A small Hambleton village hall has undergone a complete transformation thanks to the local community and some council cash.
The Ainderby Steeple building had fallen into disrepair and with no parish council or village hall committee to look after it had become almost unusable.
In a bid to reverse its decline the whole village – near Northallerton – was called to an extraordinary meeting. Eighty residents turned up – saving the hall from being sold and agreeing to return it to its former glory. Twelve volunteers formed a new Parish Council and took on the role of the Village Hall Committee.
And now, ten months later, work to overcome damp has been completed, the hall has been completely redecorated and lighting updated – with the help of £3200 from Hambleton District Council’s Making a Difference grant.
Forster Holmes a trustee of the hall said: “We now have a facility to be proud of and that will benefit all of our community. We hope when things are back to normal to be able to increase the usage of the hall and improve community cohesion.”
Cash for the Making a Difference scheme comes from ongoing cost savings that councillors are reinvesting into the local community.
Each scheme must meet one of the council’s key priorities – driving economic vitality, enhancing health and wellbeing, caring for the environment and providing a special place to live. And each must show that there is community involvement and represents value for money.
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