Thursday 09:06
A Northumberland village hall is set to open its doors to both the past and future following an £87,000 revamp supported by Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme.
The new Village Hall in Branxton, with its wide range of facilities, will provide an ideal venue for social events as well as training courses for the residents of the village and neighbouring communities. The Hall should help to attract more new families to the area, which in turn will stimulate new services.
The Branxton Village Hall Committee was awarded almost £70,000 from Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme to help fund the renovations, with the remaining funding coming from Lloyds TSB and the Northern Rock Foundation.
The rear part of the village hall was demolished and rebuilt to create a new kitchen, computer room and store room, while the toilets were also refurbished to provide disabled access. The whole building was rewired, central heating installed and the hall completely redecorated.
Donal O'Driscoll, Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, said:
"Our village was dying out, but is now growing again and we see the revamping of our village hall as a catalyst for further regeneration for the future. We're delighted to have had the support of Defra, Lloyds TSB and the Northern Rock Foundation and we hope the hall will once more be the heart of the village for years to come."
"As well as renovating the hall, we have installed a standby generator. This is a very important new addition because three years ago, following a winter storm, the village was without electricity for almost a week. Now we will have the facilities at the hall to fall back on in the event of such an emergency.
Kenneth Haynes, Rural Development Adviser at Defra's Rural Development Service in the North East, said:
"This is a wonderful example of the kind of projects the Rural Enterprise Scheme is able to support to help rural communities continue to thrive and grow.
"The Rural Development Service is keen to help support other community projects that offer additional facilities and services that have been identified as a result of community involvement, and would be happy to offer advice."
Local residents and guests will gather in the new look Branxton Village Hall for a special party to celebrate its grand reopening on Friday, 19 December.
Notes to editors
1. Media are invited to attend the opening ceremony at Branxton Village Hall on Friday, 19 December, from 7.30pm. Before and after pictures of Branxton Village Hall are also available from Karen Bell at GNN North East.
2. The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) is part of the England Rural Development Programme. Its coverage is wide-ranging with the primary aim being to help farmers adapt to changing markets and develop new business opportunities. But RES also has a broader role in supporting the development of the rural economy, community, heritage and environment so other rural businesses, partnerships, companies and rural community groups are also eligible to receive funding.
3. A total of £152 million of EU and Government money has been allocated to RES from April 2001 to 2006. The scheme is available throughout England, except in designated Objective 1 areas such as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly where separate funding schemes apply.
4. The England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) provides a framework for the operation of 10 separate but integrated schemes which provide new opportunities to protect and improve the countryside, to develop sustainable enterprises and to help rural communities to thrive. The schemes (and a brief outline of their aims) are: - Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes (protecting landscapes and wildlife habitats, improving biodiversity). - Organic Farming Scheme (promoting organic production). - Hill Farm Allowance Scheme (supporting sustainable farming in the English hills). - Woodland Grant and Farm Woodland Premium Schemes (encouraging planting of new woodland and maintenance of existing woodland). - Energy Crops Scheme (encouraging renewable energy production). - Rural Enterprise Scheme (supporting a diversified and enterprising rural economy). - Vocational Training Scheme (improving occupational skills of farmers). - Processing and Marketing Grant (improving agricultural processing and marketing infrastructure).
5. A total of £1.6 billion of EU and Government money is being made available under these schemes in England during the 7 years (2000 to 2006) of the Programme.
6. For more information on any of the schemes in the ERDP, contact your local Defra Rural Development Service office or visit the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk.
Public enquiries 08459 335577 Press notices are available on our website http://www.defra.gov.uk Issued on behalf of Defra by Karen Bell, Government News Network North East. TEL: 0191 202 3603; FAX: 0191 261 8571; EMAIL: karen.bell@gnn.gsi.gov.uk
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