THE second phase of refurbishment at the Laverton will begin on Monday, part of the Laverton Project, which is transforming the historic building into a multi-purpose community venue.
Work in phase two will include redecorating all the public rooms in the building, refurbishing the toilets, installing an audio visual system and improving the ventilation and lighting.
Much of the work will be funded by the grant of £90,000 from Plain Action, the rural development agency which operates across Salisbury Plain, which was awarded to the project at the end of last year. Since then, the project has been awarded a grant of £25,000 from the Performance Reward Grant Scheme.
Stephen Andrews, chair of the Laverton Institute Trust Management Committee said, “With the award of this grant and the one already obtained from Plain Action, phase 2 of the refurbishment of the Laverton Hall can now commence. The work will take approximately 10-12 weeks to complete.
“The refurbishment progress will be closely monitored by the same team who supervised phase one and we will ensure that the project is completed within, or under budget and on time.”
The Laverton project has also just been told that it will receive £25,000 from the Landfill Communities Fund.
Performance Reward Grant Scheme to help refurbishment
The grant of £25,000 from the Performance Reward Grant scheme, will be used to contribute to the refurbishment of the toilets within the Laverton Hall. The money comes through Wiltshire Council, after they earned a Performance Reward Grant from the Government, which is now being distributed to projects across the country. The grant is awarded to projects which they consider to have a positive local impact, for initiatives that have local support and that will take forward the ambitions of the Local Agreement for Wiltshire or help the Action for Wiltshire programme.
The panel which adjudicate on the grants stated that the Laverton Hall bid “made good links to ambitions [of the scheme]” and that “This is a worthwhile community facility and is being put to good use already.”
Landfill Communities Fund grant to increase standard of facilities
The £25,000 grant from the Landfill Community Fund from Hills Group Ltd, through Community First, will provide additional funding for phase 2 such as equipping the main hall, replacing the security system, and other improvements to bring the hall to venue standard. It will also allow for a specialist booking software system to be obtained, as well as a community noticeboard.
The Laverton Project
The Laverton Project is working to create a multi-purpose venue which can benefit the whole community. The historic building is already used by a number of community groups, and the building can cater for functions, exhibitions, displays, meetings, cultural activities, educational projects and entertainment.
Phase one of the project saw the town council offices move into new offices within the building and the installation of a lift for disabled people. Future plans include a consultation with the community on how best to utilise the facility and addressing the day-to-day practical use of the building.
More about The Laverton Project can be found at www. westburytowncouncil.co.uk
