Hopes of restoring a medieval building are a step closer to reality.

The Friends of Milton Regis Court Hall have been awarded £3,000 from the John Jordan Bequest Fund.

It will go towards the £20,000 worth of work needed to repair the site so it can reopen as a museum.

Mr Jordan, a life-long resident of Milton Regis who died in 2006, left his property and oil paintings to the Sittingbourne Society to be used for the benefit of the people of the area.

Chairman Mike Baldwin said: “I am absolutely delighted we have been given the grant.

“We are totally dependent on the generosity of donors in order to enable us to undertake this large and very worthwhile project.”

The organisation has been working since 2011 to ensure the Grade II historic building, which dates from 1450, has a role in the community.

It had been run as a museum by the Court Hall joint management committee, in co-operation with the Sittingbourne Society, but closed in 2006 due to a lack of visitors and members.

The hall is owned by Swale council but due to tight budgets and other financial constraints, it was low on its list of priorities to maintain.

As a result, a number of people with a common interest in preserving the town’s heritage came together to work with the local authority and raise money through grants and other funding for essential repairs in the hope of return it back to its former use.

In October last year the council’s cabinet unanimously agreed to transfer the property to the volunteers on a 25-year lease enabling them to bid for Heritage Lottery Fund cash to help further their project.

Five months later it was awarded charitable status. More volunteers are needed to assist with the project. Annual subscriptions are: adult £7.50; family £10; concessions £5; junior £2.50; corporate £150; life £100.

If you would like to get involved, call secretary Paul David on 01795 471876 or visit www.friendsofmiltonregiscourthall.co.uk