ALLENDALE Village Hall has received a £6,000 boost from the Big Lottery Fund.

The cash will be invested in audio-visual equipment for the benefit of the hall’s many user groups.

The state-of-the-art equipment will be installed by Newcastle-based Universal Group, which has spent time analysing the hall’s needs.

The village hall’s recently- appointed chairwoman, Catherine Stirling Hill, said the equipment will mean better sound and lighting at the venue which is used for zumba, film nights, the annual pantomime and the Allen Valley Folk Festival.

She explained: “We are very excited at the huge opportunity this award has given us to improve our audio-visual equipment, which will service and enhance so many of our user groups and societies.

“Allendale Village Hall is at the heart of the Allen Valleys and, as such, is at the centre of both village life and also used by the Allen Valleys population in general. The aim has always been to meet the needs of these groups and provide a welcoming environment.”