Bridport Youth and Community Centre has scooped a £15,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The funding will be used to improve acoustics in its main hall, meaning more people will be able to use the space for more varied events.

Joe Hackett, a trustee of the community centre said: “It was our first ever successful application to the National Lottery since we became independent of Dorset Council in 2016.

“The hall is more than a hundred years old and was originally used to drill soldiers. The sound quality is terrible but with this grant we can install 42 wool-filled acoustic panels near the ceiling.”

“This should enable music, dance, acting and spoken events to take place which will broaden our scope - and bring in more revenue to support our youth work.

“We’re already talking about Latin American music for a dance for adults, a drumming workshop, music for pensioners.”

The plans are for the panels to  be installed at the end of March.