A youth and community centre has been renamed to honour the memory of a dedicated local councillor, who died in September. 

Leanne Kennedy’s name will now be associated with the Dawdon facility after trustees and committee members voted unanimously to rename the site the Leanne Kennedy Community Centre.

The former mayor of Seaham was elected to serve her local ward in 2017 and had served on Durham County Council ever since. 

Cllr Kennedy worked with many community groups during the coronavirus lockdowns to deliver emergency supplies and food parcels to the area’s most vulnerable and elderly, while also preparing, cooking and delivering hot meals to ensure nobody identified as 'at risk' went hungry. 

Trustee and local councillor Kevin Shaw’s proposal to rename the centre was unanimously backed.

The Northern Echo: The former mayor of Seaham was elected to serve her local ward in 2017 and had served on Durham County Council ever since. The former mayor of Seaham was elected to serve her local ward in 2017 and had served on Durham County Council ever since. (Image: County Durham Labour)

Cllr Shaw said: “Leanne gave so much of herself to this centre and our community, helping to maintain its social fabric during extremely difficult times, which included austerity, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

“Leanne always put the needs of others first and never wanted anything in return. Her loss as a colleague is immense and as a close friend it’s so very painful, but this centre is the hub of our community and the fact it will carry Leanne’s name in memory of all her outstanding work is incredibly fitting.”

In a tribute following her death, Labour leader cllr Carl Marshall said cllr Kennedy was a dedicated member of her community who always put others before herself.

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“Leanne was in all senses a pillar of her community,” he said. 

“She served Dawdon with passion and distinction. She felt lucky to represent the ward she was born and bred in. She was massively active in supporting youth projects and became a vital leader for her community during Covid-19.

“She had such an infectious personality and she was an absolute one-off. The office of county councillor was a privilege for Leanne, but she didn’t let it change who she was.”