Wirksworth community venue unveils new facilities funded by £50,000 Tarmac grant

The grant of £50,000 from Tarmac’s Landfill Communities Fund allowed Wirksworth Parochial Council to completely upgrade the toilet facilities at the multi-purpose Maltings Community Venue.

Work has been carried out in recent months to build a complete new toilet block which now offers disabled access and meets the latest eco standards.

Long serving council member David Brown said: “We have gradually found ways to upgrade the venue so it can continue to serve our community’s needs as a versatile, fit-for-purpose space.

“Two years ago, we won a National Lottery grant which enabled us to install a new kitchen. This grant from Tarmac has been the icing on the cake, helping us replace the old unpleasant toilet block with a new area including an extra window, a light ‘lantern’, and disabled access.”

Dating back to the early 1800s, the site was originally used to produce malt from barley grown on nearby farmland.

At the end of the 19th century, the church community raised money to buy the building and volunteers renovated it for community use.

It is now managed by the Wirksworth St Marys Church Parochial Council and is used by a variety of community groups including the brass band, orchestra, and choir, and hosts regular festivals, gigs and dances.

Visiting the venue to inspect the new facilities, Darren Middleton, powders business manager at Tarmac’s Ballidon quarry, was thrilled with the results.

He said: “We are delighted that the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund grant has helped bring this important historical community venue into the 21st century.

“We look forward to hearing how the upgraded facilities help make it an even busier valuable social hub for the town.”

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund enables landfill operators to donate part of their annual tax liability to support community and environmental projects.

Through the fund Tarmac donates around £1million each year throughout the UK.

For more information on how to apply, visit entrust.org.uk.

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