Durham Riverside Renewal

The Waddington Street Centre is celebrating the arrival of its new minibus, after it hit its 40^th anniversary year fundraising target.

The Durham City-based independent North East mental health charity aimed to raise £40,000 to mark its fourth decade of offering a wide range of informal educational activities and support services based on individual needs and aspirations.

As a result of hitting its target, the centre has purchased a 17-seater Ford Transit minibus from First Class Commercials Ltd, based in Birtley, which will allow its team to organise a range of activities and trips around the North East for its members.

Throughout 2021, the centre held a range of fundraising activities, including a triathlon in Seaham, which raised more than £1,200, raffles, a pre-loved sale and a bake sale with a pop-up street café.

The Waddington Street Centre also received significant donations from businesses and organisations, including the Milburngate development on Durham City’s riverside, which has selected the centre as its chosen charity.

The centre was also the official charity of Lumiere in 2021 and received a donation of more than £5,000 raised at the light festival’s gala dinner.

Ali Lee, Centre Manager, said: “Our new minibus is really important to all of our members and we’re really pleased to receive the keys. The last couple of years have further highlighted that isolation and not having the opportunity to travel, even locally, can affect our mental health. The minibus will allow us to provide activities that boost wellbeing by visiting some of the amazing places the North East has to offer.

“We’re extremely grateful for all of the donations, including Milburngate and Lumiere, for their support and generosity in allowing us to raise enough money to buy the minibus.”

Allan Cook from Arlington Real Estate, which is developing Milburngate in a joint venture with Richardson, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to help the Waddington Street Centre hit its fundraising target to enable it to purchase the new

minibus to mark its 40^th anniversary, which I am sure will make a huge difference to the range of activities and services it provides in the community.

“The Waddington Street Centre does brilliant work in Durham and the surrounding area to support mental health and we wish the centre and its members well in their travels around the region.”

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF DURHAM RIVERSIDE

For further information contact Jamie Collis 01325 363436

Editors’ Notes:

Durham Riverside Renewal

The development consortium consists of Arlington Real Estate and Richardson.

The project includes the regeneration of Freemans Reach and the redevelopment of Milburngate House, which are on adjacent banks of the River Wear in the heart of Durham City.

According to the Sunday Times’ ‘Best Places to Live’:

“Durham is a lovely place to live. Beneath its glorious cathedral, you’ll find pretty cobbled streets stuffed with little independent shops and great watering holes, a beautiful river that carves its way through dramatic walls of rock and greenery, and some attractive house stock – along with a thriving buy-to-let market, thanks to all those students. One of the nicest places to live is South Street, which looks directly onto the cathedral and castle, and which inspired Sir Walter Scott. Many of its terraced houses are grade II listed; prices range from £400,000 to more than £1m.”

About Arlington Real Estate

Arlington Real Estate is also delivering another flagship County Durham development, DurhamGate. Located five miles south of Durham City, DurhamGate is on the site of Black & Decker’s former UK headquarters and, at almost 100 acres, it is among the largest regeneration projects in the North East of England

About Richardson

Richardson is a multi-generation family business with over half a century of real estate experience in the UK and overseas. Working across all sectors, they have developed well in excess of seven million square feet of property. Recent projects include Nickel, junction 28 off the M1, a new spec build 261,000 sq ft warehouse, Western 105, Avonmouth, a new spec build 105,500 sq ft warehouse, Freemans Reach, a 110,000 sq ft office development in Durham, Lincoln Gateway, a £28m, 519 bed student accommodation scheme. More recently the family has continued to expand its operations by building an international growth capital portfolio across a range of sectors through a direct and co-investment programme.