Asbestos removed from Hewish & Puxton Village Hall
Hewish & Puxton Village Hall Limited received £20,000 from National Grid’s Community Grant Fund to undertake refurbishment works to the village hall; the heart of the community.
First opened in 1965, the hall has long served as a community hub, playing host to a wide range of social groups and events.
However, the asbestos roof posed a risk to users. Replacing it with an insulated metal sheet was the community’s first priority. The grant funding helped finance the removal of asbestos and the purchase and installation of a modern roof. In addition, some of the funds were put towards better insulating the outside of the building, making it environmentally friendly and cheaper to heat.
The funding also helped locals redecorate the venue and renew its kitchen and toilets, transforming the hall into an attractive, modern space for all. The final stage of the refurbishment consisted of the installation of a bio-digester, which brought its sewage treatment system up to date.
The revamp is already proving its worth, with the venue hosting a wide range of social events for all ages; from the Women’s Institute to Little Kickers and the Scouts. The meeting room is also being used as a café for the local community, providing useful opportunities for councillors to meet their parishioners. They are even getting bookings for weddings and family parties.
The village hall is fully open now and the community plans to hold a grand opening on Saturday 4 December 2021.
The project has achieved our aim of making the hall a facility the community wants to use.
Lynda Redding, chair of Hewish & Puxton Village Hall Limited, said: “Thank you National Grid for your help and support. The project has achieved our aim of making the hall a facility the community wants to use.”
James Goode, Project Director for National Grid’s Hinkley Connection Project, said: “It’s been great to see how the community have made such good use of the funding. It’s really helped them enhance the community hub; better protecting its users while providing access to new sources of income.”
