The Commemoration Hall in Huntingdon has received a grant of £40,000 from the council to improve its energy efficiency for both cooking and heating purposes.
The Hall has upgraded its café kitchen area with new, energy-efficient appliances, enabling volunteers to offer a wider range of healthy and affordable menu options – including hot meals for the first time.
The grant awarded from the Cambridgeshire Priorities Capital Fund has also funded the installation of a new heating and cooling system, making the venue more comfortable year-round and environmentally sustainable.
These improvements will help encourage more visitors to the Hall, to build connections in their community, access options for healthier living. The changes also create more volunteering and employment opportunities at the Hall.
The Commemoration Hall was one of 26 community projects across Cambridgeshire awarded funding by the County Council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee. Applicants demonstrated how their project supported the council’s ambitions – creating a greener, safer and more caring Cambridgeshire.
Previously, customers had said they avoided the venue due to uncomfortable temperatures during extreme weather – in both the summer and winter. The new air-to-air heat pump installation is expected to save approximately 10,500 tonnes of CO2 annually.
The installation of this eco-friendly heating and cooling system, alongside the updated kitchen equipment, has enhanced the building’s environmental sustainability, enabling it to adapt and thrive as a heritage site.
Cllr Douglas Dew, vice-chair of Cambridgeshire County Council and Cllr Alex Bulat, vice-chair of the council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee visited the Commemoration Hall to see the new heating system and kitchen in action – and also saw the set of their Christmas Production, which is currently in full swing.
Cllr Bulat said: “I really enjoyed visiting The Commemoration Hall last Friday. It was brilliant to see the new kitchen equipment and heating system working so well and I’m looking forward to the improved facilities enabling the Hall to go from strength-to-strength as a valued community resource.”
“As a county council, we’re committed to supporting projects that cut carbon emissions and enable our communities to prosper socially and economically. The work at the Hall is an excellent example of our vision for a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire.”
