by Rebecca Hannant
Hollym Village Hall has been granted funding to make “much-needed” improvements to the building.
The management committee has confirmed that the cost of the improvements will be more than £50,000, a figure that has been given the go-ahead for full funding from Ørsted, the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund, Hollym Parish Council, and Withernsea Lions.
A grant of £22,100 has been awarded by Ørsted through its East Coast Community Fund administered by GrantScape. The Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund was a 20 per cent grant totalling £10,703. Additional support from Hollym Parish Council has provided £10,000, while Withernsea Lions contributed £500. The remainder of the balance will come from the village hall funds.
The improvements are the latest phase of developments, all of which were highlighted in a survey carried out pre-Covid, but they were considered beyond financial reach.
A representative of Hollym Village Hall said: “The village hall was built in 1962 when standards on insulation and energy efficiency were well below present-day expectations.”
The improvements listed will include the removal of the external cladding to insert insulation material in the cavity, and installation of a suspended ceiling incorporating insulation. Work will also include a new heating system based on air source heat pumps, which will give the added benefit of providing air conditioning in the summer months.
The spokesman added: “It is anticipated that the suspended ceiling will improve the acoustics in the hall by reducing the echoing from the solid ceiling. The air source heat pumps will provide much more efficient and effective heating compared with the current electric convection heaters.”
There will also be improvements to the toilet facilities. The ladies’ toilets will be updated to incorporate a disabled facility, while the gentlemen’s will be redesigned to incorporate extra storage space which will be accessible from the main hall.
Extra storage will be added alongside the creation of an extra emergency exit which will increase the safe capacity of the hall.
Work is under way and is expected to be completed over the next few months. Volunteers will also assist with the project on a range of less skilled jobs.
While it is anticipated that the hall will not have to be totally closed throughout the course of the work, it may be inevitable that some bookings for regular users may have to be suspended, especially during some of the internal installations.
When the work is completed, the management committee plans to organise a celebration event to allow the local community to view all the changes.
For further details on the project or to volunteer to help, contact Harold Jobling on 07779 873690.
Anyone interested in hiring the village hall for a function or has an idea for a regular use can contact bookings clerk Maggie Boasman on 01964 612473.
