The Four Clocks Community Resource Centre, Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, a Project of Bishop Auckland Community Partnership, a registered charity, is delighted to announce the award of a grant from the Durham County Council Thriving Together Programme, administered by Point North (previously known as County Durham Community Foundation), of £74,100-95 over 3 years, enabling the 8 Projects the Partnership operates to continue and thrive.
These are:
- Family Contact Centre enabling an estranged parent to meet their child in a neutral, safe environment.
- Cultivate 4 Life providing training and social support in horticulture and woodworking skills on a local allotment, plus some community gardening.
- Time 4 Toddlers for pre-school children, with fun to be had, exciting toys , storytime and much more.
- Four Clocks Club providing a safe and friendly environment with activities and refreshments to reduce loneliness and isolation in older persons.
- Memory Club for people with dementia and their carers.
- BAASS – alcohol self-support group helping with the recovery process.
- Games Club for those wishing a wider range of games, cards, etc, than the Four Clocks Club.
- Bereavement Group, helping and supporting people recently bereaved.
The Partnership was formed in 1997 following a community survey in the town, and raised money to buy, convert, and open the Four Clocks Centre in 2002,which was a redundant Methodist Church, and now has a mixture of other charities as tenants, including the Time For You Tearoom, and meeting rooms for hire by the hour.
Robin Easton, a Trustee of Bishop Auckland Community Partnership, said that the grant means regular activities that reduce isolation, support mental health and recovery, and offer early help for people facing bereavement, dementia, anxiety and family breakdown can continue. Its practical, preventative work that stops issues escalating and helps people stay connected and well. We’re grateful to Durham County Council for recognising this and continuing to invest in local groups like our Partnership, whose work makes a real difference every day.
Sophie O’Connor, Fund Manager of Point North said that ‘long-term sustainable funding gives organisations the stability to plan ahead, strengthen capacity and respond early to local need in ways that fight poverty and enrich lives’.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
