I'd have thought the way forward for the DLI and Monkwearmouth would be to asset transfer it to a community group, it's worked very well for community centres in Gateshead which no longer receive funding.
The Community Group then becomes eligible for the thousands of available grants out there to support things, plus out of council control they can take on corporate sponsorship etc.
As for the DLI, there's a certain large University that could happily support it
RE: Anything and Everything
Wistfully stuck in the 90s