A COMMUNITY association which was facing liquidation following council cutbacks has been given a new lease of life after a school stepped in to take ownership.

Unwilling to contemplate the end of community activity on its site, Park View School in Church Chare, Chester-le-Street, has become the sole owner of the Park View Community Association (PVCA).

Welcoming the move, PVCA chairman Dr Bill Dennison said: “We are intent upon becoming a more dynamic, outward-looking organisation to serve children, families and local community of Chester-le-Street. It’s an exciting time.”

The PVCA was set up in 1981 operating as an independent charitable organisation.

PVCA’s relationship with Park View School was on a basis of sharing the school’s amenities, such as its theatre and sports hall, to provide a range of activities for local people on evenings, weekends and during holiday periods.

PVCA was generously subsidised by Durham County Council until the funding cuts back in 2011.

Since the total withdrawal of funding in 2013, PVCA have been running on savings, leaving the association facing potential liquidation within the next 18 months.

With the unanimous support of the school governing body, the PVCA will now operate under the direction of a new group of trustees. All PVCA staff will continue in post.

Park View School business development officer Jodie Graham said the shared arrangement had been in place for many years.

She said: “It always seemed to work, with the community come onto our site from toddler groups to the elderly.

“Then it came to light thePVCA’s their finances were getting less and less.

“We didn’t want to see them close as it would be a huge loss to Chester-le-Street and to our students and children who would eventually come to us - well as their parents and grandparents.

"We approached the PVCA and said that we would be happy to take over running it if they they were prepared to hand it over. They were quite willing for us to take ownership.

"It’s an exciting time for us. We see a lot of benefits for the local community. Should we not have done this they would have lost a lot."

As well as the bowls area the PVCA has access to training and meeting rooms, a 250-seat theatre, performing arts studio, sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor floodlit AstroTurf and a playing field.

The PVCA is now welcoming requests or suggestions from the community to broaden their offerings.

For more information visit www.pvca.org.uk or follow Park-View-Community-Association on Face Book or parkviewca on Twitter.