National Lottery awards £1.5m to refurbish northern village halls
Braithwaite Institute
3rd April 2023
ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) is inviting Cumbrian village halls to book their place at a funding surgery event on Tuesday 25th April, to access a share of £1.5 million Lottery funding.
Rural communities in Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham have been awarded £1.5 million by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to improve Village Halls and similar community spaces, making sure they are fit for a sustainable future.
The funding, thanks to National Lottery players, has been awarded to the Community Spaces Partnership made up of ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT); Community Action Northumberland (CAN); and Durham Community Action (DCA). The three charities had successfully piloted working directly with Village Halls and communities across the three counties, and have been awarded £1,510,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund to now work together with rural communities and village halls across the region.
The partnership’s aim with the funding is to future-proof village halls and community spaces across rural Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham. This asset network is critical to how rural communities function and frequently are the only village venue where services can be provided, social interaction can take place and isolation be reduced.
ACT, CAN and DCA intend to embed this nationally-leading initiative across the three county areas and act as a model for potential roll-out to other parts of the country through their national network – Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).
Hellen Aitken, ACT’s Lead Village Halls Advisor said: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and look forward to supporting more village halls and similar community spaces, with our ACRE Network partners in Northumberland and Durham. We hope to build on the success of our previous county pilot which saw over £800K awarded to 21 projects in Cumbria over a three-year period.
“This new northern funding is great news for the many hardworking committees making plans to improve their community buildings, ensuring they are comfortable, energy efficient and sustainable, to better serve their communities both now and in the future.
“I’d encourage all those planning capital projects and looking for funding, to register for an appointment to come and speak with us at the Cumbria Funding Event on Tuesday 25th April at Braithwaite Institute, near Keswick.
“I will be joined by Sarah Bowman and Stephanie Ellis from the National Lottery Community Fund to hear about your plans, how much funding you need, project timescale and environmental benefits. We’ll also be looking for information about your governance and organisation status; current financial position, including reserves; who currently uses your facilities and how your project ideas would increase the benefit to your community.”
Please visit Eventbrite to register for a place at the Lottery Funding Event on Tuesday 25th April at Braithwaite Institute between 10am and 4pm. An appointment time will be allocated and emailed to you. For more information please contact ACT at info@cumbriaaction.org.uk or call 01768 425 666.
Duncan Nicholson, Regional Head of Funding for the North East and Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund said: “Thanks to National Lottery players we can continue to support rural communities through the maintenance of vital community spaces which bring people together. We know village halls and community hubs are pivotal to building connections and maintaining relationships in more isolated areas, and it’s great that local organisations such as Community Action Northumberland (CAN), Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) and Durham Community Action (DCA) will continue to deliver that vital support to help people thrive.