CHRISTMAS has come early for the residents of Netherbury, near Bridport, with a £250,000-boost from the Big Lottery Fund to revamp their village hall.

The £252,726 grant comes from BIG’s Community Buildings programme and will pay for a complete refurbishment and extension of Netherbury Village Hall.

The aim is to create an environmentally-friendly community facility with disabled access, more storage to free up space for community use, a purpose-built stage for local drama and music performances and a brand new kitchen.

A key aim of the renovations is to reduce the hall’s carbon footprint, with renewable energy sources being used where possible.

The inefficient, old electric storage heaters will be replaced with a new pellet-burning heating system and a false ceiling and new insulation will be installed throughout to improve energy efficiency. It is hoped that the revamp, due to be completed by September next year, will enable the hall to offer more opportunities to bring the Netherbury community together.

Usage is expected to double year on year for the first three years, with a variety of new educational and exercise-related activities planned to complement the groups and clubs that currently meet at the hall.

Village hall committee member Mike Morse said: “This is fantastic news for Netherbury.

“It’s taken two years to secure the lottery grant and we’ve been working at our desire to modernise the hall for four or five years.

“We’ve got 200 households around the area and the village hall is at the heart of our community.

“This award will allow us to provide a fit-for-purpose social and recreational centre, which will provide facilities and activities that are inclusive and available to everyone.”

The revamp of Netherbury Village Hall is one of four South West projects receiving more than £829,000 from BIG’s Community Buildings programme today.