WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed a £3million fund which will help communities to improve their village halls.

The funding, which was confirmed by the Government, will allow communities to bid for up to £75,000 towards refurbishment and improvement of buildings.

The bidding process will be overseen by Action with Communities in Rural England, which is a charity set up to improve rural community resources.

“Village halls often form the focal point of a rural community and I know of several villages in West Worcestershire which have asked me about ways to improve their facilities,” said Mrs Baldwin, whose West Worcestershire constituency includes Tenbury

“I often hold my advice surgeries in village halls, so I am familiar with many of the buildings. There are some amazing, newly built halls, but some were constructed as memorial halls after the First and Second World Wars and some would really benefit from improvements.

“I will be encouraging local communities to put together plans to bid for this investment and I hope that some county villages are successful.”

Village halls can be the only facility in many isolated rural areas.