A VILLAGE hall is looking for new ways to generate funding after the closure of a pre-school will cost it almost half its income.

The decision to close Heighington Village Pre-school came after it saw a dramatic fall in the number of children registered for the new school year.

Established 20 years ago in 1998, the pre-school used Heighington Village Hall five days a week and made up almost 50% of the hall’s income through rent.

The closure of the pre-school comes as a big blow to the hall which is already struggling to raise money for maintenance and to replace the building’s old single-glazed windows.

To buffer the loss, the Heighington Village Hall Association is offering use of the building and free taster sessions to anyone interested in setting up a group or to existing groups in the area who want to use the space.

The hall is also available to local business who are looking for a venue to hold meetings and events.

Karin Allison, of the Heighington Village Hall Association, said: “We’re trying to think outside the box to make the hall as attractive as we can for businesses and special interest groups who may want to use it.

"We’ve got a lot of facilities in the hall that we can offer.”

One of the out-of-the-box ideas is a cinema night which the committee hopes will bring more people to the hall.

Using a grant from Heighington Parish Council, the committee is looking to buy new, comfortable chairs and a projector with an aim to be set up by the Autumn.

Mrs Allison added: “What we want is to keep the village hall available to everyone in the area who benefits from using it.

"We're trying to think of everything we can to help it continue as a valuable part of the community.”

Anyone interested in using the hall for meetings, groups, parties or events can call its booking secretary on 01325 307305