WORK is due to start on an exciting project to bring Sticklepath?s elderly Victorian village hall up to 21st century standards, thanks to new grant funding of more than £25,000.
Improvements at the hall have been ongoing for the last five years ? but now, thanks to a boost of more than £16,000 from West Devon Borough Council and additional £8,200 from the Community Council of Devon, phase one of a three-phase major revamp costing more than £100,000 can now go ahead.
Jerry Stephens, chairman of the hall committee, said the group ? which has also received £1,000 from the EX20 Lottery ? was delighted at the grant approval.
Mr Stephens said: ?This is tremendous news for the village.
?With all the recent bad news about the slow demise of village halls throughout the country, this funding has been a real boost to the morale of Sticklepath residents.
?In the meantime, continuing efforts are being made to raise more money for the eventual completion of the entire project.?
Mr Stephens said the main part of the refurbishment programme at the hall will take place this summer, involving a complete re-build of the ?back annexe? of the building.
This will provide a spacious meeting room together with a new kitchen replacing the present ?virtually condemned? kitchen, plus a storage room.
Other areas singled out for attention include the back door and toilets.
Mr Stephens said the hall will also be redecorated to encourage greater community use of the building ? this work should be finished by early May.
He said further funding is still awaited for specific areas within the refurbishment programme. One such grant, which has been promised but not yet confirmed, is a substantial sum which has been earmarked for new windows and roof slating.
Mr Stephens said phase two of the project would include removal of the present hall stage and construction of a portable stage. A new hall floor will also be installed.
Mr Stephens said the committee was very grateful to the two major funding agencies, plus Dartmoor National Park Authority, for their help and support.
He also paid tribute to the people of Sticklepath.
?We?ve been fundraising like mad ? the village itself has raised about £16,000 to date? there are about 300 inhabitants here so it?s been a tremendous effort,? he said.
Peter Williams, secretary of the hall committee, said members were ?over the moon? at the grant approval.
?We are absolutely delighted,? he said. ?We thought we would be lucky if we got a couple of thousand.?
Mr Williams said the hall was ?pretty well used? even in its present state.
?Once we have it refurbished the chances are it will be used more and more. We hope to run things like language classes and yoga classes, once we have a decent floor,? he said.
Sticklepath Village Hall Committee hopes the first phase improvements will be complete by autumn, with the entire project finished within the next two years.