Community hub opens in Seaham after former worship hall leased for £5 and a stottie

Paula Snowdon, Regional Development Manager – North East at the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, presents a traditional northern stottie, to Peter Vine, who has leased the former Ebenezer Hall to the charity for use as a community and skills hub. Also pictured, left to right, are Mayoress of Seaham Cllr Sylvia Lingard, Mayor of Seaham Cllr Milford Lingard, Alan Smith, Chief Executive of believe housing, Andy Lock, Chief Executive of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, and Sandy Denney, Easington and Seaham Local Network Coordinator.

A former worship hall in County Durham has been brought back into community use after being leased for a peppercorn annual rent of just £5 and a stottie.

The new CRT Seaham Hub, based in the former Ebenezer Hall at Seaham, is run by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, a charity supporting former mining communities across Britain.

The hub has been opened to provide a welcoming space for people to get together, access support, build skills and improve health and wellbeing. It will also enable organisations to deliver activities and support services under one roof.

To open the Seaham Hub, the CRT secured funding from believe housing and Durham County Council’s Easington and Seaham Local Network, alongside a unique lease from the building’s owner, Peter Vine, a surveyor from Sussex.

Peter bought the hall several years ago after discovering his grandfather, John Watson, had helped to build it during the 1920s as a place of worship and support for local people.

For five years he leased it to a beauty academy and, when that came to an end, he was keen to find a new community use for it.

Peter said: “I bought it so it wouldn’t be flattened, and I wanted it to be used by a charity doing good work for local people. That’s exactly what’s happened.

“I’d been trying to find the right use, and when I found the CRT and saw what they do, it just felt right. It looks fantastic and I’m sure it will do a lot of good.”

Explaining the lease, he added: “I’m a surveyor and, in my role, I negotiate leases worth £300,000 to £500,000 a year in rent for corporate clients, so this is a bit different.

“£5 was the rent we agreed, but I needed to come up with a consideration in kind and that’s when we came up with the stottie.”

The unusual agreement was inspired by a memory from Peter’s teens of hearing about the traditional northeast bread and serves as a nod to his family’s roots.

Andy Lock, Chief Executive of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “We were set up with a clear purpose: to help communities recover from the closure of the coal industry and create new opportunities for local people.

“The new CRT Seaham Hub is a great example of that work in action.

“I’ve never seen a lease agreement with a stottie cake as a prerequisite, but hopefully Peter saw something in us as an organisation and gave us this deal and the opportunity to bring this space back into community use. By working with partners, our team can provide support and opportunities people in Seaham need.”

Not-for-profit landlord believe housing supported the project with a £5,114 community grant towards equipment including laptops, a tutor, and gardening and craft supplies. Colleagues also helped clear the garden as part of the transformation, while its Employability Team offers outreach support by working with partners such as the CRT.

Alan Smith, Chief Executive of believe housing, said: “There is a strong link between the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and housing associations like believe housing in supporting healthier, more sustainable communities.

“We know people can face real barriers around training, employment and wellbeing, and having the right support available locally can make a big difference.

“We’re pleased to support the new hub and to continue working alongside partners to help residents build confidence, develop skills and take positive steps forward.”

Alan leads the Better Lives workstream of the North East Housing Partnership, focused on improving residents’ life chances through tackling poverty, boosting skills and employment, and supporting family wellbeing. The North East Housing Partnership is a group of social housing providers working together to support the North East Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver a comprehensive housing plan for the region that drives inclusive economic growth, supports net zero, and helps residents live healthier lives.

The CRT was also awarded £5,000 from Durham County Council’s Easington, Seaham and Surrounding Areas Local Network Welfare Fund.

The CRT Seaham Hub was officially opened by Peter Vine and Easington MP Grahame Morris, on Friday, 6 June 2026, at an event attended by partners and civic leaders including the Mayor of Seaham Councillor Milford Lingard.