Work has begun to raise capital costs for Raglan’s Community Hub after the project reached the milestone of full planning permission in June.

Raglan Village Hall Association has submitted the first and largest funding application for £499,000 to the Big Lottery Fund. The application represents almost half of the estimated £1.2m capital cost needed for the build. A decision is expected in around six months time.

The aim of the hub is to provide a permanent, purpose built home for community activity in the village, as well as improving access to services. The project is three years into a six-year plan, coordinated by Raglan Village Hall Association.

Chair of Raglan Village Hall Association, Chris Butler-Donnelly, said, “We are grateful to everyone for their enormous efforts in getting the Big Lottery Fund application in.

"Thank you to all our partners, including Monmouthshire County Council, for supporting us through the process. It’s a long journey but we hope it’ll bring Raglan a step closer to having a purpose built community hub from which many services can be delivered.”

Raglan Village Hall Association volunteers previously secured Big Lottery funding for the hub planning and design process in 2016. Architects and local residents shaped the final design and the hub was granted planning permission by Monmouthshire County Council in July 2017.

Now that the latest Big Lottery Fund application has been submitted, further submissions are planned to other funders including the Welsh Government to raise the estimated £1.2m total build cost.

Monmouthshire County Council are working in partnership with Raglan Village Hall Association and have agreed to transfer the former Raglan Junior School site to the association once all funding has been secured.

The Raglan Village Hall Association (RVHA) is a team of volunteers and a registered charity working to improve community facilities in Raglan, Monmouthshire.

If you would like to help the RVHA or find out more you can visit www.raglanvillagehall.org.uk or contact the organisation at [email protected].