Residents of Hinton Martell in Wimborne have been awarded £20,000 towards a restoration project to preserve their Grade-II listed village hall. Purchased by the local community in 1977 following its closure as a school, Hinton Martell Village Hall was in urgent need of restorative work to its roof, chimney and wall structure to ensure its important role as a community hub in the isolated rural village continues.

Talbot Village Trust, a local grant-giving charity that supports worthy causes across south east Dorset, donated the significant sum which has contributed to the completion of phase one of the project. This includes an upgraded and replaced roof of both halls one and two, repaired chimney stack, stabilised walls in hall two, and the re-build of two bays of the church wall which were in danger of collapse. 

Sue Dawson, Acting Chair of the Hinton Martell Village Hall Management Committee, said: “Our village hall forms a vital part of the isolated rural community of Hinton Martell where the Parish is home to some 430 residents. The village has no shop, public house or any other amenities so the village hall plays a hugely significant part in ensuring a variety of activities are accessible to the community. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Talbot Village Trust. Their grant has helped us to secure the future of our historic village hall by enabling us to tackle a major preservation project, which simply would not have been possible without their support. The whole community now has a village hall it can be proud to use.”

The hall is used as a central community hub for the surrounding villages, and the committee organises a whole programme of events throughout the year, working in conjunction with the church next door, the local primary school and organisations such as ‘Artsreach’.

The £20,000 donation also contributed to cosmetic work inside the hall, which took place while closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since re-opening, the hall now offers a safe, dry and inviting space for the community to use.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, Chairman of Talbot Village Trust, commented: “We understand just how significant community spaces like Hinton Martell Village Hall are, particularly for those living in more rural areas of the county. The Trust was delighted to support the preservation project, to ensure the historic building can continue to be enjoyed by the public for essential events, activities and social gatherings for many years to come.”

For more information on the preservation project, visit www.hinton-martell-village-hall.co.uk/preservation-project

Talbot Village Trust donates £1million each year in grants to organisations in south east Dorset. In 2021, the trust supported 53 organisations across community, education, youth, and faith and will continue to broaden their support for priority projects tackling climate change, mental health and wellbeing, and education exclusion.