Case Study: Rochester Village Hall

Amount awarded: £13,924

Rochester Village Hall, built in 1928, is located in a remote part of Upper Redesdale. In 2006 the premises was in need of substantial refurbishment, therefore Rochester Village Hall Committee, led by Jane Jarvis and Beryl Charlton, sought funding to restore the Village Hall so that it could remain as a focal point for community activities and social life.

The project entailed the installation of geothermal heating, thermafleece insulation, the expansion of the access to cater for disabled people, as well as the general refurbishment costs that would normally be incurred for a scheme of this nature. Rochester Village Hall Committee involved the community the planning, delivery and operation of the phase, and actively made sure that local young people were consulted throughout. Rochester Village Hall is now able to cater for a whole range of activities, including Christmas parties, Halloween activities, wedding anniversaries, meetings of the Women’s Institute, parent and toddlers groups, and student groups from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

As the project reached completion, Beryl Charlton expressed her gratitude by saying "On behalf of Rochester Village Hall Committee I should like to thank Northumberland National Park Authority most warmly for the generous grant from the Sustainable Development Fund towards the hall’s refurbishment. Undoubtedly this will encourage increased community usage of the building."