Eastbourne community group receive £450,000 grant to save historic parish hall

Members of the Meads (Eastbourne) Community Centre have been campaigning to take over Meads Parish Hall and ‘restore it to modern-day standards for the community.’

The hall is a vital venue for the local community and was used by a wide range of local groups, until its forced closure in December due to it being ‘unsafe after years of little maintenance’.

In January, Eastbourne community leaders met in parliament discuss what could be done to save ‘vital’ Meads Parish Hall.

Robert Smart, Meads councillor and chair of trustees, and Mitch Peacock, trustee of Meads Parish Hall, met with the Levelling Up Minister to talk about saving the facility.

A spokesperson for the group said: "We are absolutely delighted to advise that we have been successful in our application for a Community Ownership grant of £450,000 to save the Meads Parish hall.

“We convinced the Government department to help save our treasured community asset and support the ambitions of our community.“Your help to realise our repair and refurbishment plans for the hall will be vital. To access the grant, we need to raise matched funding of £100,000 ourselves and we have been given only 12 months from now to finalise the works to the hall.

“Meads has shown its extraordinary community spirit numerous times before and we are sure we can do this again.

"Please do look at our website meadsecc.org for ways in which you can donate to save the Parish hall.”

The group will also be holding fundraising events to help raise money to further save the beloved hall.

“We will also be holding fund raising events over the coming months which we hope you will enjoy and support. On April 18, the Eastbourne Silver Band concert will bring us entertainment and we have a garden party planned on June 8.

“This good news has already been shared with the Parochial Church Council (PCC). We hope to finalise the transfer of this much-loved community asset, currently at risk of loss, to the Meads (Eastbourne) Community Centre shortly. Recent discussion with the Charities Commission about such a transfer gives us optimism.”