Glendale Gateway Trust
A community development trust bringing empty high street buildings into community ownership
The Glendale Gateway Trust (GGT) is a charitable community development trust based in the small rural town of Wooler in North Northumberland. Based at the Cheviot Centre, the trust was set up to support the community of Glendale – one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country.
The GGT operate a community and business centre in Wooler. They also own a number of commercial units on the high street, 20 affordable housing properties and Wooler Youth Hostel and Shepherds Huts.
In November 2018, the last high street bank in Wooler closed and in the summer of 2019 GGT bought the empty 19th century listed building as part of its approach to tackle the issue of empty buildings on the high street while increasing its community-led housing stock. After consultation and fundraising plans were drawn up to convert the upper floors, creating two affordable community-led homes. Building work to create two new two bedroom flats close to shops and services started in December 2019 and was completed in June 2020 with conversion costs totalling £220,000. Tenants moved into the new homes in July 2020.
GGT received grants from: Homes England, Northumberland County Council , The Architectural Heritage Fund, The Sir James Knott Trust and The Bernard Sunley Foundation. It also received funds from The Glendale Community Bond holders via its community share issue plus a private donation.