This new modular building along with internal fixtures and fittings has cost £66,948.00, and was funded by The Community Investment Fund which was part of the West Redcar SRB Programme, supported by One North East.

The latest enterprise replaces the previous building that had stood on the site at the end of the car park along West Dyke Road, which had been managed by the members of the West Dyke Pensioners Association, throughout its use as a community building.

The list of groups expressing interest is extensive, with enquiries not just within Redcar but also as far a field as Hartlepool.

Ward Surgeries are planned to continue operating from the new building, and with the excellent catering provision of the 9-0 Club frequent refreshment/function days can also be envisaged.
The Workers Educational Association has plans to run a number of adult education courses at the 9-0 Club starting with computers and health care for the elderly.

Further group activities ranging from care and social needs, to children’s groups are expected to be on offer. It is also hoped the centre will prove popular with the local community for various hire purposes, with its location close to the town centre and the new Regent Walk development.

The future for continued community service at the West Dyke Road location looks assured, with the new development continuing the good work of the previous centre for some time to come, as the original wood structure portacabin had provided a social function for the pensioners association for over 25 years.

It was becoming evident however in the 1990’s that the building was worse for wear and suffering from the constant need of repair to its fabric.

A community appraisal of the Newcomen Ward carried out in 1997 first raised residents concerns over the detrimental condition of the building and the need to reassess its future role in the Ward.

A Guisborough based Consultants Company funded by the SRB was commissioned to carry out a feasibility Study of the 9-0 Club and any future development of the site, it became evident from the study that the Newcomen Ward had the scope for improvement of its community facility structure within the Ward through developing the site.

Options to repair the building or merge with another community group at an alternative venue were all Considered, the favoured approach however was to continue the history of a community building occupying the present location.

                    The New Building

The Newcomen Ward Community Forum had played a key role in the development of the project to provide a new community facility on the site, holding a number of meetings with the local authority, and with the support of the SRB Programme a partnership was formed to carry the project forward, following these initial discussions plans for replacing the old 9-0 Club with an expanded resource more suited to the needs of the local community within the ward began to grow.

In December 2003 a funding package awarded by the West Redcar Priority Group, funded through the Community Investment Fund was in place and a new community building ordered for the site.The project began to develop rapidly with the old 9-0 Club building demolished in January 2004.

The new building was supplied by Speaks Building Systems of Halifax and was delivered to the site in March 2004. The new building though similar in size, has improved access for disabled users with double doors opening direct onto the car park area to ease pedestrians congestion and enable better access for wheelchairs and the disabled.

A large function room provides the centre point of the new building with new furnishings supplying seating for up to 70 people.

The modern kitchen area can furnish an abundance of community needs, from simple refreshments provision for ‘coffee mornings’ to full scale events requiring a comprehensive catering service, The quality of service the building can offer means it can cater for most social and community requirements.