Baschurch Village Hall transformed after major energy upgrade
National Lottery and parish council funding has helped make the hall warmer, greener and more energy efficient
Baschurch Village Hall has undergone a major transformation, replacing its ageing heating, lighting and windows with more energy-efficient alternatives.
The village hall committee began looking at ways to make the building more resilient after years of rising energy costs highlighted the vulnerability of its old gas heating system.
In January 2020, the hall was heated by a gas boiler and around a dozen mainly single-panel radiators, while most of its windows were single glazed and some doors and frames allowed heat to escape.
The Covid-19 pandemic then brought activities at the hall to a standstill, with the building only continuing thanks to financial support from Shropshire Council.
Following the pandemic, rising gas and electricity prices prompted the committee to look at ways of reducing its reliance on energy markets.
In April 2024, an application was made to the National Lottery Community Fund for financial support to make the hall more energy self-sufficient. The committee also applied to Baschurch Parish Council for match funding.
The application was successful and, in April 2025, the committee was told that the National Lottery Community Fund would support the planned improvements.
Work began in November 2025, with the old gas boiler, radiators and lighting removed, along with the remaining single-glazed windows and leaky doors and frames.
They were replaced with two air source heat pumps, new double and triple radiators, 22 solar panels across three roof spaces, new doors and frames, double-glazed windows and LED lighting throughout the building.
The Parish Council also provided funding for a new CCTV system.
The main hall has also been redecorated, creating a brighter and more welcoming space for the groups, classes, parties and other activities held there.
The solar panels are expected to provide further savings, with the hall receiving payment for excess electricity generated during the summer months. This creates a net reduction in energy costs over the year.
The committee says the improvements have future-proofed the hall and reduced its exposure to fluctuations in gas and electricity prices.
It added its thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and Baschurch Parish Council for helping make the work possible.