Coddington Village Hall awarded a £7,500 grant by Asda Foundation

A village hall was one of the 60 lucky projects to be awarded a £7,500 Renovating Place grant by the Asda Foundation.

Newark Asda Foundation and trustees of Coddington Village Hall met to officially receive the cheque and the foundation banner.

The grants awarded to communities across the UK vary between £5,000 and £25,000, through three different categories— renovating places, repairing spaces and transforming outdoor spaces.

Isobel Turner, the trustee who applied for the grant on behalf of the village hall, said: “Being given the Asda Foundation grant has really cheered all the trustees and friends of the hall.

“For some time, we have been looking out for a grant that we are eligible for; so many have been aimed towards covid and well-being, rather than doing physical improvements such as ours.”

The plans to renovate the hall involve replacing the second-hand donated kitchen units with new ones, worktops and plinths, along with replacing the fridge and cooker and a slight enlargement of the kitchen itself.

The renovation is expected to start in August and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Asda Newark’s community champion Sinead Hinch said: “It is exciting to have the opportunity to make an impact on the local area, thanks to the funding from the Asda Foundation.

“I am looking forward to following the progress of the refurbishment, getting involved where possible and I am excited to see the updated kitchen when it has been finished.”

The hall is run by a group of volunteers and used by a variety of groups, such as, Brownies, the WI, a history group, an art class, and for bee-keeping courses. It is available for hire for events such as birthday parties, fundraising events, discos, which can be booked through the website.

Store manager, Karl Carthew said: “It is the first time I have been involved with an Asda Foundation grant of this amount. It is very rewarding.”