Project Case Studies

European funding has been used to support a wide variety of projects in County Durham, some examples are shown below. If you require further information on any of these projects please contact Kay Wellburn on tel: 0191 3834093.

Beamish Tourist Attractions

Programme: Objective 2
Measure: 3.1
Project Sponsor: Beamish Museum
ERDF Support: £510,000
Outputs:

700 square metre developed with public sector support.
4 tourist attractions created/improved.
50,400 gross visitors expected in 2005.

Funding provided to this project enabled Beamish Open Air Museum to develop further visitor attractions.This included improvements to tramway services, the 1820 Georgian North Displays, the production of a replica Puffing Billy locomotive and the construction of a Masonic Hall.

The Masonic Hall was officially opened on 19 April 2006, the first of its kind to permanently open to the public in Europe. HRH The Duke of Kent (Head of the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons in England) opened the attraction along with hundreds of Freemasons in full regalia. The building is a truly authentic recreation of an early 20th Century Masonic Hall – with a real frontage that has come from a former Masonic Hall in Park Terrace, Sunderland, taken down and rebuilt at Beamish. A Masonic Hall has been built behind the frontage with a breath-taking interior complete with period décor and rare Masonic furnishings, paintings and artefacts, providing a unique insight into the world of the Freemasons in 1913.

Seaham Regeneration Scheme

Programme: Objective 2
Measure: 3.1
Project Sponsor: Durham County Council
ERDF Support: £1,252,522
Outputs:

9.3 hectares of brownfield land developed
40 net new jobs created
£1m gross new turnover in SMEs

This project assisted in the regeneration and economic growth of Seaham, following the closure of local mines. It decontaminated and reclaimed a 10 hectare former gasworks site in the south of Seaham. This reclamation improved the attractiveness of the area and encouraged investors into the area. It enabled Seaham Harbour Dock Company to relocate and expand allowing increased capacity to be handled by the port. It also provided a link road ensuring heavy goods vehicles were removed from unsuitable roads in residential areas and created an industrial zone to the south of the town. Work completed in April 2003 and a Gold Award from the Green Organisation was presented to the project for its contribution to environmental management.

Aspirations Begin @ Home

Programme: Objective 2
Measure: 4.4
Project Sponsor: Derwentside District Council
ERDF Support: £149,607
Outputs:

3 jobless residents trained
2 employed residents trained
40 training beneficaries obtaining NVQ level 1 or equivalent
5 training beneficaries obtaining NVQ level 2 or equivalent

Aspirations Begin at Home was launched to encourage the residents of Craghead, South Moor and South Stanley to recognise their own skills and abilities, to improve their job prospects and as the title of the project suggests raise their aspirations. In a bid to raise standards of education and help young people the project has provided computers to family homes enabling them to access online learning opportunities. As a direct result of this project there are a number of residents currently enrolled on a variety of courses that will provide them with an accredited qualification. The technical support required has also given five young people the opportunity to undertake an IT apprenticeship which will result in an NVQ Level 2 qualification.

Leader+

Examples of projects funded under the Leader+ programme can be accessed on the programme's dedicated webpages.

Urban II

You can view project case studies from the Urban II Hetton and Murton Community Initiative on their website.

Visit the main Europe page.