Bow Brickhill's Community Hall will soon be complete as the project has received £65,000 from the National Lottery.
A colossal £360,000 had already been raised by fewer than 200 people, to enable ASTRA Community Projects to commence the construction work.
The new building is on the site of the original church hall which has served the village as a meeting place and event venue since the end of the 19th century. Construction started last spring and it is anticipated that the finishing touches will be completed by the end of February.
“It’s the best possible news we could have received,” said ASTRA chairman Alan Preen. “We believed that we could do it and so we started to build, even though funding for fixtures and fittings was not secured. One way or another we were determined to complete the project so this National Lottery funding has come at just the right time.”
Local MP, Iain Stewart, who visited the construction site in December, added: "I’ve been most impressed with the tremendous achievement of this small community, particularly as the construction has taken place during a pandemic. I’m delighted that the National Lottery has been able to contribute the missing £65,000. I look forward to visiting the Community Hall again when it is completed.”
The pandemic was responsible for the closure of all the activities in the old hall. When the new Community Hall is completed and regulations allow, it will provide a venue for all the community and everything that previously took place on the site, as well as offering a small separate meeting room, something the village has always lacked.
“I think this new hall will become a real community hub for villagers,” said Alan. “All the established clubs and activities will be able to flourish once again and I think with the great facilities now on offer we’ll find that there will be even more going on in Bow Brickhill.”
For more information on the Bow Brickhill Community Hall, including how to get involved, donations and eventually bookings, please visit their website at: https://astracommunityprojects.org/
