Fundraiser for village hall car park near Bridgnorth reaches £10,000 target in final hours
A mammoth fundraising target to extend a village hall car park was reached in the campaign's final few hours.
The team at Quatt Village Hall, near Bridgnorth, managed to raise more than £10,000 in order to extend its car park, making it more accessible and disability-friendly for its rural community.
With the online crowdfunding campaign coming to an end on Thursday afternoon, more than £1,000 was raised on the day to ensure the final target was met.
The Quatt Village Hall committee said the limited-time plan was made possible thanks to the landowner to the rear of the building.
"We are fortunate to have been given a rare opportunity to extend the car park into the field at the back of the village hall," the committee said in a statement.
"This is time sensitive, as a change in the tenant farmer who owns the field might result in this kind offer being withdrawn.
"We would like to create more parking spaces and make an area of hard standing for disabled visitors to park, adjacent to the accessible ramp at the side of the building."
A total of £10,052 was raised by 226 supporters in 42 days.
Continuous improvements
The work to expand the car park is expected to cost between £8,000 to £10,000, and any money left over will be used to make continuous improvements.
The committee said: "With the extra money we will continue to make improvements to our village hall.
"We have a long list of things to do. New windows are top of the list after the car park – some of them desperately need replacing and may not last another winter; a new roof with improved insulation, new heating, a new stage system and improved electrics and lighting for starters.
"We have an older building that is part of a National Trust estate in a conservation area. We have to work with particular restrictions and at the same time are trying to make it as eco-friendly as possible."
The fundraising efforts come after a survey which was part of the Quatt Parish Community Plan found the car park to be an issue concerning residents in the area.
The committee added: "We hope that a bigger, more accessible car park will encourage more people to consider hiring our hall or attending our events and supporting our village hall to continue to be the centre of our community for many years to come."
