A CENTURY-old park will see its pavilion brought back into use after a group’s plans to relaunch it as a community hub received the green light.

The bowls pavilion at Eastwoods Park in West Wylam has stood empty for almost 20 years.

The Friends of Eastwoods Park group, formed earlier this year, has worked with Friends of Prudhoe Woods and Northumberland County Council to improve the games area, trees and floral beds in the park.

The group also submitted a tender to Northumberland County Council for the former bowls pavilion, which it hoped to turn into a community space, complete with a dog-friendly café, toilets, a community and activity room and storage space for sports equipment for use in the park.

And this week, trustee of Friends of Eastwoods Park Russ Greig said the group was overjoyed at the news they had been granted a lease for the building by the county council .

Members of the group hope that the facility will bring together members of the community, particularly those who are at risk of isolation or disadvantage, and become a focal point for community groups, events and sporting activities.

To support the group in renovating the building and bringing it back into use, the county council has offered £17,000 from its parks enhancement programme to install utilities and repair the fabric of the building, while local county councillors have also given financial support.

“We will be looking to apply for different grant funding for the work going into the winter,” explained Russ. “We really want to get everything in place for when the park starts to be used in the spring.

“It is a community building and we want to make sure it actually has a benefit for the whole community.”

Prudhoe South county councillor Gordon Stewart said: “The bowls pavilion has been standing empty for almost 20 years, a sheer waste of what was once a great community facility, and I am delighted that it will be brought back into good use."

Prudhoe North county councillor Ken Stow said: “So much investment and hard work has gone into this park over the last year, and it certainly has a very bright future where many people will be able to visit and enjoy.”