Bourne Town Hall Trust receives lottery funding which could pave the way to a £2.2million investment

Lottery money has been awarded to Bourne Town Hall Trust in the first step towards a major regeneration project.

The £316,000 grant will pave the way for a possible additional investment of £2.2million in the future as plans take shape.

Trustees wants to restore the Grade II listed building into a thriving community arts hub.

The project is titled The Old Town Hall: Arts in the Heart of Bourne.

It has been awarded £316,344 of development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This will be used to shape future plans before applying for a full grant of £ 2,266,852.

Trustee Charles Houseago said: “We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players.

“Our small team of volunteers have worked tirelessly over the past five years to get to this point and it’s great to know that we are a step closer to achieving our vision.”

The project has received additional match funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

Volunteers will create a programme of pilot activities to test the water and establish what the community wants from the venue in Market Place.

Lottery spokesman Robyn Llewellyn said: “Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support Bourne Town Hall Trust to create a community arts centre.

“This will not only preserve this important heritage to be enjoyed by locals and visitors from further afield but will also play a significant role in boosting the local economy and aiding the wider regeneration of Bourne.”

The venue is run by volunteers and currently hosts events once or twice a month including music, drama, crafts and cinema screenings.