Above: sod cutting to mark the start of development work at Northborough Village Hall made possible through funding from the LEADER programme.
Funding received: £29,000
Priority area*: Providing rural services
Project outline: To extend Northborough Village Hall so it could accommodate more community events and provide better facilities for residents.
Key dates:
· October 2016 – final application submitted
· November 2016 – grant funding approved
· March 2017 – work begins to extend Northborough Village Hall
· July 2017 – extension completed
Supporting a socially active rural community
Northborough Village Hall has always been at the heart of this rural community located just a short drive north of Peterborough. Thanks to a £29,000 grant from the European funded LEADER programme, it now boasts modern amenities and an extra room, providing much more space to accommodate the requirements of this growing village.
The hall provides an important hub for the village’s socially active residents who host hundreds of community events and get-togethers for all age ranges throughout the year.
With so much going on the main hall is rarely out of use and the extension has proved an invaluable asset.
Jessica Phillips of Northborough Community Association said: “The village hall is such a well-used space and we’re delighted to be able to take on more bookings. We’ve already got 5 groups regularly using the new room including parish council meetings, craft groups, even an art class!
“Without a grant from the LEADER programme I don’t think this project would have happened. Fundraising would have been our main source of funding and I think it would have taken us quite a long time to raise the amount we needed.”
The LEADER programme is overseen by a Local Action Group (LAG) made up of local volunteers from a variety of sectors. Dennis Stanley, Chair of the Rural Peterborough and Rutland LEADER LAG, said: “This grant has helped a community hub remain at the centre of village life; a perfect way to support a rural community which is what LEADER funding is all about.”
Below: image of the new meeting room being used by the LAG.
More about the LEADER programme
The Rural Peterborough and Rutland LEADER programme has a total funding pot of £1 million available for local projects. Funding has been available since 2015 but local organisations only have until March 2019 to make a claim.
The programme is being delivered by Opportunity Peterborough, the economic development company for Peterborough. For full details on LEADER funding visit www.leaderfunding.co.uk or call 01733 317404
* To be eligible, projects must meet at least one of six criteria: increasing farm productivity, supporting micro and small businesses and farm diversification, boosting rural tourism, providing rural services, providing cultural and heritage activity and increasing forestry production.
