Great Aycliffe Village Hall Association is celebrating the completion of refurbishment works and taking ownership of the ever popular Village Hall as part of Durham County Council’s Community Buildings Asset Transfer Programme.
Aycliffe Village Hall has provided a centre for the community for over 100 years, firstly as a school and then since 1970 as a community centre.
Durham County Council’s Community Building’s Asset Transfer Programme has provided funding to improve the Village Hall to meet the needs of its users and the Association has secured match funding from Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership via the Neighbourhood Budget of County Councillors Sarah Iveson and Jed Hillary.
Funding has been used towards refurbishment of the Village Hall and providing new internal fire doors. The Council also supported the group through the programme to develop a business plan, strengthen their governance and respond to the needs of the local community.
Keith Johnson, Chairman of the Association, said: “The committee have worked hard over the last couple of years to take ownership of the building through the Council’s Asset Transfer Programme and to secure additional funding to further improve the building. It is hoped that we can now encourage more people to use the village hall.”
Brian Riley, GAMP Coordinator, said: “Supporting the town’s voluntary organisations remains a priority for GAMP and assisting Aycliffe Village Hall Association with funding has allowed the volunteers to raise their contribution towards the refurbishment works so they could progress their plans and fully benefit from Durham County Council’s Community Buildings Asset Transfer Programme.”