A COMMUNITY development charity is encouraging Cumbria's over 330 village halls to 'go green'.

ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) is making the call as part of National Village Halls Week between Monday, March 18, and Sunday, March 24.

The week, which is now in its seventh year, celebrates how halls can save energy and supports initiatives that can help them go Net Zero.

National Village Halls Week is also a call to action, with ACT and national campaign organisers, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), asking hall management committees to consider how they can go green in a bid to safeguard their futures and combat increasing energy bills.

ACT’s lead village hall advisor, Hellen Aitken, said: "This year’s Village Halls Week is all about how halls can make a positive impact on the environment and ‘Go Green’ – an important subject for us all.

"We’re proud to support village hall committees across Cumbria, many of whom are developing plans and delivering projects to improve their buildings, making them more accessible, comfortable, energy-efficient, and financially sustainable, to better serve their communities both today and in the future."

ACT has already supported several village halls across the county, including Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall, Little Clifton Village Hall, Drigg & Carleton Village Hall, Brigham Memorial Hall, and Great Corby Village Hall.

It is also hoped that the recent £5million uplift in grant funding announced by the Chancellor in the Spring Budget will help more halls to undertake works to improve insulation, replace inefficient heating systems, and generate their own electricity.

Great Corby Village Hall's Helen Dodd said: "When we reopened after Covid we realised just how cold, damp, and unwelcoming it was and then rising fuel costs meant our energy bills began to spiral.

"Our first priority was to replace the multi-patched and leaking roof, now fully insulated and with solar PV panels.

"Thanks to further National Lottery funding, via ACT, phase two quickly followed and is nearly complete, with new double-glazed windows and doors; battery storage for the solar PV system; LED lighting throughout, and sensor lighting in the toilets.

"Destratification fans in the main hall now recirculate hot air when it rises into the high ceiling space and a far infrared heater has been installed in the yoga room, which needs to be warmer than the rest of the building.

"The impact has been immediate and hall users are delighted. Everyone has commented on how much lighter, brighter and so much more pleasant it is to come into – no more damp smell or condensation on the windows.

"We also expect to see significant savings on our fuel bills."