Family charity plans to turn closed Northumberland church into community hub
Written by Charlie Walker on 12th January 2026
Ponteland United Reformed Church, in Darras Hall, Northumberland, has been taken over by the Malhotra Family Foundation.
Credit: Malhotra Family Foundation
The closed historic building is planned to be restored as a community centre for local residents, families and schools. Schemes include a new state-of-the-art nursery providing care before and after school, along with tearooms, where afternoon teas can be hosted.
The family founded the Malhotra Group – a property, care, and hospitality business in the North East. Last year, they set up the Malhotra Family Foundation, with the acquisition of the church marking the first project led by the charity.
On the plans, Mr Atul Malhotra, chief operations officer (COO) at Malhotra Group and governor at Darras Hall Primary School, said:
“We’ve lived in Darras Hall for 35 years. It’s something that’s very close to our hearts, and we wanted to embark on our first project with the foundation by giving something back to the community that has welcomed us for 35 years.”
In a plan which could reach an estimated £1m to complete, the Malhotra Family Foundation have appointed an architect and design firm and hope to use the facility to hold a range of charitable events.
The COO said: “This will be a significant investment for the long term.
“We will hold events, and the money used and made will be redistributed across the community in different interests that we have in the North East, UK, and internationally.”
The Malhotra family have a history of supporting the region, with Meenu Malhotra, founder and chairman of Malhotra Group, appointed a deputy lord-lieutenant of Northumberland in 2021 in recognition of his charitable giving.
Mr Atul Malhotra said: “Newcastle has been my dad’s [Meenu] home for 40 years. He’s a proud Punjabi from India, but Newcastle is his adopted home – it’s very close to his heart, and we will be investing money across the region in the future.
“We have a pipeline of projects that we’re investing in for the foreseeable.”
