GRANTS totalling nearly £200,000 have been made to fund vital energy efficiency upgrades for community halls across Somerset, including in Nynehead and Halse.

The grants will help reduce running costs, lower carbon emissions, and ensure the well-used spaces remain sustainable into the future.

The funding was administered by Somerset Community Foundation (SCF), with expert support from the community buildings team at Thrive.

Nynehead Memorial Hall received £5,990 for heating and insulation work, while Halse Village Hall was given £10,000 for building improvements.

SCF grants have supported a wide range of energy-saving improvements, such as solar panels, insulation, double glazing, and air source heat pumps.

Programmes manager Clare Stephen said: “We would love to run the programme for a second time as we received many more applications than we could support.

“Seeing the work undertaken by trustees of community buildings across the county has been humbling.

“They are working tirelessly to ensure the sustainability of these buildings so many local people and groups can continue to use them.

“These buildings are often at the heart of local communities, and we want to help protect them as essential assets in Somerset.”

Ms Stephen said the funding programme came at a critical time, with rising energy costs putting community groups under increasing pressure.

Many of the buildings were ageing and draughty, making them expensive to heat and threatening their long-term viability.

She said SCF provided vital funding and support for small, local charities, community groups, and social enterprises to flourish.

Thrive also helped a number of community groups to carry out energy efficiency audits, assessing the current condition of their buildings and identifying upgrades which would deliver the greatest impact and future savings.

Annual savings of at least £500 per year are expected for participating buildings, and some groups could reduce annual carbon emissions by up to seven tonnes.