Rishi visited the newly completed St Michael’s Lodge in Hudswell, a 16-bed walkers’ hostel developed by the Hudswell Community Charity.
The hostel has been created through the conversion of the village’s historic St Michael’s Church, part funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Community Ownership Fund – both established by Rishi Sunak in his time as Chancellor.
During this visit, the Rishi was shown around the new facilities – including a lounge, meeting room, and kitchen by Melanie Sadler, the hostel Manager and Martin Booth, Secretary of Hudswell Community Charity.
Rishi also met local residents and trustees to hear about the vision behind the project and its anticipated benefits for the area.
The visit ended with Rishi signing the visitors book, as the first visitor to the completed site.
The project builds on the charity’s successful track record in delivering community benefits, including the management of affordable housing in the village, such as the cottages Rishi visited in January.
St Michaels Lodge was officially opened on the 25th May by Yorkshire Vet, Julian Norton, in a village event which boasted over 200 attendees who joined to celebrate the opening.
The Hostel is now open for bookings, via their website - stmichaelslodge.com
Speaking after the visit, Rishi said:
“This is a fantastic example of community spirit and determination delivering something truly special for our area. St Michael’s Lodge will not only provide a warm welcome for walkers and visitors, but also support the local economy and help sustain rural life. I’m proud to have supported the project and the brilliant volunteers behind it.”
He added:
“Community-led projects like this are vital for the future of rural North Yorkshire. I’ll continue to champion and support them wherever possible.”
Martin Booth said:
“We were delighted to show Rishi around St Michael's Lodge and pleased to see how impressed he was with what we have created. He has supported the project right from the start and visited us before any work began, so he has a full appreciation of transformation of the church to the Lodge. “
