Youngsters help out on £7.5m Redhills revamp
WORK has begun on the £7.5m restoration of Redhills, Durham Miners Hall, and local youngsters have taken centre stage in it.
The removal of the famous seats in The Pitman’s Parliament to clear the way for vital structural work is the first stage in the project.
Taking part in it are more than a dozen young people from social enterprise Woodshed Workshop. The organisation works with socially and economically disadvantaged young people as well as adults with additional needs and isolated older people.
Based in the old Co-operative buildings in Sacriston, it provides opportunities and support in developing skills and gaining qualifications.
Its founder and director is woodworker Nathan Hopkins. He said: “It is important for the young people working here to know what this place is about – it is their heritage.
“And they are not just visiting Redhills, they are taking part in what is happening here. It is a great experience and opportunity for them – and they’ve been telling their mates all about it.
“In the future, they will look at Redhills and be able to say ‘I was there, and I did that’.”
Guided by experienced woodworkers, the young people have been tasked with the painstaking job of carefully removing and dismantling the Austrian oak seats that have been part of the Grade II-listed council chamber since Redhills opened in 1915.
Elected delegates from communities across the Durham coalfield gathered there for generations, earning the chamber the popular nickname ‘The Pitman’s Parliament.’
From Redhills the delegates helped create a pioneering social system across County Durham before the advent of the national welfare state.
Following the removal of the seats, the young people will be provided further opportunities to return and work alongside other trades on the restoration to further develop their skills.
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Durham County Council and others, Redhills is undergoing a £7.5million redevelopment as a centre for culture, heritage and education.
Nick Malyan, programme manager at Redhills, said: “We want to ensure local people benefit as much as possible from the investment in Redhills.
“Kicking off the project in this way ensures we are supporting a wonderful local enterprise in giving young people a hands on role in their own heritage. They are doing an excellent job.”
The removal of the seats is a vital first step in the restoration. The floor will then be removed to enable underground structural work including the installation of a new ventilation system.
Opened in October 1915 as the headquarters of the Durham Miners Association (DMA), Redhills was funded by more than 150,000 working miners.
From Redhills, the DMA provided education, sickness and unemployment benefits, retirement homes, medical care, community centres, libraries, sports fields and more.
In October 2021, ownership of Redhills was handed to a new charity constituted to serve as the stewards of the Miners Hall on behalf of the public.
Now closed for renovation, the historic hall will be fully restored and the addition of new buildings will enable Redhills to improve accessibility and offer a wide-ranging programme of activities and community resources.
It will use cutting-edge audio-visual technology to bring to life the rich history of the DMA, the people and the communities of the Durham coalfield. It is due to reopen in Spring 2023.