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Sunderland nightspot gets new lease of life

A North East nightclub is to be reopened after being saved by a new leisure company.

The Point in Sunderland has been taken over by Nightlife North East, set up by Sunderland woman Lorraine Griffiths.

The club, which were previously owned by South Shields-based Amazing Leisure, has been closed since bailiffs moved in earlier this month but now is set to open its doors again – with the creation of around 40 jobs.

Mrs Griffiths has a number of ambitious plans for the complex, including changing the existing Purple Bar into a food and drink operation while the long-term aim is to make the main nightclub a music venue similar to Newcastle’s O2 Academy.

In the short term however the new owners are organising a whole programme of party nights with live entertainment.

“We are going to have the venue open from 7pm to 11pm with tribute acts and a whole variety of performances,” said Mrs Griffiths.

“Then after 11pm it will revert to being a nightclub so it will be a destination venue for the whole night.”

The former Union club at the venue has now been renamed The Point, with its Arizona bar becoming the focus for the live entertainment.

“The Stadium of Light does a fantastic job bringing massive international names to Sunderland but what we also need is a venue which can host bands which medium sized crowds,” said Lorraine.

“We know that many of our customers go to Durham or Newcastle to see bands and we want them to come to Sunderland and bring business here, so we hope we can get the backing of business in the city.”

A box office is due to open at the venue in the near future, with tickets available for the special party evenings which are planned for every night in December.

Mrs Griffiths has years of experience of working in the leisure industry and also currently runs Chaplins bar in Sunderland with a business partner.

A former cinema, The Point opened in 2005 after a £5m revamp and also underwent a £2m refurb by its former owners last year.

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