VILLAGERS raising cash for a new £750,000 village hall are celebrating a “fantastic” contribution.

The Garfield Weston Foundation has pledged £35,000 towards the construction costs of the planned building off Halifax Road, in Cullingworth.

The Cullingworth Village Hall Renewal Committee gained planning permission for the building in March, but at the time still had to raise more than £500,000 towards the construction and furnishing costs.

Jill Logan, chairman of the Renewal Committee, said the Garfield Weston Foundation grant was “absolutely fantastic news”.

She said: “It puts us one step closer to fulfilling our ambition to build a new community facility. It will provide a dedicated space for Cullingworth Preschool, halls to hire and a café. We are thrilled.”

In 2015, the Renewal Committee unveiled plans for a new building in Lodge Street to replace the rundown and overcrowded existing village hall in Station Road. The new village hall, next to Cullingworth Medical Centre, will also include a cafe, and a children’s nursery catering for 40 children and staff members.

The steering committee secured £410,600 of section 106 community money from David Wilson Homes, which is building 223 homes at Hewenden Ridge on Manywells Brow.

By spring this year the group had raised £520,000, the rest coming from fundraising and the village hall reserves. In March, the group successfully applied for planning permission from Bradford Council for an ultra-modern building in Lodge Street.

At the time, committee member Kathryn Toledano praised the “magnificent support” of villagers and said this would help raise the remaining money needed for construction and fitting-out of the building.

The committee launched a Buy a Brick campaign in April to encourage villagers to each play their part in helping fund construction.

The Renewal Committee realised the bulk of the remaining cash would have to come from grants, however, and the Garfield Weston pledge is one of their first successes. David Wilson Homes has been supporting the campaign, donating to the costs of flyers and marketing activities. The existing village hall in Station Road was built in 1971 and is run on a not-for-profit basis.

Visit facebook.com/CullingworthVillageHall to support the campaign.

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