A COMMUNITY hall in York has undergone a revamp after receiving a £3,100 Biffa Award grant.

The external fabric of Poppleton Road Memorial Hall has been refurbished, helping to prevent internal damage and maintain safety, said Paul Hepworth, president of the hall’s management committee.

“The project involved replacing some fascia boards and roof tiles, as well as repairing wall rendering and pointing, and helping to refurbish a rear garden,” he said.

“The Memorial Hall was founded in 1945 and rebuilt in 1990. The “new” hall is now over 20 years old, and the Biffa Award grant has helped us to carry out essential repairs to parts of the fabric without delving into our minimal financial reserves.

“This has helped to maintain safety for all hall users, keep room hire rents at a competitive level and demonstrates our committee’s commitment to providing the best facilities for Holgate and surrounding areas of York.”

Enid Nunns, an adult tap dance teacher, said she and colleagues regularly hired the hall after being impressed with its facilities. She said: “The committee are to be commended for staying abreast of long-term repair needs.

“This will maintain exterior and interior safety and give us the confidence to hire the Memorial Hall for the foreseeable future.”

The Biffa Award is a multimillion-pound fund, administering money donated by Biffa Group Ltd, a leading integrated waste management business, that helped to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award programme manager, said: “Projects like this are incredibly important for local communities, which is why we look to invest in them.”