to continue that.”

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said: “We can confirm we are currently undertaking a tender process for the provision of hostel accommodation for people aged 18 and above.

“All bidders will be notified of the outcome of the tender process in April.”