AN organisation supporting the integration and social development of people with learning disabilities is enjoying success with its new purpose-built store.

Haswell and District Mencap, also known as the Lisa Dixon Centre, recently celebrated the official opening of its new furniture store, The FurniSHED.

The new store, built thanks to a £50,000 investment from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, opened its doors to welcome its first customers three weeks ago.

Jane Dixon, who founded the charity 40 years ago, said: “It has been going brilliantly.

“We are delighted with the response of members of the public, who donate the furniture which we then resell to the community and make money for the charity.”

The building that was being used by the Lisa Dixon Centre as the furniture shop had a broken and leaky roof, no heating and was becoming dangerously dilapidated, as the weather over recent years caused a series of problems during the winter months.

In order to maintain this essential funding stream to the charity, chief executive Hayley Hood, applied to the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, an organisation that had previously supported the Centre, in a bid to secure the £50,000 required to build a new facility.

She said “I was so pleased when we secured the funding.

“The furniture store is a great asset to the local community and it makes a huge difference to the charity, allowing us to continue and extend the services that we offer to those who need our support.”

Durham mayor Councillor Edward Bell, local parish councillors Coalfields Regeneration Trust chairman Peter McNestry, attended the official launch.

Cllr Bell said: “We have been involved with the Lisa Dixon Centre for some years now.

“It is fantastic to see such a progressive and worthwhile cause doing so well and having such a positive impact on those that use the facilities.”