A NEWLY refurbished village hall has been officially opened by an MP. Oliver Heald cut the ribbon outside the new-look hall in Ashwell, which has been the village s community centre from the late 1920s. The refurbishments have been made to bring the build

A NEWLY refurbished village hall has been officially opened by an MP.

Oliver Heald cut the ribbon outside the new-look hall in Ashwell, which has been the village's community centre from the late 1920s.

The refurbishments have been made to bring the building into the 21st century.

Mr Heald said: "This hall is right at the heart of the local community and has seen numerous village events over many years.

"It is marvellous that it now has state-of-the-art disabled facilities and an impressive entrance area."

Other improvements include toilet facilities, a modernised main hall, new meeting rooms and added storage facilities.

Jill Powell, an active participant in the project, said: "The opening and refurbishment of the new village hall is a great occasion as it is an important part of Ashwell's community.

"We have all worked hard to fund the new hall and we will continue to raise money as long as work needs to be done."

The village hall will undergo a further phase of renovation in the coming months, which will see improvements made to both the kitchen and the car park.

Resident Christine Schwick said: "Hundreds of children pass through the village hall at some point so it has been necessary to bring the facilities up to date and make sure that they are safe and secure.

"The new facilities are brilliant and certainly meet the needs of everyone who uses them."

Mr Heald removed flags covering 97 commemorative bricks, built into a wall of the building, engraved with the names of Ashwell residents, organisations and companies.