After their success at obtaining a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery towards the repair of the Village Hall roof the Titchfield Village Trust have now topped that with a grant of £20,000 from the Veolia Environmental Trust.

Veolia are the company that deals with refuse and recycling bins in Hampshire.

Nick Girdler, the Trust’s chairman, said “This generous donation from Veolia has taken us to within touching distance of our goal of £100,000 that will enable us to begin work on this essential project”

Photoshop of how the hall will look with rows of flush fitting solar panels

The hall was given to Titchfield in 1890 as a memorial to Henry Hill Hornby who lived in Hook and is buried in the village churchyard. During its 130 year life the roof has undergone some minor repairs but now needs totally retiling.

As part of the refurbishment the Trust has planning permission to install 3 rows of flush fitting solar panels on the south side of the building in order to reduce future running costs and make a contribution to the village achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

“Much work still remains to be carried out to safeguard the hall and keep it at the heart of village life for future generations” said Nick.

Future projects include returning the interior of the hall to its original Victorian vaulted ceiling by removing the modern false ceiling and replacing the much worn out flooring.

“All of that is in for later” Nick continued “but to quote Churchill after the Battle of El Alamein” ‘this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning’.