Charles Booth Centre in Thringstone has been awarded a National Lottery Grant to improve the energy efficiency of the building. 

It is the oldest community centre in the country, with the original farmhouse building was purchased by Charles Booth in 1903. 

The leaded windows in that part of the building will be given secondary double glazing, whilst the remaining section, which was added on by Booth in 1911, will get new windows in its entirety. 

Heating a building of this age can be problematical, say those who run the centre near Coalville.

But a new boiler will help with both heating and costs going forward - plus roof insulation and shutters to some of the windows will help with energy loss and improve the overall experience for users of the centre in the future. 

This project was initiated by former centre manager Tom Walters who saw the opportunity to improve the centre and also got donations to allow the centre to put in a much-needed lift to the upstairs hall. 

After a long process to get to the stage of obtaining a grant, the help of the trustees has been vital in this regard. 

Centre manager Beata Buczynska said: 'We love our building and are very proud of its history and are also looking to improve the look of the main hall by having thermal lined curtains which will also help to keep the heat in. 

"We have a lot of user groups who will benefit from these improvements and it will provide a better service to the community at large. 

"Our centre was set up to be a hub for several local villages and we want to protect this legacy for the future. We are most grateful to the National Lottery for their support and help with getting this money and look forward to welcoming people to our renovated building in due course."