Acoustic panels installed at the new Southam Community Centre have already made a "massive difference", according to the community.

In 2025, Stratford-on-Avon District Council launched the Community Grant Scheme 2025, to allow town and parish councils, charities and community groups to apply for a share of £350,000 to support their valuable community assets in memory of the generation who sacrificed so much during the Second World War, and to celebrate the power of community in the 21st Century.

And as part of that, Southam Town Council was successful in its application to the council for just over £15,000 to purchase and install the panels. Southam Community Centre lies on Tiger Moth Drive in the new Flying Fields Estate, and after being formally opened in 2025, is now welcoming a whole host of groups and activities for the local community.

Visitors, however, have struggled with the acoustics in the hall, due to the high ceiling and its echoey nature. The grant scheme funding was spent on the purchase and installation of a series of attractive acoustic panels made of Natural Wool Felt, to reduce the reverberation in the hall. These were installed in May, just in time for Southam Town Council’s Mayor Making ceremony, and have already made a noticeable difference in the hall.

Left: Debbie Carro (Southam Town Council clerk), Cllr Graham Foster (Mayor of Southam), Cllr Natalie Gist (SDC), Cllr Andy Crump (SDC and WCC), Cllr Louis Adam (SDC), Cllr Liz Coles (SDC). Top right: Inside of Southam Community Centre before the installation of the acoustic panels. Below right: The outside of Southam Community Centre.

placeholder image — Left: Debbie Carro (Southam Town Council clerk), Cllr Graham Foster (Mayor of Southam), Cllr Natalie Gist (SDC), Cllr Andy Crump (SDC and WCC), Cllr Louis Adam (SDC), Cllr Liz Coles (SDC). Top right: Inside of Southam Community Centre before the installation of the acoustic panels. Below right: The outside of Southam Community Centre.

Debbie Carro, Southam Town Council Clerk says: “The outcome has been really positive. We’ve had users who stuck with us when it was difficult, and they’ve noticed a massive difference with the echoing.

“We had a Girl Guide group also where they wouldn’t use the hall on a regular basis as some of their children really struggled with the echoing, to the point they had to leave the activity as the echoing was really bad for them, and they are now coming back and will start hiring the hall out on a regular basis in September because of the acoustics, so it’s been highly successful.”

Cllr Liz Coles, portfolio holder for housing, revenues and customer services, said: “I am delighted that the community grant scheme has been able to support this excellent project and that it is having such excellent results. The grant scheme was very popular, and the ideas and proposed projects were very encouraging to see.”