CHAGFORD’S Jubilee Hall is set to undergo extensive refurbishment after being awarded grants totalling £380,000.

Last year the hall was given £130,000 from The HB Allen Charitable Trust, which went towards the building of a more suitable library and the development of a new heritage centre within the hall.

Recently, the trust granted an additional £250,000 for the refurbishment of the hall’s entrance, foyer and bar.

The funding will also be used to build brand new toilets at the front of the hall and will be used to revamp the outside entrance area, including a new path.

Roger Stokes, chair of trustees of Chagford’s Jubilee Hall, said: ‘I am delighted to announce that we have just been awarded a further grant to enable us to complete the redevelopment of the Jubilee Hall.

‘In 2016 the HB Allen Charitable Trust gave us £130,000 towards our project. This money was used to move and revamp our library as well as put the infrastructure in place for a heritage centre. The funding for the interior of the heritage centre will come from Heritage Lottery Funding.

‘In 2017 a further £250,000 was awarded by the trust, which we will use to complete “phase a”. This phase will deliver a large and far better entrance, foyer, bar area and further toilets, while greatly enhancing the visual appearance of the front of the hall by adding a walkway.

‘We are thrilled to have been awarded such a substantial grant and hope to begin work as soon as possible.’

Mr Stokes expressed thanks to The HB Allen Trust and mentioned that one of it’s trustees, Peter Shone, had lived in Chagford for 10 years.

The HB Allen Trust is a registered national charity helping to fund community projects all over the UK.

Neil Tappenden, a trustee of Chagford Jubilee Hall, said: ‘The grant is the result of months of hard work, primarily by Roger Stokes and Alan Deacon, with lots of cheering on from the other trustees. I know that you will want to join with me in congratulating them on their fantastic achievement.’

Mr Tappenden said that construction work on the hall would commence in the middle of May and be completed in early December 2017.

He added that more news would follow when the schedule of work became more clear.