POOLBROOK Village Hall in Malvern is celebrating after receiving a £2,000 grant from power company E.ON to help with the cost of installing new heating.

The hall committee used the money to install air-to-air heat pumps to heat the main hall, replacing its old and unreliable convection heaters.

The committee hopes the new pumps will improve the building’s energy efficiency and reduce energy usage, whilst also improving warmth and comfort levels for users of the main hall.

Pam Bevan, chairman of the hall's trustees, said: “Everyone at the village hall is ecstatic that we’ve received the £2,000 grant from E.ON to help us continue our energy-efficiency project.

"In recent years, we’ve made other energy efficiency improvements including fitting insulation and double glazed windows and this heating upgrade is the final stage of our project.

“Our entire energy efficiency project is an excellent example for the community of Poolbrook, and the wider population of Malvern, that improving the energy efficiency of a building can not only save resources but also make a building feel and look more comfortable and welcoming.

"We’re dedicated to offering a range of activities to promote a healthy body and mind. We expect that by completing our energy efficiency project we’ll see an increase in the number and variety of activities undertaken at the centre.”

Suzanne Doxey, community relations manager at E.ON, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting Poolbrook Village Hall in completing its energy efficiency project. It’s amazing to see how hard they’ve worked to ensure that the building is a warm and comfortable environment for the local residents and as a result they can now offer a greater range of stimulating and exciting activities for them.

“Installing air-to-air pumps is a clever way to reduce energy usage and bills related to heating the main hall. Poolbrook Village Hall is exactly the kind of innovative energy efficiency project that E.ON’s Energising Communities Fund was created to support.”