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Government scheme supports vital hubs for rural
communities
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21 projects across England receive a combined £1.2
million for repairs and refurbishments
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Lord Gardiner backs scheme in Village Halls Week – an
annual celebration of these precious community spaces
Village halls in England have received £1.2 million through a
government funding scheme, helping these community hubs make
vital refurbishments to continue the invaluable role they play in
rural communities.
So far, grants for 21 projects have been approved as part of the
£3 million Village Halls Improvement Grant Scheme launched in
April 2019. Improvements include repairs to roofs, refurbishments
to toilets and kitchens and new meeting rooms.
The announcement was made at the start of Village Halls Week, a
national campaign running from Monday 20 January to Sunday 26
January. The campaign celebrates the services that village halls
provide in rural communities across England, and will involve
events at 650 village halls across the country.
With more than 10,000 village halls across the country, these
spaces provide vital hubs for communities to come together,
collaborate and celebrate. Many halls provide a space for shops,
cafes, pop up pubs, nurseries and doctors.
The celebrations will be marked in a speech by Defra Rural
Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner at an event in Westminster today
(20 January).
Defra Rural Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner said:
“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.”
Through the government’s grant scheme, run by charity
organisation Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE),
village hall committees are able to apply for grants of up to
£75,000 towards refurbishment and alteration of their buildings.
David Emerson CBE, Chair, ACRE:
“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 are 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.”
On Friday, Lord Gardiner will visit Westleton Village Hall in
Suffolk, which has received £75,000 to transform a much loved but
well-worn village hall into a warm and inviting community centre.
The building will be refurbished while a new foyer café will be
available to local residents and the many ramblers, dog walkers,
cyclists, runners and tourists that visit the village each year.
Anne Layton, volunteer, Westleton Village Hall:
“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."
The announcement comes on the same day of the annual report on
the government’s Loneliness Strategy, which sets out the approach
to tackling loneliness in England. With the help of government
funding, village halls across the country are helping to increase
community cohesion, while reducing isolation and loneliness.
ENDS
The Village Halls Improvement Grant Scheme was announced in the
2018 budget as part of £8 million made available to help with the
cost of repairs and alternations to community buildings (village
halls, miners’ welfare facilities, Armed Forces veterans’
facilities) to mark the centenary of the Armistice.
Funding covers 20% of the total costs of a project. The remaining
funding comes from a combination of charity reserves,
fundraising, local authority funding and other grants such as the
National Lottery Community Fund
The application must be a village hall or similar rural community
building and a registered charity. New build projects will not be
eligible to apply to the fund due to their high costs and long
timescales.
Applications will be assessed by a panel including Defra
officials and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
staff with extensive experience of halls and grant schemes. The
grant funding will be managed by ACRE on behalf of Defra and
advice and support to potential applicants will be provided
through the ACRE network.
Applicants can apply for grants by following this link.
