IT'S not every day that each person living in a village receives hundreds of pounds, but it has happened in Purbeck.

Harman's Cross has no school, library, church, pub or doctors' surgery, but residents of the village, which has around 500 inhabitants, are celebrating after securing a massive £256,000 lottery grant to build a new hall.

The windfall works out at around £500 a head and the whole community is set to benefit.

Villagers have worked tirelessly to secure the grant from the Big Lottery Fund and it will see their dream of a new village hall to replace the current ageing army hut come true.

Roger Tucker, chairman of Harman's Cross New Village Hall Committee, said: "The residents of Harman's Cross are delighted to receive this funding from the Big Lottery Fund.

"After much hard work from all involved, we can look forward to having a village hall that will have something for everyone - one to be truly proud of."

The current 1950s hall in Haycrafts Lane is very popular but is too small to meet the needs of its users.

The new hall, which will be built alongside the existing building, will take around a year to construct and will boast environmentally friendly features, such as energy-saving insulation and central heating.

Rain will also be more welcome, as water collected on the hall's roof will be harvested and used in the kitchen and toilets.

Among the activities planned for the improved hall are adult education classes, keep fit sessions and ballroom dances.

There will also be a medical outpost facility, while youngsters will be able to have fun at parties, toddler groups and film festivals.

Mark Cotton, Big Lottery Fund head of the south west region, said: "The new village hall in Harman's Cross will help unite a community that has struggled in recent years with a lack of suitable facilities.

"The Big Lottery Fund is delighted to be supporting a project that has potential to make a real difference to local people, young and old."

The hope is to have the new hall ready in two years time.