Major upgrade completed at Appleton-le Street Parish Hall (From Gazette & Herald)
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Major upgrade completed at Appleton-le Street Parish Hall
10:27am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News By Karen Darley
Committee members, from left, Arthur Pollintine, Judith Hill, Andy Holmes, Nigella Ballard and Barbara Borrett, inside the parish hall at Amotherby which has been completely renovated
A VILLAGE hall has undergone a complete refurbishment to improve its energy efficiency and bring it up to date.
Over the summer months improvements costing £90,000 have been carried out at Appleton-le Street Parish Hall, situated at Amotherby crossroads.
To celebrate the completion, members of the management committee are holding an open day on Saturday, almost 82 years to the day since the hall opened.
Local author and member of the committee Andy Seed said the builders started in early June and the work included forming a store area, insulating the walls, installing double-glazed windows, a suspended ceiling with insulation above, new lighting and electrics, flooring and a complete new kitchen.
“Work was completed by mid-August in time for the annual horticultural show when many very favourable comments were received,” he said.
“During the work on the kitchen volunteers stripped off the old wall panelling and fibreboard from the walls of the committee room and main hall. While work on fitting out the kitchen continued the builders progressed to stage two which involved fitting insulation, re-plastering and panelling walls and fitting new doors, lighting, electrics and heaters.”
Mr Seed said: “None of this could have been achieved without grants received from Yorventure, Ryedale District Council, NY Reward Fund, Howardian Hills Sustainable Development Fund, the Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Trust and Amotherby Parish Council, for which the hall management committee is most grateful.
“We want to use it as a community hub and now it has got the facilities, I’m sure people will be keen to sign up.”
The hall will be officially opened at 10am with the open day continuing until 2pm with tea, home-made cakes and refreshments as well as displays about activities going on in the hall.
At 7.30pm Andy Seed will give a talk based around his latest book, All Teachers Wise and Wonderful, and sharing anecdotes from his days as a young teacher in the Dales in the 1980s.
“This event is the culmination of years of fundraising, hard work and determination by a small dedicated hall committee led by Nigella Ballard,” Mr Seed added.
“It has been a hugh project involving a lot of hard work.”
