THE near £50,000 refurbishment and modernisation of a village hall will provide a 'real boost' to its community.
Lower Withington Village Hall's committee has been fundraising for improvements in the last 12 months and now, after hitting their target, work can begin.
Works at the Salters Lane hall will include new aluminium curtain walls for the main hall windows, along with a new aluminium front entrance and fire doors.
All single-glazed doors and windows will also be replaced with energy efficient UPVC ones.
Funding for the refurbishment has come from a number of grants and donations, as well charity events in the community.
David Venables, the chairman of the village hall committee, hopes the refurbishment will make the venue more appealing to hire.
He said: “This project will provide a real boost to the community.
"We are really looking forward to our modernised village hall taking shape in the next few months.”
The village hall committee issued its thanks to the FCC Communities Foundation for its grant of £19,674; Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) for its £10,218 grant; the Lower Withington Rose Day committee for a donation of £3,000; and members of the community for their donations.
The village hall committee raised £10,500 through its 'buy a pane of glass' campaign and a further £5,600 from its fundraising activities, taking the total to £48,992.
Richard Smith, the FCC Communities Foundation senior grant manager, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the improvements to Lower Withington Village Hall and pleased our funding will make such a difference to so many groups who regularly use the building.
"FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that benefit local communities and we’re looking forward to this one having a positive impact very soon."
An ACRE spokesman added: "We are delighted to have been able to offer Lower Withington Village Hall a grant which will enable the hall to be energy efficient and at the same time create an improved environment for the community to enjoy the space."
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