Three Derbyshire Dales villages have had their Christmas wishes granted, with a cash injection from the Big Lottery Fund to give their community halls a new lease of life.  

The grants, from BIG’s Community Buildings programme, will be used to give old-fashioned, dilapidated halls a much-needed facelift and create inviting modern community hubs in their place.

Over Haddon Village Hall in Bakewell, Derbyshire, will be demolished and rebuilt with a grant of £346,976. The new building will have an additional meeting room, as well as an upgraded kitchen, increased storage space and greater accessibility for people with disabilities. Modern heating and insulation will also be installed.

Currently, groups ranging from film and book clubs to indoor bowling and photography classes meet in the hall. But space constraints mean only one group can meet at a time. The project will enable more residents to attend a wider range of activities, such as music and theatre performances, adult education and a drop-in centre for older residents. An IT café and youth club for younger members of the community are also envisaged.

It is hoped building will begin next year, and the new hall opened in 2010.  

Dick Foxon, Chair of the Management Committee, said, “The village hall has been an important centre for social interaction at the heart of Over Haddon for more than 50 years. The new building, with up-to-date facilities and a more flexible interior will ensure the continuation of the village hall for future generations.”

Also celebrating are the community of Clifton, Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, who have received £141,525 to refurbish and extend Clifton Community Hall, creating more space for groups to meet, a larger kitchen, new entrance, toilet and increased storage space. The revamp, expected to take five months, will begin next year.

Nigel Haighton, Chair of the Development Committee, said: “Our hall has fallen into a sad state of repair and use has declined steadily over the past five years. There are some groups, such as the playgroup and pensioners’ lunch club, who can no longer meet at the hall as it gets very cold and uncomfortable.

“The community has been 100% behind raising money for the cause. The whole village has had its fingers crossed and everyone is thrilled. The new hall will provide fantastic opportunities for the village as a central hub for activities, fund-raising events and family celebrations, and re-invigorate the sense of community.”

The nearby community of Parwich, Ashbourne, have also received an early Christmas present, a £476,650 grant to demolish and rebuild Parwich Memorial Hall. The project will create a multi-purpose building with modern kitchen and toilets and an extra meeting room.

The current hall is very cold and uneconomical to heat. The new community hub will be more accessible for disabled and elderly members of the community, as well as providing a wide range of activities for younger generations, including indoor sports, adult learning and cookery classes.

Mike Gerard-Pearse, Chair of the Management Committee, said: “This is a wonderful Christmas present for the many people who have worked so hard for this project. The grant will enable our lively community to continue to thrive socially and to include all its members, young and old, in activities. The new Memorial Hall will also be continuing our tradition of commemorating those villagers who gave their lives for us in both World Wars.”

Sandra Chadfield, Committee member, added: “The old hall has served us well, but it is worn out. It is now time for us all to be involved once again in building a new hall we can all be proud of. “

Mick McGrath, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the East Midlands, said: “The Community Buildings programme is about creating a focus and meeting the needs of a variety of people. We are delighted to support these three projects, which will bring new opportunities to so many and ensure there are local events and activities for every generation to enjoy.”

The grant comes from the Fund’s Community Buildings programme, which is today making 35 awards worth over £9.5 million for bricks and mortar investments in village halls and community centres across England.

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Community Buildings is dedicated to investing in buildings that give communities a chance to improve their quality of life and meet local needs, by offering a range of activities and services open to a broad range of people.
• £50 million will be distributed across England over three years with grants of £50,000 to £500,000 available.
• The programme opened for applications in June 2006. 200 applicants were invited to submit stage 2 applications and development funding was awarded to some projects.
• The programme is now closed for applications.  
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.