Rankin Hall gets a much deserved face-lift

You said...   Our community hall is well used but isn’t suitable for our older residents

We did…   Worked with the community group to project manage a well deserved revamp

Askam’s Rankin Hall is a busy hub of the community used by a whole range of local people.  But for sometime the hall has been in need of refurbishment to make it user-friendly for everyone.

The Rankin Hall is owned by the Askam Old Age Pensioners Club, a busy community group with more than 60 members. 

The group had raised funding to install a new kitchen in 2008 but was faced with a dilemma over the toilets which were unsuitable for the frail elderly users of the hall.  

Likewise, the entrance to the building was cramped, making access for disabled visitors difficult.

The group decided it was high time the hall got a new lease of life.  

The community group approached the County Council’s Community Unit in Barrow for help in raising funding and managing the refurbishment project. 

To enable the project to go ahead, the club secured the services of an architect to draw up plans for the works.  

Angela Knowles, the Community Unit’s Rural Projects Officer secured funding for the project from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd), Eon Climate and Renewables Ltd. and from another charitable foundation which does not wish for publicity.  

All through the process, Angela and the committee encouraged local people to get involved with the project and give their support. Local groups and societies also got involved in the plans, including the doctor’s practice in the village, the Parish Council, the Women’s Institute, and Adult Social Care County Council colleagues.  

The opening of the hall was marked with a community celebration.