Cromhall based de Smit Medical are delighted to have been able to support Cromhall Village Hall (Registered Charity Number 287244) with a £1000 donation towards their recent renovations.
The village hall which is sited on Talbots End Lane in Cromhall, can accommodate around 100 people, has plans to improve disabled access and refresh the outside of the hall and car parking area, making the hall a more eco-friendly, ecologically diverse and accessible place to visit.
Supported by the local Scout group to implement their plans, the team behind the project have sought to raise just over £47,000 towards the project with £37,400 of this coming from a Rural Community Grant from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, funded by the UK government through the Rural England Prosperity Fund. The remainder of these funds have been raised through their own fundraising efforts and de Smit Medical are pleased to have been able to contribute towards this and ensure the space is both accessible, but also aesthetically appealing too.
Co-Chair of the Cromhall Parish Hall and Recreation Trust Susie Gilbert commented saying, “The project to refresh the exterior has taken just over 2 years in the planning. The committee has run quiz nights, beer festivals, a lego challenge and coffee mornings. However, the amount needed to complete the works was so large, it has only been due to the generous contributions from de Smit Medical, the Scouting Association, Tortworth Estate and Rural England that the project has been successful.”
“The works, completed by Cotswold Surfacing, has resulted in a fantastic exterior space that will last for many years to come, 50 to be exact! The porous tarmac prevents flooding, which with our current climate is so important, we have extra parking spaces for users and most importantly a much improved access into the hall for wheelchair users and mobility scooters. We also now have a dedicated bio-diversity/eco friendly space, where planters, nesting boxes and the bug hotel will attract butterflies, bees, birds and bats. The future of the hall is now looking much brighter and we have already seen an increase in hirers using this fantastic community space.”
Jo-Anna Simmonds, Operations Director at de Smit Medical further commented, saying, “As one of the UK’s leading distributors of medical devices and continence care products, we are thrilled to be able to support this worthy local cause and ensure that Cromhall Village Hall is accessible to all who use it, and continues to have a positive influence on its local environment.”
The vast majority of the project, including the widening of the access path, and the construction of a large bug hotel is now completed with planting, bird feeders and bat boxes soon to follow.
Before Photos
After Photos