THE regeneration of Stretford Public Hall’s historic ballroom is one step closer to being realised, with supporters pledging a whopping £110,000 so far and political leaders getting behind the drive.

Friends of Stretford Public Hall, the campaign group that saved the much-loved landmark from development in 2014, have crossed the half way point of their minimum target of £200,000.

An impressive £110,000 has been pledged to bring the ballroom back into use.

Friends of Stretford Public Hall are raising the money through a Community Share Offer, which allows people to purchase shares in the hall, which will go towards the development of the ballroom.

A further £90,000 needs to be raised by March 31.

Leader of Trafford Council, Sean Anstee, recently paid a visit.

He said: “I was enthused by the passion, dedication and commitment of the volunteers and the local community to return the hall to its former self as the focal point of civic life in the town.

“Stretford Public Hall can once again be a space known for creativity, culture, the arts and as a community hub accessible to all.

“The Community Share Offer is an innovative way of raising funds for the much-needed restoration of the ballroom and I encourage as many who are able to take part.”

Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston, Kate Green, is a passionate supporter of the project.

“The community came together over a year ago to save the building, and it’s fantastic to see people coming together again to invest in its restoration through the community share offer,” she said.

“I’ve personally invested, and I warmly encourage others to contribute to the scheme, and help transform Stretford Public Hall into a vibrant community hub."

Geraldine Coggins, of Trafford Green party, also invested.

“The Friends of Stretford Public Hall have a brilliant vision for the Hall and the match-funding means this is a great time to contribute,” she said.

Chair of Friends of Stretford Hall, Annoushka Deighton, said: “We are delighted that community leaders from across the area have backed our campaign so publicly. The Public Hall is such an important asset and we are overwhelmed that so many people have bought up shares so far.

“However, we still have some way to go in order to hit our target, so it is vital that more people sign up.”

A campaign “finale” event will be held at the hall from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday March 25. The public can see the hall and find out more about the share offer. People can RSVP via their website here: stretfordpublichall.org.uk/community_share_offer_finale. To invest in the campaign, visit stretfordpublichall.org.uk/communityshareoffer.