Partner Article

Middlesbrough community hub to stay open

Langridge Initiative Centre in Middlesbrough, which provides facilities and services for the communities of Berwick Hills and Park End, has announced that it will remain open and will be managed by a newly identified voluntary sector organisation.

Registered under the Co‐Operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, the organisation proved to be financially unviable and sought advice from insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor last November in order to avoid being placed into liquidation.

Following negotiations with one of the centre’s key stakeholders, the Department of Education, Begbies Traynor has secured a deal for the centre to continue to operate so that the local authority can facilitate a community asset transfer to a new organisation.

Amanda Buck, a representative of Langridge Initiative Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful that, with the help of Begbies Traynor, we have been able to reach an agreement with the Department of Education without whose support our organisation and the facility faced an uncertain future.

“Langridge Initiative Centre will now work with the Local Authority to ensure an Asset Transfer secures the future and, we hope, will be able to extend its activities to the benefit all of the local community.”

Situated off Langridge Crescent, the centre provides the local community with a number of amenities including furnished room hire and office accommodation, adult education courses, a launderette, a café and a crèche.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .