Bishopton community secures village hall and defib funding

Two projects in Bishopton, which lies between Darlington and Stockton, have received £14,000 from the Lambs Hill Wind Farm benefits fund, with the Bishopton Village Hall Association and Bishopton Parish Council each receiving £7,000 for the village hall’s refurbishment and a new defibrillator.

It means over the last eight years, village projects have received more than £100,000 in grants.

Tom Chaplin, partnership and community manager at OnPath Energy, said: “The community benefits funds linked to all our wind farms are continuing to build long-term community value in the places in which they’re located, and it’s brilliant to see how this objective has been realised in Bishopton with the help of some very dedicated local people.

“The Bishopton Village Hall Association has taken a far-sighted approach to safeguarding the sustainability of their invaluable community venue and has helped to improve what it offers to local people in lots of different ways.”

The latest grant supports ongoing refurbishment of the village hall, with upgrades to kitchen units and equipment, improved insulation, and other energy efficiency measures.

Bishopton Parish Council used its funding to install two new defibrillators, ensuring that all residents are now within 300 metres of emergency equipment.

Mr Chaplin said: “We’re very pleased to be backing these latest Bishopton projects and thrilled to see the total value of our support for the village going past the £100,000 mark.”