A VILLAGE hall which is almost a century old is to get a new lease of life.

Ellisfield’s Memorial Village Hall, in Church Lane, has been given a £17,000 grant from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) to help with the maintenance and upkeep of the building, including a new kitchen.

The grant was presented to the committee which manages the hall by the BDBC’s Local Infrastructure Fund (LIF).

Susan Deane, a member of the committee that manages the hall, said: “The grant means that we can ensure that our hall will be warm and welcoming, and the new kitchen will encourage more parties, particularly children’s parties.”

The plan is for the renovation to give the hall a wider appeal to Ellisfield residents as well the societies, yoga classes, band practice and parish council which each hold meetings there.

The hall can accommodate up to 80 people sitting in ‘theatre style’. Or there are 10 tables which will allow the hall to be set-up for the same number of people for meetings or parties and allow space for dancing and routes to the kitchen and gardens.

Built in 1920, the hall was made to commemorate the fallen in the First World War and has seen many changes to its interior and structure over the years.

The hall is the hub of Ellisfield’s social life and hosts regular events such as the village barbecue, village supper, Christmas fayre and the wine walk.

The hall committee also organises ad-hoc events such as evening entertainment functions.

Cllr Robert Tate, BDBC cabinet member for finance, service delivery and improvement, said: “The objective of the local infrastructure fund is to help projects such as this hall which are at the heart of the community, improving much-loved and much-used facilities to benefit residents in the area.”