EVERY village has a facility which acts as a focal point for the community.

It can often be the church or the village pub, but in the case of Hurworth, near Darlington, it is undoubtedly The Grange Community Centre.

The building, which was built in 1875, was formerly a family home before it was opened as a vibrant community centre in 1969.

Since then, it has acted as a venue for a number of activities, including sports, music and entertainment.

But a shadow was cast over the centre last year when Darlington Borough Council cut its grant aid by almost £8,000 a year.

This left the centre facing a permanent deficit from June this year, and led to the parish council making the difficult decision to increase the parish precept to the council tax.

Residents were told the increase would be temporary, allowing the council to buy time until long-term funding could be found.

The parish council and the management committee of the Grange have been working feverishly since then to secure the future of the centre, which at one time or another will have been used by most people living in Hurworth.

While there is still a lot of work to do, those involved in trying to keep the centre at the hub of the community Hurworth are quietly confident that the dark days are behind them.

Another subject which is guaranteed to attract debate in Hurworth is Middlesbrough Football Club.

The premiership club has a major presence in the village, having bought Rockliffe Park in 1996 and developed a multi-million pound football training facility which is now recognised as one of the best in world.

Recently, Middlesbrough Football Club submitted a planning application to transform the Grade II listed Rockliffe Hall mansion into a 46-bedroom country hotel.

It also plans to incorporate a leisure and health club, with conference and banqueting facilities at the site.

The general consensus within the village is that the club is a good neighbour, and that it raises the profile of the area through its presence.

But on occasions, club officials have incurred the wrath of villagers, such as when complaints have been made about footballers speeding through the community in their Porsches and Ferraris.

Hurworth ward councillor Roderick Burtt is a supporter of the club.

"There was some uncertainty when the club first came into the village, but I think most people now see that they have built some excellent facilities which have lifted the image of Hurworth," Councillor Burtt said.

"By bringing an historic building like Rockliffe Hall back into use, they are not only preserving part of the village's heritage, but will also hopefully offer employment to local people."

Like any village, Hurworth is not immune to crime, but most offences are minor and tend to be committed by youths coming into the area from nearby Darlington.

The village also suffers from the perennial problem of teenagers hanging around on street corners, often drinking alcohol because they are too young to get into the pubs.

Trevor Drury, headteacher of Hurworth Primary School, says one of the best things about the village is how well the local community takes a keen interest in the work of young people.

"The school serves very much as an agency for families to come together through the children, and there are very strong links with the village," he said