After many years of deliberating, head scratching, shrugging of shoulders and kicking the can down the road, we are very pleased to be in a position to say that our Blackfyne home FINALLY has a new roof.

Our committee members are no strangers to the conversations around the perilous state of the roof, the numerous leaks that it has had over recent years, the many temporary patchwork repairs it has had and the fact that the only real resolution was a full replacement.

Having discussed it for years, the club decided in 2023 that enough was enough and it was finally time to seek out the necessary permissions and funding to allow this to be done. Secretary of that time, Andrew Cox made initial contact with Durham County Council regarding planning permission, landlords consent and anything else that we needed to be aware of. As with all of these types of scenario, these things take time – a lot of it! When he left the post in November 2023, we were no further forward. As interim Secretary, Ian continued to chase this up but with limited results. A chance encounter and discussion with Councillor Kathryn Rooney would see things start to change. The club mentioned that the roof was in a perilous state and that it would require significant funds to allow the club to replace it. Kathryn put the club in contact with The Derwent Valley Area Action Partnership and a meeting was arranged. They explained that funding for worthwhile community projects can be made available on a matched basis with the blessing of Cllr Rooney.

They were extremely supportive in terms of contact with the council and showing us how to go about filling in the various forms required to secure funding and who best to speak to regarding planning permissions etc.

As the process evolved, committee member Steven Marshall took up the reins of the paperwork due to his knowledge of what is involved in construction projects as well as Stuart Graham working alongside him to utilise his knowledge of materials and contractors.

Once all permissions were granted from the council and we knew that the agreed funding would be available, we pencilled in a start date in November 2024, some 18 months from first starting to get our heads around the task in hand.

A huge amount of thanks are owed on behalf of the club to both Stuart and Steven for their persistence in the face of adversity and excellent project management.

Thanks to Cllr Rooney and Corinne and the team at DVAAP for making it possible to access funding to allow us to bridge the gap between what we could afford and what the project would actually cost, as well as their assistance in working with the council to tick all of the necessary boxes to allow the project to be within legal frameworks. 

Thanks to Cllr Stelling for his contribution toward the project.

Thanks to sponsor Climax Scaffolding for installing and removing the necessary scaffold to ensure that the work site was safe.

Thanks to another sponsor, Lister Waste Management for providing skips and disposing of waste materials.

Thanks to Wayne Hillier Roofing for undertaking the works and making an excellent job of replacing the worn out roof with a shiny new, watertight one!

Thanks to the ECB funding scheme which allowed us to access funds.

And of course thanks to another of our sponsors – JT Dove for efficiently supplying us with all of the necessary materials to carry out the job.

The hard work and determination means that the future use of our Blackfyne home is secured for a long time yet, and that when the inevitable rain delays occur, we know we will be dry and warm in the bar! Well done everyone!