In 2023, a £3 million village halls fund was launched to provide support for the modernisation and improvement of village halls in England. A further amount was provided for the financial year ending in March 2026.
A Defra funded grant scheme has reopened for small grants for committees managing rural community buildings. The lower thresholds of £2,000 – £5,000 aim to support smaller projects.
Managed by Action with Rural Communities in England (ACRE), the fund has already awarded grants to 100s of village and community halls, helping them undertake ambitious improvements to their building. Works undertaken or scheduled to take place include new roofs, insulation, extensions, and more energy efficient heating systems.
The grant fund is re-opening to new applicants who wish to undertake smaller projects such as disability access, toilet upgrades and new kitchens. Grant awards of between £2,000 to £5,000 are available where match funding of 80% is in place. Project expenditure must take place before 31 March 2026.
A streamlined on-line application process and simplified eligibility criteria will make it easy for small projects to come forward for support. The scheme will remain open until funding is fully allocated.
Details about how to apply to the small grants scheme can be found here.