Village halls given government funding for refurbishment

Following the creation of the Village Halls Improvement Grant Scheme last year, the British Government has offered another £1.2M towards the refurbishment of  halls across the country, identifying them as important ‘community hubs’.

Going into more detail, the new wave of funding, which the Government has provided, can be acquired by placing bids of up to £75,000 for the repair of rooves, upgrading of meeting rooms, updating of toilets, and extensions to kitchens, should the village halls in question possess such facilities.

The Defra Rural Affairs Minister, Lord Gardiner stated: “Village halls are an essential part of rural life. I am delighted that our grant scheme is helping to refurbish our nation’s village halls, and each and every one will make a real difference to their communities.”

“There can be no doubt that village halls are more important and relevant than ever. Village Halls Week provides a perfect opportunity for people up and down the country to celebrate these wonderful places at the heart of our rural community.”

Furthermore, the management of this funding has been appointed to the organisation Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to determine how much money each village hall is entitled to. One village hall, Westleton Village Hall in Suffolk, was lucky enough to receive the full £75,000 maximum for a full refurbishment process as well as the creation of a new café.

The Chairman of ACRE, David Emerson CBE commented: “We are delighted to manage the Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund and have been overwhelmed with the fantastic response from halls.

“The impact of the grants is huge and will make a great difference to rural communities. Village Halls Week is the perfect time to celebrate the new facilities rural communities can now enjoy.”

A volunteer at the Westleton Village Hall, Anne Layton added: “Almost the whole community has a stake in our village hall, and we have called on skills from so many people to make this project happen. We host many activities such as film club, exercise groups and community meals, and now with this vital government funding we will be able to do much more.

“Without our village hall, many people in our community would be very lonely, and we can now bring even more people together.”

If you would like to read more articles like this then please click here.

The post Village halls given government funding for refurbishment appeared first on UK Construction Online.