Grants for Village Hall Improvements - Apply Now

Grants of up to £3000 are available to village halls in North Norfolk to help towards the cost of modernisation and repair.

Organisations that manage village halls (provided they are registered charities) can apply for as much as a third of the cost, to a maximum of £3000, of work to provide access or toilets for disabled people, the upgrading of heating systems, structural work to roofs, windows and insulation, and emergency repairs.

North Norfolk District Council's grant scheme aims to help villages in the District keep their halls in use as meeting places and venues for events or services (like antiques fairs or adult education classes).

The deadline for applications is 16 January, 2004. Grants cannot be given for improvement work that has already begun.

A fair amount of information must be supplied with the application, including details about the community and the kind of events the hall hosts, quotations for the proposed work and financial statements, so potential applicants are advised to call Kate Sullivan on 01263 516052 to find out about the process as soon as possible.

North Norfolk District Council's Chairman, Councillor Cyril Durrant, has been deeply involved in the improvement of the Preston Rooms at Ashmanhaugh, which have won grants from NNDC in successive years. He said: "For a village to survive, its village hall must survive. The hall is the heart of a community, and it needs to be looked after to ensure everyone in the community can benefit from it. There is money available to help, and I urge those responsible for village halls to take advantage of it. It is also crucial that communities make use of these halls, to secure their future as lively meeting-places."

ENDS