£10,000 Grow Up! grant goes towards new laptops, chairs and big screen TV
We’ve awarded £10,000 from our Rural Grant scheme to Stroud Village Hall to help improve the facilities in its function room.
The grant has been used to buy two reconditioned laptops, 30 chairs and a large television along with a sound system to show movies or sporting events.
The Rural Grant Scheme is part of our Grow Up! Programme. Find out more about the projects we are funding through the button below
Projects we're supporting with Rural Grants
This new equipment will help to increase the number of people the hall can comfortably entertain and improve the quality of the entertainment it provides. The Trustees hope the kit will attract younger members of the community and combat social isolation among elderly or otherwise vulnerable residents.
Charlie Rogers, Chairman of the Trustees at Stroud Village Hall, said: “We have had the hall for three years now and while Stroud Village Hall already has a vibrant and engaging community participation programme which has been growing and evolving, we want to make it a hub for the community and the wider communities in the surrounding villages. We want the hall to serve as a central gathering place where residents of all ages can come together for a wide range of activities and events to enjoy.”
Watch our video on this project
Cllr Robert Mocatta, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration & Prosperity, said: “I am proud that we have been able to support Stroud Village Hall with this project.
“The work was funded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which is part of the central government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The funding will enable the village hall to bring in additional opportunity and revenue, adding value to residents locally and providing a space for numerous clubs and activities for all ages.”
In total, six schemes were awarded money through the Rural Grant Scheme, a government programme to fund rural small businesses and community infrastructure. The scheme makes up part of the council's wider Grow Up! programme which seeks to bring improvements to businesses and communities in rural East Hampshire.
The Rural Grant scheme will reopen for applications in summer 2024, and for more information please sign up to our business bulletins on our website.
This project is funded by the UK Government through the REPF
The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) is a complimentary programme to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), with the specific aim of funding capital projects for small businesses and community infrastructure to advance the aims of UKSPF in rural areas. UKSPF is administered by MHCLG. REPF is administered by DEFRA on MHCLG’s behalf.
The REPF programme runs over two administrative years: 2023/2024 (£196,248) and 2024/2025 (£294,370). The REPF grant programme prioritises projects that deliver the greatest economic, environmental, and social benefits and are part of the council’s Grow Up! programme Find out more on GOV.UK –