MORE than £65,000 of funding for community groups was approved by West Oxfordshire District Council this week.

Senior councillors voted through the proposals, which will provide £37,500 to Long Hanborough Methodist Church, £13,845 to Cassington Parish Council, £4,460 to Northmoor Village Hall Foundation, £3,080 to the Amelia Carter Charity and £6,353 to Project Hailey.

The biggest sum – almost 60 per cent – of the total, to Long Hanborough Methodist Church, will be used to redevelop the back of the building and create a new space for the community.

The scheme’s total cost is £710,000 and other funding sources include charitable trusts, as well as the Methodist circuit.

Existing facilities, used by about 350 people, were in “a particularly poor state of repair”, said a report to councillors on the district council’s cabinet.

The church is used for a volunteer-run café, art groups, concerts, fitness classes, youth club and music rehearsals.

Diana Shelton, head of leisure and communities, wrote: “The plan is to broaden even further the use of the hall.”

The scheme had already gained planning permission, Ms Shelton added.

The council still has £134,762 of grant funding to allocate.