THE Broadwoodwidger Community Hub was opened on Saturday, September 16, by Cllr Jane Whittaker, leader of Torridge District Council, who was presented with a posy of flowers by Charlie Crocombe, one of the youngest parishioners — as pictured in last week’s Post.

Many attended the opening and enjoyed a cream tea and the chance to have a look around the newly refurbished building, which as the chairman of the Broadwoodwidger Community Fund, John Wordon, mentioned had started out as a school in 1883, before becoming a reading room in 1906 and latterly the church hall.

A community fund was set up in November 2013 by five members to look into the possibility of affording and finding somewhere in the village as a small community meeting place.

In January 2015 the committee asked the churchwardens to consider a lease on the church room, which due to its poor state was in need of refurbishment.

Community funding had been suggested by the developer when the Rexon Cross turbine was at the planning stage, but with a small number of people against this idea the application moved on without this stipulation.

However, the present owners of the turbine were approached and after hearing of the plans for the hall offered £20,000 for the project.

On the back of this money other grants were applied for and because of match funding these were granted over a period of time — including £17,000 from Torridge District Council which was applied for by ward councillor Peter Watson in addition to the council’s £15,000 contribution for the refurbishment project in 2016/2017.

Other money then came in from fundraising and direct donations from parishioners to reach the total sum needed.

After an extended period to agree the Albemarle agreement and lease from the Exeter board of finance, the refurbishment work started in February 2017 on the ‘Hub’ as it was to be known.

The total cost was £80,000. This included the refurbishment of the former church room, the old toilet block, access and landscaping outside the Hub together with clearing and fencing the adjoining glebe land.

Work was undertaken in conjunction with the parochial church council to widen the entrance to the church path and for tarmacing right up to the Hub door — new lighting has also been installed so that the whole path to the Hub is well lit at night.

Family members of a former churchwarden employed a local craftsman to make new gates for the entrance, the whole scheme has been fully funded and the Hub starts with no debts.

The community hub was officially opened by Cllr Jane Whittaker, and Mr Worden.

Cllr Whittaker said: “It was a great pleasure to officially open the Broadwoodwidger Community Hub, which provides a wonderful and much needed facility to this remote rural community.

“The council’s new homes bonus grants scheme continues to be a great success and over the past 18 months Torridge councillors have contributed to a diverse range of projects, providing much needed funding to help communities right across the district.”

The community fund committee said it is delighted with the outcome of the refurbishment work and are pleased to say that bookings are coming in, although the main idea for the project was to promote community spirit by holding small events on a regular basis.