VILLAGERS who saved their leisure centre from closure are set to unveil new facilities created under a £78,000 revamp this weekend.

Coxhoe’s Linden Centre was saved from demolition and relaunched as Active Life Centre @ Coxhoe by the community-run Future Leisure in Coxhoe (Flic) after members took over its operation from Durham County Council last November.

Since then, a former reception area has been transformed into a modern dance and performance studio with a specialist flooring and mirrored walls, back offices have been turned into a new reception area and another studio has been created upstairs.

A number of apprentice trainee leisure assistants have also been appointed.

The improvements have cost £78,000, with funding coming from East Durham Leader, Coxhoe Community Partnership, local businesses and others.

There will be an official opening of the new facilities at noon on Saturday, June 23. All are invited to tour the centre between noon and 1pm.

There will also be a dance demonstration and informal taster sessions of the activities on offer at the centre. Light refreshments will be available.

Mick Lavelle, chairman of Flic, said: "It’s looking really modern and up to date.

"It’s going very well. We’ve got all our projections and what everybody considered was reasonable and we’re hitting those targets.

"Membership has increased and there’s a much more vibrant atmosphere to the whole place. We’ve had loads of positive comments from new and old members about how we’ve improved the experience.

"We’re doing everything we hoped we’d do."

Next, Flic hopes to improve the centre’s gym facilities. Plans are being drawn up and priced and funding applications are being considered.

For more information, call the centre, on Linden Grove, on 0191-3771789.

The first in a monthly afternoon concert series will be held on Wednesday. The Pauline Ash Singers will perform at 2pm. Tickets are £3 each.

The centre suffered a blow earlier this month when 21 bicycles, half owned by Durham County Council and half by the NHS, were stolen from a container in the car park. Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Police on 101.