A NEW Forest village is appealing for lottery cash to carry out vital repairs on a much-loved community facility.

Fundraisers from Rockbourne claim their 100-year-old village hall is the lifeblood of the community.

But without repairs, they say it will die.

Villagers have rallied to the cause, raising more than £10,000 to get the ball rolling, but they have pinned their hopes of repairing and refurbishing the building on a bid for more than £100,000 from the National Lottery.

Treasurer of the village hall committee Adele Holmes said: "Everyone in the village has their fingers crossed.

"We have no church hall so we really rely on the village hall and we want to keep it for the next generation.

"Without it I just don't know what we would do.

"If we failed in our bid we would really have to think again."

The brick-built hall was bequeathed to Rockbourne, which has more than 300 residents, in 1897 by the then rector's daughter.

It is used to host village events and funeral teas and as a polling booth.

Villagers decided the hall needed a facelift a few years ago, but their plans were almost scuppered when surveyors discovered a rare colony of bats in the roof.

The cash will be used for urgent repairs and also for an extension, which will include a disabled toilet and allow developers to increase the size of the kitchen.

Mrs Holmes said the village applied this month for the

lottery grant, but she said she does not expect to hear the outcome of the bid until the new year.