Redhills to look ahead to next chapter following successful reopening and extensive restoration

The iconic Redhills Durham Miners Hall is now looking ahead to the future following extensive and meticulous restoration of the magnificent building to its former glory.

Following a multi-million-pound transformation underpinned by £9million support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and more than £5m raised from trade unions and the wider community, the Miners Hall has successfully reopened to the public as a centre for culture, education, events and community organising.

As part of that Redhills Sundays take place every week for visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the history, culture and values that Redhills embodies. Sundays have a tradition of being a time for family, learning, culture, community and collective activity within coalfield communities. Redhills Sundays has reimagined that practice for the twenty-first century, creating a regular weekly gathering place that is accessible, welcoming and affordable.

Running for the past 8 weeks, hundreds of visitors have already been welcomed through the doors of the historic Grade II* listed headquarters of the Durham Miners Association. They have been able to explore the building, enjoy food and refreshments, take part in creative activities and engage with the history and contemporary life of the Miners Hall through spotlight talks and films.

Redhills Sundays sit alongside a varied programme of ticketed events, the majority of which sell out months in advance. The programme has included over 300 events so far, including regular sell-out tours, film screenings, the Brass Bands England National Conference, Durham Brass Festival, and a performance from Eliza Carthy, with more to come.

Over 15,000 people have walked through the building’s historic doorways since June 2025. Visitors have said they “felt really connected to working-class history – my roots and that of others”, while another praised a “true story told with passion and appropriate detail, bringing history to life.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said of the project and its success: “It’s fantastic to see the transformation that has taken place at Redhills and that its doors are now open to the public. This impressive building can now continue to act as a space for the communities of Durham and beyond to celebrate and connect to the important mining heritage that is at the heart of the area. We are very proud to have supported its redevelopment, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, and it’s wonderful to hear the praise from visitors that have stepped foot into the Miners Hall already. We are excited to see how Redhills develops for the future following its phenomenal transformation.”

Redhills belongs to the communities of the Durham Coalfield and remains a place where people come together to share stories, ideas and solidarity. It has been reborn with the vision, ‘the past we inherit, the future we build’. The team at Redhills will continue to build on that vision for the next generations through the Redhills Assembly being held on 2 and 3 October. Community organisations across the region are invited to register for the event: https://assembly.redhillsdurham.org/register/

Building on the community consultation that helped shape the Heritage Fund-supported project, the Redhills Assembly will bring together people and organisations from across the Coalfield and beyond to explore what comes next -  what can be learned from the institutions and collective action of the past, what communities are already building today, and how Redhills can support that work.

Andrew McIntyre, Chief Executive of Redhills, said: “Restoring Redhills was never simply about saving a remarkable building. The people who built this place believed that by organising together they could improve their lives, build institutions of their own and give their communities greater power over their future.

“Before the restoration began, people across the Coalfield told us they didn’t want Redhills to become a museum to a vanished industry. They wanted that inheritance put back to work.

“That is what this Assembly is about. We want to learn from what previous generations built, from the extraordinary work already happening in our communities today, and from people doing this work elsewhere. And together, we want to ask what we can build now — how communities can rebuild their Common Wealth, and what part Redhills can play in making that possible.”

Considered one of the world’s best examples of trade union architecture, Durham Miners Association New Hall and Offices, more commonly known as Redhills, opened in 1915. The grand building was designed in Edwardian Baroque style and replaced the former Miner’s Hall that stood on North Road.

Situated in the city centre of Durham the grand Grade II* building represents the rich history of social progress and community enterprise in North East England. At the heart of Redhills is an impressive council chamber known as the Pitman’s Parliament. It was here that miners were given a platform to voice their concerns and debate issues relating to their industry with a seat for each of Durham’s 297 pits.