Thelnetham village hall's extensive upgrade after £100,000 National Lottery grant

Thelnetham’s village hall has been renovated and repaired thanks to a £100,000 grant from the National Lottery.

February 29 marked the grand reopening ceremony which was well attended by residents.

The event ran from 11am to 3pm, with the ribbon being cut by Edward Sawbridge, whose ancestor the Rev E H Sawbridge constructed the building back in 1872.

The grant was made in March 2019, with most of the work being completed during the rest of the year.

Extensive masonry repairs were carried out during the work, including to the chimney and bell tower. Stained glass windows were also removed, cleaned and replaced and the roof was re-tiled. Ivy also had to be removed from the building before scaffolding could be put up.

Phil Davies, a member of the management committee, said: “There is a lovely ambience to the hall and we now have a new kitchen and WiFi too. It’s perfect for classes that need to hire out a space.”

The village hall was able to make its own financial contribution to the work, alongside the grant. This helped to ensure the building was in top condition, while allowing for modern facilities to be installed,
too.

The hall, which is a grade II listed building, was originally built as a school in 1872 after the education of all children became compulsory through the Education Act of
1870.

It is now available to be booked by community clubs and groups.