New ‘green’ village hall secures £10K funding from Low Carbon Dorset

A £10K grant from Low Carbon Dorset for Charlton Marshall Village Hall will contribute to a brand-new energy efficient building. This will replace the village’s current wooden hall, built in the mid-1930s, which is becoming increasingly expensive to run, and no-longer fit for purpose.

The funding will pay for a variety of renewable and energy efficiency measures, to include a hybrid air-source heat pump powered by solar PV panels, and LED lighting throughout. This will help the hall to excel in energy efficiency standards and reduce future energy bills.

Funding for these installations and construction of the new hall comes in part from Low Carbon Dorset through European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), with further funding secured by the community from other sources.

Cllr Hilary Cox, the elected councillor for Winterbourne, said of the project, “The development of a new village hall has been embraced by the whole village enthusiastically, and the award of the Low Carbon Dorset grant demonstrates the community’s awareness of their carbon footprint.”

Work on the new hall is planned to start this June (2018), and is expected to be completed by March 2019.

Community organisations with similar carbon-reduction projects can find out more about the funding and support available at one of the free Low Carbon Community Workshops this month.

Workshops are being held at the CLaRC, Wimborne on 3 May, and at the Dorford Centre, Dorchester on 10 May.