Dancing Through the Years 

Is a regeneration and community art project celebrating 80 years of music and dance in Easington Social Welfare Centre.  In 2010, Accent Community & Regeneration Partnerships got together with Easington Colliery Regeneration Partnership and Easington Social Welfare Centre to come up with the project idea as part of Durham County Council's Arts Development initiative.

Bill Harris from East Durham Artists Network was commissioned to work with residents on a project which recognises the role Easington Social Welfare Centre has had in the cultural and social history of the community it serves.  8 pieces of work celebrating 8 decades of dance in the Social Welfare’s Dance Hall illustrates changing times and tastes from the 1930s to the current day.

From a mining community to a commuter village, Easington Social Welfare Centre is a place where people continue to ‘dance through the years’.  The art works were launched on Tuesday 26th October in the dance hall of Easington Social Welfare Centre, Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, SR8 3PL.  The centre is open for them to be viewed on request.

Local Books now on sale in the centre.

Keith Pattison's NO REDEMPTION £15 Photographs from the miners strike in the 1980's Easington Writers Group SHRUGGING OF THE WIND (£3) & FOOTPRINTS at the WATER'S EDGE .....more tales from Easington Writers  £7.50 FIGHT TO THE FINISH Gordon Macpherson (1928-1999) The life, poems and stories of an East Durham Miner

November 2011.  The centre is getting ready to install a Cinema Screen.  Funding from Awards for All (£8,719).  £1,000 from County Cllr. Alan Barker and £250 from the Cooperative Community Fund are all contributing towards this project.

September 2010.  The centre has received a grant for £1,504 from the Durham County Foundation to purchase new Snooker and Pool Table Lights for the snooker hall.  The new lights will be installed in the coming months. 

October 2009 to February 2010.  More funding to help develop the centre has been received from; The William Webster Charitable Trust (£2,000), Christ's Hospital in Sherburn (£3,000), The North East Miners' Social Welfare Trust Fund (7,200), The Rothley Trust (£600) and The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (£15,850). Collectively this amounts to £28,650 and will be used to pay for renewing the Ground Floor Electrics and to upgrade the Fire Alarm System throughout the building.  Works will commence soon and see further improvements to the building.  The Trustee/Management Committee give thanks to all these funders for their financial support to undertake these works.

February 2009.  Easington District Council through their Local Development Fund have provided £2,000 for the centre to upgrade the Gent's Toilets on the ground floor.

December 2008.  The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in provided a grant of £10,000 to contribute to the installation of a PA/DJ sound system to the Dance Hall.  The system in now installed and is being used by the centre.

September 2008.  The North East Area Miners Welfare Trust Fund provide a grant of £7,877 towards the renewal of 22 windows in the building.  Awards for All provided £5,251 also towards this project.  These works have made a further improvement to the building.

August 2008.  Secret Millionnaire Carl Hopkins (as seen on Channel 4 on the 26th August) gratefully donated £12,000 to the centre to purchase new stage curtains and stage lighting back in May.  These works are now complete and add to the improvements previously made by other funders.  Our sincere thanks go out to Carl for his interest and belief in what we are aiming to achieve for our community.

July 2008.  10 Station IT suite now open.  The Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) has provided the funding to develop the meeting room into a 10 station IT suite.  This facility will provide hireable IT facilities for new start-up businesses in the area.  If you are interested in using these facilities please contact our centre manager.

March 2008.  Funds provided by the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder (Quick Response Intervention Scheme) has enabled the centre to erect a large screen TV system is the snooker hall.  This enables young people to come and meet and enjoy the music channels.  It is also linked into our satellite system and can show live football games also.

December 2007.  The redecorating of the dance is complete and the new hall curtains are up.  This dance hall is beginning to look rather grand.

February 2008.  Road works around the centre!  Don't worry that was just the new power cable being laid as part of our redevelopment process.  Works are now completed.

February 2008.  A boxing club for young people between the ages of 13 to 25 has started in the centre.  They meet on Wednesday and Friday at 5pm to 6.30pm.  A grant has been received to purchase equipment and a boxing ring.  A local coach is providing instruction to young people.  If you are interested please contact us.

October 2007.  New Lounge furniture. The centre has invested in new lounge furniture to make your evenings more comfortable.  All you have to do is come along and have a relaxing chat and a drink with your friends.

• A grant of £61,883 from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to undertake electrical improvements to the upper dance hall, improve the stage electricity supply and to decorate the hall was made in early October 2007.  Therefore, further improvements to this venue will be made in the coming months with completion scheduled for March 2008.
• A grant for £10,000 was received from the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation to undertake essential elcetrical works in the Dance Hall. These works have improve the lighting in the dance hall and provide better control of light settings.
• A grant of £2,040 is received from the Local Childrens Network to support the Junior Drama Classes and a further pledge of £1,000 from The Shears Foundation is received to support this activity with the Barbour Trust donating £500, The Sir James Knott Trust donating £1,000 and the Garfield Weston Foundation donating £2,000.  Further funding is also being sought to compliment this pledge and donations in order to continue these classes for children.
• Members and volunteers have undertaken a local survey on behalf of the Easington and Horden Pathfinder project that has sought views from over 350 residents in Easington Colliery.
• A further application for funds to install more double glazing to improve our energy efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint has failed but we are still seeking other potential funders for these works.
• Work on developing the Youth Room in the centre is nearly complete and young people have started to come into the centre.  A additional Youth Worker has recently started work in the area and young people should contact the centre if they want to get involved.
• Two snooker tables have recently been re-clothed and a further table has now been installed.
• Premier League Football in now showing in the bar.
• A local joiner has made a splendid job rebuilding the Bar in the Dance Hall and the steps to the stage.  This work supports the dance hall improvements.

 March 2007.  The BIG Lottery Fund have provided £210,000 to employ a Centre Development Manager at Easington Social Welfare Centre from June 2007 to June 2012.