A busy South Lakeland community hall has used funding from a renewable energy firm to upgrade its facilities.
The Community Hall in Mansergh near Kirkby Lonsdale has used a £5,280 grant from the community benefits fund linked to OnPath Energy’s nearby Armistead Wind Farm to create a new parking area for people with disabilities and mobility issues outside the building.
The new parking area, which previously had an uneven gravel surface that was difficult to walk on and often led to loose stones being walked into the hall, has been resurfaced by local contractors Wenning Surfacing and offers enough space for up to three cars, with lights on the side of the hall.
The hall’s trustees have used a further £2,940 grant from the Armistead fund to buy new matching sets of crockery, cutlery and outdoor furniture.
Mansergh Community Hall trustee Yvette Burchnall said: “The hall had a major refurbishment in 2016/17, with an extension and new toilets being added as part of it, but the funding that enabled this project to take place didn’t quite stretch to covering everything that needed doing.
“Improving the gravel area at the side of the hall was one of these things, as the surface was hard for people with disabilities and mobility problems to cross, while we often found the carpet getting marked by dirt that’s been carried into the building on visitors’ shoes.
“Getting this area tarmacked not only addresses these issues but also provides a much better facility for people who need to drive right up to the building, with the light that falls onto it being especially important on dark winter nights.”
Originally built in 1839 as the village school, the Grade II-listed hall hosts a wide range of community events, including pop-up pub nights, supper nights, coffee mornings and domino drives, and also provides a home for local craft groups and the community singing group.
It is also available for hire for private functions, with the hall committee hoping that the improvements that have been made will encourage more people and groups to choose it as a venue.
Yvette added: “With Mansergh being a dispersed community, the hall plays a vital role in providing somewhere that the community can come together.
“Having matching cutlery and crockery for everyone to use will improve the experience for our visitors, with the new furniture being perfect for outdoor events, and we hope more local people will feel it provides the right kind of environment for more of their family functions.
“The cost of completing these projects would have used a substantial proportion of our finances, so we’re hugely grateful to OnPath Energy for stepping up to support our ambitions for both inside and outside the building.”
Other local beneficiaries from the Armistead Wind Farm community fund include St Peter’s Church in Mansergh, New Hutton Institute, Mansergh Parish Meeting, St Stephen’s Church in New Hutton, Old Hutton Public Hall and the Bendrigg Trust.
Tom Chaplin, partnership and community manager at OnPath Energy, added: “Venues like Mansergh Community Hall and St Peter’s Church are absolutely central to life in rural areas, and bring people together in ways that might not be possible without them.
“Our wind farms funds are specifically designed to build community value over the long term and it’s great to see how the Hall committee is using our grants for exactly that purpose.”
Environmental and community projects in the vicinity of the Armistead Wind Farm which are interested in applying to its community fund should first contact the fund manager via [email protected] or on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.
