The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Users of Gedney Dyke Village Hall will have a warm glow this winter thanks to a £7,785 grant.
A new Calor Gas central heating system is to be installed, replacing a costly electric heating system, which was put in when the hall was built in 1977.
The grant issued to the Main Street building, which is a registered charity, comes from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards For All programme.
The hall’s committee is delighted that the full amount requested was allocated. Four members worked on the application.
One of them was chairman Mary Garrett, who welcomed the news and paid tribute to the hard work of grant co-ordinator Angela Halsall.
Mary said: “If it wasn’t for her, I’m sure we wouldn’t have got it.”
Meanwhile, Angela acknowledged key funding application guidance by Simon Wesley, community development officer with Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS).
She said: “I would like to say a very big thank you to LCVS and Simon.
“When I started the process months ago, I was very sceptical because other Gedney Dyke Village Hall committee members had been unsuccessful with funding applications previously, but Simon was on hand, meeting with me, Mary and our respective partners (committee members).
“We attended LCVS meetings arranged by Simon at various venues and his advice helped me to understand exactly what the funders were looking for to meet the criteria for a successful funding application, which certainly paid off.”
The work, which will get under way on September 19 and take about a week to complete, will be done by Boston firm J and D Betts Plumbing Services, which was recommended to the committee by Calor Gas.
Big Lottery Fund said: “The group will use the funding to install new central heating in the village hall that is located in a rurally isolated area that lacks public meeting resources.
“This will improve the environment of the building and make it more hospitable for voluntary organisations and visitors.”
