RESIDENTS of Freethorpe and the surrounding rural community are celebrating a £50,000 grant from Biffaward, a multi-million pound environmental fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts which uses landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.

RESIDENTS of Freethorpe and the surrounding rural community are celebrating a £50,000 grant from Biffaward, a multi-million pound environmental fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts which uses landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.

The funding will enable the construction of a new community pavilion.

The facility will be used by the whole community aged from eight to 80. Sporting clubs and community groups will be reinvigorated by the opportunities created by the construction of the pavilion.

The Biffaward grant will fund the community room within the pavilion which will serve as a meeting room, bowls viewing lounge and a clubhouse for after sporting events hospitality.

The Biffaward grant includes a £5,000 contribution from Broadland District Council who also contributed a further £15,000 to the total project cost.

Under government regulations only 90 per cent of project costs can be provided by landfill tax.

Gillian French, programme manger Biffaward said: “Communities need places to meet and it is great news that some local clubs and groups have already expressed an interest in using the community pavilion.

“Biffaward is pleased to support such worthwhile projects which make a big difference in their community.”

Stephen Smith, vice-chairman of Freethorpe Village Hall and project manager, said: “The community pavilion will become the focal point of the local rural community with community groups and sporting clubs benefiting from this great new facility.

“Freethorpe Village Hall would like to thank Biffaward for making this ambitious £328,026 target possible by providing the crucial partnership funding to support grants made by the FA, Football Foundation and Broadland District Council.

“Without the Biffaward grant the project would not have been possible.”

Biffa provides a range of public sector, commercial and industrial waste collection services as well as the management of 33 operational landfill sites across the UK.

The multi-million pound a year Biffaward fund has been set up using tax charged on waste taken to landfill sites to help finance environmental projects near Biffa sites.