Heritage bus charity must 'secure future' to survive

The restoration group has 15 members who work at the Philadelphia-based depot

A charity which preserves vintage buses needs to "secure its future" by purchasing its depot to survive, volunteers have said.

The Northern National Restoration Group (NNRG) is based at a former Sunderland Corporation Tramways power station in Houghton-le-Spring.

It wants to raise £150,000 to purchase and restore the Grade II listed building, which houses its equipment and all seven of its vehicles.

The charity runs the buses - some more than 50 years old - on open days and heritage runs, while also taking care home residents on day trips.

Member Matthew Hill said the purchase would guarantee the future of the charity and allow it to carry out improvements to the Philadelphia depot.

"These buses have so much to tell, they worked around many areas of the North East and have a rich history," he said.

"To not have them would be a disservice, they have so much passion, like people, and to be a part of that, to make them come alive, is really special."

The charity wants a total of £150,000 to buy and restore the former power plant

The charity hopes to raise £50,000 to buy the building and a further £100,000 to carry out improvements.

It said a permanent base would strengthen its position to bid and secure future lottery funding through grants.

NNRG secretary Alex Willis said it would allow the charity, which offers work experience to those from a range of backgrounds, to continue.

Paul Cassidy helps to preserve his 1973 Leyland Leopard at the site

Mr Willis, who has autism, said it had already allowed people to learn the ropes before securing positions in the bus and coach industry.

He said: "We don’t just want to be a bus group.

"We want to support the local community and give people the opportunities to get into work, to learn the skills."

He said a fully restored building could eventually complement the North East's offer of historic local attractions, including Beamish Museum near Stanley.

"There’s absolutely phenomenal history in the north-east of England... once we get there in five or ten years, this could be massive," he added.