A COMMUNITY hall which was saved thanks to a £150,000 fundraising effort is in need of more cash from the public.

Organisers at Exeter Street Hall in Brighton have launched a new fundraising bid to raise £5,500 in 30 days to solve drainage problems.

And repairing the drains is just the start of a bigger fundraising push which will start in September once the roof is replaced.

The 140-year-old hall was saved in February last year after a campaign raised £150,000 to buy the site from St Luke’s Parochial Church Council for community use with the help of 800 shareholders.

The hall opened to the public in September and is used by hundreds of people every week for a whole variety of events including seniors’ tea clubs, yoga classes, science workshops, baby classes, bike maintenance and art auctions.

As part of the drain fundraising campaign, which ends on June 30, the hall will host a comedy night on June 14 featuring improvisation team The Maydays.

The hall will also host screenings of several World Cup matches including England’s crunch group games against Uruguay on June 19 and Costa Rica on June 24.

It is hoped that by repairing the drainage system and improving the toilet facilities, eventually the back room of the hall would be suitable to be rented out.

Chairman Paul Winter, who will stand down after two and a half years in charge to be replaced by current director David Amor in July, said: “They are Victorian drains and they are completely in need of replacing.

“We were fully aware what we were buying, it’s a 140-year-old building and all that comes with that but we also knew we were retaining a sense of community and somewhere where people could get together.”

The hall will close from mid-August while a brand-new roof is fitted, funded by £50,000 from the National Lottery People's Millions competition.

Mr Winter dais: “The message we want to get across is that while it is fantastic we are able to use the People’s Millions that will only take care of the roof, it won’t repair the toilets, the drains or any other of the ongoing works that need funding now and in the future.”

To back the latest fundraising bid text HALL20 £5 to 70070 to donate.

For more information visit www.exeterstreethall.org, twitter.com/ExeterStHall or www.facebook.com/ExeterStreetHall.