VILLAGERS are celebrating winning a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery which will go towards their new village hall.

Residents of Croft-on-Tees, near Darlington, are faced with raising about £200,000 to replace their existing hall, which was built as a “temporary” construction in 1986.

“The lottery has given us the maximum grant available, so it is a fabulous result,” said village hall chairman, Dan Connolly. “It means we are now about halfway there, and it is a testament to all the hard work that went into the bid, and to all the fund-raising efforts of the committee and the community which have impressed the Lottery.”

The small village has been raising about £1,000-a-month for the last couple of years, with a lucrative highlight being an evening with cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham.

“The village hall really is the hub of our community, and it is in constant use by different groups involving all age ranges, and as a centre for social activities,” said Mr Connolly, “so we are delighted that the lottery is helping us on our way.”

It is hoped that the new hall, behind the Croft Hotel, will be complete by the summer of 2020.

Forthcoming fund-raising events include a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first women winning the vote which will be held in the beautiful settings of Croft Hall on September 22. There will be a millinery demonstration, croquet, afternoon tea and more, including Chris Lloyd, of The Northern Echo, giving his talk, Screechers & Suffragettes: Darlington’s role in winning votes for women.

The afternoon starts at 2pm, and a limited number of tickets are available for £12, to include the tea.

On December 19, Rural Arts On Tour brings its Dick Whittington pocket panto to the Croft Hotel. Tickets are £8 for adults and £4 for under 18s with proceeds going to the village hall.

For tickets for both events, call 01325-721014 or email susan1.coates@yahoo.co.uk