Fundraising to cover the increased costs of the repair to the Charter Hall roof is going, Okehampton Town Council announced last week.

So far, the town council has confirmed that it has received over £17,000 towards the repair costs which will include improving the roof’s ventilation system to prevent rain entering the building.

The funds include £15,634.34 from West Devon Borough Council’s funding pot for community facilities, £890 from borough councillors’ Kevin Ball, Julie Yelland and Paul Vachon’s locality fund, £640 from the Sponsor a Slate campaign and £500 from Devon County Councillor Lois Samuel’s locality fund. The council has also confirmed that it has applied for funding from Okehampton United Charities.

Repair work is expected to take place during the spring and summer, although the council is currently awaiting for the borough council to approve planning permission for the work.

Any group that has arranged to hold events in the Charter Hall during the spring and summer will be informed of potential disruption during this period once the council has confirmed timings.

The repair work was originally set to take place before covid but following the outbreak of the pandemic the council was forced to put the work on hold.

Now with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the council has estimates that the cost of repair work will have doubled and now needs to match the £250,000 which had already been set aside for the work.

Anyone wanting to sponsor a slate should make the payment to Okehampton Town Council with the sort code 30-98-90 and account number 18063468.

The reference should be: your name/Roof Fund.