Local community organisation, Ashwick & Oakhill village hall committee, is celebrating after being awarded £10,000 of funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund to support its plans to build a community café. Based in Oakhill, the organisation will use the funding to help towards building costs in order to repurpose existing rooms within the hall.

The committee has been working to support the community since 1982 when Bryan Wells (pictured on the far right, front row) alongside other local volunteers, built the hall on land gifted to the Parish nearly 100 years ago.

The current strong team of volunteers are fully committed towards the success of this project with a desire to deepen community spirit and re-invigorate village life by creating a more accessible and useable space. Their aim is to create a bright and welcoming meeting area with both indoor and outdoor seating, a community book swap service and local history archive.

The funding from the Prince’s Countryside Fund, which is a UK-wide charity that empowers family farms and rural communities to survive and thrive will see a valuable community resource created that will serve the village residents and surrounding areas for many years to come.

Andy North, Chairman, says: “We’re delighted that the Prince’s Countryside Fund has recognised the work of our committee members. The support of the Prince’s Countryside fund alongside other successful fundraising activities means that building works will begin in March with the aim of a grand opening in the early autumn.”