THE former Co-op building in Northwich, which has been left vacant for more than 18 months, is now back in use.

A refugee aid charity has been allowed to move into the building in Chesterway free of charge, as no progress has been made on the letting of the building, which is listed for £243,979 per year.

Care UK, formerly based in Lostock Gralam, distributes aid to countries around the world such as Greece, Zambia, Syria, and South Africa, as well as locally.

Growing quickly, the charity was in need of a bigger premises, but founder Nora Carlin, 58, could not believe her luck when she was offered the huge site in Northwich for free, which more than quadruples the size of the charity’s base.

Nora said: “We just couldn’t believe it. It’s such a fantastic space in Northwich. We could never afford a place like that, we’re entirely not-for-profit, we all volunteer, so to get this free of charge is a dream come true.”

The charity has moved in on a three-year lease, but would have to move out if a tenant is found.

A spokesman for the Co-op said: “As a community retailer we are happy to support local charities and good causes wherever we can. As well as providing a base for Care UK, we have handed out £32,000 to good causes in Northwich since the launch of our local community fund in September 2016.”

Moving into the former Co-op building in Chesterway comes as a significant milestone in the rapid growth of the charity, which started from Nora’s Warrington home in September 2015, and was officially registered as a charity in May 2016.

The grandmother-of-four added: “It all started after I saw the images of little three-year-old Syrian Alan Kurdi being carried off the beach in Turkey.

“It took off straight away and went from strength to strength.

“We never expected this to happen at all, but it shows that people generally want to help.”