Workington park Old Man's Shelter restored for community use

Work is under way to restore Park End Shelter in Vulcan Park, Workington, into a fully accessible community space with a kitchen, meeting room, toilets and Wi‑Fi; work began on Monday and is expected to finish within eight weeks.

Work is under way to restore a small park building in Vulcan Park, Workington, and to convert it into a community space. The shelter dates back to 1937, when money was donated for a meeting room where men could gather to read the newspaper. It is officially called Park End Shelter and is known locally as the Old Man's Shelter. The town council says the currently unused building will be redeveloped to host workshops, events and health and wellbeing activities. Key facts: - The shelter was built in 1937 in Vulcan Park after a public donation to create a meeting room for local men. - The site is officially named Park End Shelter and is commonly called the Old Man's Shelter. - Renovation work began on Monday and is expected to be completed within eight weeks. - Once finished it will be fully accessible and include a kitchen, meeting room, toilets and Wi‑Fi. - The building will be available free of charge to non-profit and voluntary organisations and is intended to host workshops and events focused on health, sustainability, creativity and wellbeing; residents have been asked for their views. Summary: The project will return a long-standing park building to community use and provide a small venue for local activities and gatherings. Completion is expected within eight weeks, after which the space will be offered to non-profit and voluntary groups for workshops and events.