A COMMUNITY group is literally rolling out the carpet while putting the finishing touches to a facelift at a special adult teaching unit.

Durham Community Association (DCA) has been able to complete the refurbishment at Shakespeare Hall, in North Road, thanks to a £600 donation from the city’s freemen.

The cash support is helping to meet the cost of new hard-wearing carpets in two rooms where courses are provided in basic numeracy, literacy and other writing skills for long-term unemployed adults and those seeking to return to work after post-medical or addiction issues.

Modernisation has included replacing brickwork, plaster work with fresh coats of paint and the addition of skirting boards.

A new kitchenette is an added feature and the delivery of replacement furniture, bookcases and desks is imminent.

Centre manager, Liam Cawley, said: “The hangover of Covid is still having its effect on the numbers of those attending but they are slowly beginning to build.

“The freemen’s generosity has been timely and really appreciated.”

Read more: Durham Freemen backs storm-hit charity with 'marquee' donation

Over the span of the year the centre is expected to offer ten-day courses to about 250 people.

The hall, a short walk from the city’s bus and railway stations, has rooms and spaces for hire which are suitable for a wide range of user groups.

They include arts and craft classes, sports clubs, local history and art groups, ballroom, sequence and line-dancing, youth groups and education classes.

Further details are available on www.durhamcommunityassociation.co.uk, the DCA website.

John Booth, chairman of the freemen’s wardens, said “Our charitable trust had no hesitation in supporting a long-established community group based in the heart of the city which provides an important educational opportunity to the community.”

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