Harpley Village Hall: A Community Coming Back
When you give communities with ambition the tools they need, they make incredible things happen.
With a little funding, support and encouragement, people come together, share ideas, and create something bigger than the sum of its parts.
At the Foundation, we see it as a privilege to stand alongside communities as they bring their visions to life. One of the most inspiring recent examples is Harpley, a small West Norfolk village whose hall has once again become a vibrant hub of activity.
From quiet to thriving
Like many communities, Harpley felt the impact of the pandemic deeply. The village hall, once well used, fell into disrepair. Activities slowed, enthusiasm waned, and the building itself needed attention. After the long pause of lockdown, that things had to be looked at afresh.
When a new management team came together, made up of both long-standing and new members, the spark was reignited. With fresh energy and ideas, the team began to breathe life back into the hall. They reached out to the Foundation for funding and support, and the results have been transformative.
Small grants, big changes
The first grant Harpley received was from the West Norfolk Lives Fund in 2023, enabling them to launch Harpley Village Events. With this modest award, they purchased equipment for a new craft club, supported hall hire and supplies, and even transformed one of the rooms into a craft space. The club quickly became a regular fixture, bringing people of all ages together.
Building on this momentum, Love Norfolk funding allowed the group to extend their reach, adding more craft equipment and setting up coffee mornings to give residents another chance to connect. The Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Small Grants Scheme soon followed, providing outdoor furniture to accommodate the growing popularity of events.
Funding has also enabled Harpley to respond to the community’s evolving interests, from a history club to a trial table tennis club. The trial proved so successful that the group has now applied for support to establish the club formally, with hopes of welcoming 50 members.
Support beyond funding
Financial support is only part of the story. Through our Good for Good Skills Exchange programme, experts have stepped in to provide vital advice. Birketts gave time to guide the management committee through an ownership query, while Allison Surveying carried out a structural survey, helping the group understand the hall’s condition and plan for its future.
This blend of funding and skills has given the Harpley community not just resources, but also direction.
Looking ahead
Through funding and support, we were able to help this West Norfolk community realise their ambition to try something new, innovate and being people together in new ways. By listening to their community, Harpley Village Hall and Harpley Community Events have turned what was once a quiet hall into a centre of activity again, where neighbours meet, friendships form, and community thrives.
