A PROJECT to replace a village hall with a community hub fit for the 21st century has received a major boost.

Villagers in Farndale have been raising funds to replace their village hall at Church Houses since 2005 when a building survey identified serious problems which were uneconomic to repair.

The Big Lottery Reaching Community Building Fund has now awarded £324,00 to the project which aims to demolish the old building and rebuild on the same site to create a vibrant hub for the remote dales community.

Village Hall Chairman, James Thurtell, said: “This is great news for the community, while we still have more funds to raise, this award alongside funds we have already raised and others promised mean we hope that work will be able to start within the next year.”

The current Farndale Village Hall is a Second World War wooden hut from Duncombe Park, Helmsley, which was donated and moved to the dale in the mid 1950’s by Earl Feversham.

Village Hall secretary Barry Sunley, said: “While remedial work has been undertaken to keep the building in use, it is at the end of its useful life.

“Despite the halls condition it is regularly used by a variety of community groups including kids club, WI, domino drives, film club etc as well as being home to our community library and being hire for private parties.

"In the new building it is planned to provide a range of new services.”

The aim of the project is to building a timber framed structure, which from the outside has the general appearance of an agricultural barn yet inside is a warm and welcoming fully equipped a 21st century hall.

One of the halls perennial fundraising activities for the project is the 2018 Farndale Calendar.

The new 2018 calendar was launched at the Farndale show. Priced £6, it is currently available from the Feversham Arms Inn. Farndale, the Lion Inn, Blakey and BATA Kirkbymoorside.

The calendar features photographs donated by talented local photographers and compiled by local graphic artist Jason Ferdinando. The only costs incurred are printing costs and all profits go to the rebuilding project.

Anyone wishing to donate to the project can do so via: mydonate.bt.com/charities/farndalevillagehall