People in Shilbottle are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a bid to the Big Lottery Fund, which would demolish the crumbling 1950s Miners' Welfare Hall and replace it with a 21st century alternative.
Last year, Lottery chiefs agreed to pay £23,500 for surveys and professional advice, after a successful Stage 1 application by community leaders.
And a meeting will take place in the village today, with representatives from the charity, to talk about progress on the current Stage 2 application.
Ward councillor Elisabeth Haddow, who is on the hall steering group, says she is optimistic about the outcome.
"This could well be the final piece of the jigsaw," she said.
"We won't know for definite until May, but my feeling is that we have a very good chance.
"The purpose will be to go over the application, examine any points they are interested in and give reassurances where required.
"The bid is a very good one and something which the people of Shilbottle support wholeheartedly.
"It's high time the community had a new village hall."
The state of the hall came top of a list of concerns in the parish plan, produced last year, and more than 90 per cent of villagers called for it to be refurbished.
If it wins Lottery backing, the plan will be to demolish the existing hall – which was paid for by miners' subscriptions – down to the brick course.
A new hall and associated facilities would be built, as well as new changing rooms to replace the leaky, draughty ones which cricket and football teams are forced to use.
Back in October, a planning application was submitted to Alnwick District Council and was approved in full a month later.
The authority also pledged a £70,000 grant to the scheme.
The Football Foundation has also shown support.