A TOWN hall prize-giving has boosted funds for the refurbishment of the building.

The mayor of Bishop’s Castle, Councillor Keith Pinches, drew the winning tickets in the Target 250 prize draw at the Three Tuns Inn.

Five prizes had been donated by local artisans and craftspeople to help raise money for the hall renovation project.

The Town Hall Target 250 team has been selling raffle tickets since autumn and the final total raised was £1,700.

All the prizes were on display as the mayor pulled out the winning tickets.

Also at the draw was Evelyn Bowles, representing Bishop’s Castle Heritage Resource Centre, Jane Carroll of Bishop’s Castle Tourism Community Interest Company and two of the prize donors, Joan Baker and Clare Grieg.

Clare’s colourful quilt was won by Sylvia Taylor of Bishop’s Castle, with Joan’s watercolour painting of the Town Hall going to Nigel Bishop of Craven Arms.

Jerry Bryce-Smith’s “balancing”

coffee table was won by Ian Wall of Bishop’s Castle and Nigel Holgate’s knitted Town Hall by Pauline Jones of Bishop’s Castle. The heron sculpture by local metalworker Roj Williams was won by Linda Lloyd of Ludlow.

Target 250 – a fund-raising initiative to raise 250-times- £250, which will provide £62,500 local match funding for the big Heritage Lottery Fund application – has now reached £23,000. All this will go towards renovating the grade II* 18th century Town Hall in time for its 250th birthday in 2015.

“The Town Hall has stood looking over Bishop’s Castle for nearly 250 years and the project will ensure it’s still there for many years to come,” said Sam Hine, project manager for the restoration scheme.