VILLAGERS in Lyneham celebrated the completion of their village hall refurbishment with an opening evening on Friday.

Many representatives from local organisations who provided grant funding for the project joined villagers to celebrate the refurbished community venue, with refreshments provided by Wootton Bassett and District Rangers.

Work began to upgrade the hall just over 18 months and has seen the hall redecorated, carried out by a Community Payback Team provided by Wiltshire Probation Trust, minor building repairs and replacement window blinds.

A new central heating boiler and two additional radiators have also been installed at the hall and 70 newly upholstered chairs purchased.

Village hall management committee chairman Ann Kingdon said “Lyneham Village Hall is now a warm, welcoming place that residents of Lyneham can be proud of.

“The committee was very pleased that so many of our grant funders and our regular users took the time to come to our open evening and share in our celebration.”

Hills Group Ltd contributed nearly £4,000 to the project through the Landfill Communities Fund, which is administered by Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire.

Elsewhere, the hall received a donation of more than £2,500 from Wiltshire Council’s Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board and a similar amount from the Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council.