A GRANT of �50,000 awarded to a village will go towards making it more sustainable for young people to live in.

Barkway was given the cash, the maximum that could have been awarded, as part of North Herts District Council’s Parish Amenity Improvement Funds.

Now they play to develop the pavilion and changing room area on the recreation ground into a more modern and appealing facility for the area.

Parish council chairman Cllr Bob Davidson said: “We want to try and keep young people in the village and the idea of building a new facility will hopefully help us do that.

“As some kids get older they get bored and move out to towns and cities rather than raising a family here but we want to change that.

“There really is not a lot for children to do so our aim is to bring a new facility for the youth of Barkway by developing a custom-built building.”

The new facility, which will cost �170,000 in total, will include the partial demolishing of the current pavilion at the recreation ground so they can be developed into home and away and male and female dressing rooms.

It will also include a new youth club building to replace the existing facility at the village social club.

Cllr Davidson said: “We currently have our own dilapidated football pavilion changing rooms and have to part-demolish those to make room for the new hall.

“The award is a major step towards the total required finding of �170,000, and when added to existing funds raised so far, brings the funds raised total so far to �80,000.”

Cllr Davidson welcomed approaches for future investment into the project.

“Anyone who feels empowered and might wish to get involved and help deliver this vital new facility and join the project management team can contact us,” he said.

“We have a long way to go to get the final amount but as we have over 50 per cent now we can apply for more money.”

The Parish Council are holding a casino night to raise funds for the project on May 12. It will be held at the Village Hall with tickets costing �12.

For more information contact parish clerk Catharine Toms at parishclerk@barkway-village.co.uk.