County in Lottery snub (From Stroud News and Journal)

County in Lottery snub

VILLAGE halls throughout the district have been shunned by the National Lottery. Community leaders claimed this week that rural villages are missing out because Lottery funding is being channelled into urban areas instead.

Despite the hard work and commitment of communities throughout the Five Valleys to improve facilities all pleas for cash are falling on deaf ears. "We've had the lottery door firmly slammed in our face," said Rodney Vaughan of the Gloucestershire Royal Community Council.

Because the criteria has changed for lottery funding many rural people now feel Gloucestershire has been allowed to fall off the map. Almost a third of the county's 270 village halls are looking for a total of £7million funding but few can expect to see any money.

"It's a problem that's affecting rural communities in general and its been getting worse and worse over the past few years," said Mr Vaughan. "Most village halls were built in the '20s and '30s and they still serve as a focal point for communities. "But they're out of date, built for an era that no longer exists and until they are brought into the 21st century this is going to be an ongoing problem."

In the past the Lottery's Community Fund has helped pay for improvements to many halls but now cash which was once available is going elsewhere. "It turns out they've changed the rules so now Gloucestershire just isn't on the map," said frustrated Alex Davis of Oakridge, just one of the villages that wants to refurbish its hall.

"Our hall is underused at the moment, it's too grim, particularly in the winter, and we want to make it the hub of the village. Oakridge is quite an isolated village and we need this kind of facility."

See this week's SNJ for full story, including details of how one local village was snubbed after raising half the money needed for a new community hall.