The Village Hall is to be painted white -at least to its rendered front elevation-and the perimeter path round the playing fields will be completed.

These two projects are part of a programme of exciting developments planned at the Village Hall in 2026, for which planning permission has recently been granted by North Yorkshire Council.

Painting the outside of the Hall will brighten and smarten its appearance, while the finishing of its perimeter path with tarmac will be beneficial to all users, greatly improving accessibility. This latter improvement was a priority for those villagers who responded to a survey on the Hall, carried out in the Spring, when almost 60% voted for this improvement.

This work should begin in the spring of 2026 with some grants having already been received towards the cost. Sport England's Movement Fund has approved £8,000. This is a fund that, among other aims, helps organisations improve their capacity and capability so that they can help people in their community become active by providing spaces in which the community can do so. Harmony Energy, the company involved in the solar farm at Wormald Green, has allocated £1,000. The remainder of the project cost will ultimately be met by “commuted sums” a pot of money made up of one-off capital payments by developers of new housing projects. Village Hall funds will be temporarily used to provide some bridging finance.

Also on the “drawing board” are plans for the installation of solar panels and batteries on the hall's large south/south west facing roof, a longer-term project that will require further fund-raising. Just short of 70% of responders to the village hall survey voted in favour of this proposal for clean, renewable energy. Phil Goodier, chair of the Village Hall Committee, said “The Committee believe enough electricity can be generated to provide the majority of the space heating in the hall while giving a source of income in the summer”.

Looking further forward, there are plans to change the existing toilets in the lounge into an outside toilet with disabled access and baby changing facilities. It is envisaged that this will be achieved by constructing a new entrance at the rear of the hall to allow access to the existing toilets in the lounge.

Many existing users of the hall will already have noticed the large television screen recently installed in the lounge, which will prove very useful for meetings/presentations.

The Village Hall is a wonderful community asset and these improvements will further enhance its facilities. A huge amount of thanks is due to the Hall's hard working committee and raft of willing volunteers who keep the QEII Hall and Playing Fields in such pristine condition. The village is proud to have such an amenity.