VOLUNTEERS behind a £130,000 project to revitalise a well-used village hall are celebrating the completion of the first stage of the scheme.

Residents in Topcliffe and Asenby said while Thirsk was four miles and Ripon eight miles from the villages, the 1960s building served a crucial role, particularly for elderly and vulnerable residents in the area, and needed an array of improvements to meet the community's needs in the 21st Century.

Judith Lowe, the hall's secretary, said the community hub was one of the busiest in the area, with its uses ranging from a venue for a boccia club for the elderly to a swap library.

Initial work has seen a £16,000 kitchen revamp, including the replacement of all furnishings and equipment to ensure the hall can cater for a wide range of activities, including weddings, parties and dances, as well as providing facilities for regular user groups.

The work has been funded through grants from The Big Lottery – Awards for All Fund, Hambleton District Council and the Stokesley-based Jack Brunton Charitable Trust.

Later this year, work will start on a substantial extension to the hall, which will feature toilet facilities, extra space for community activities and storage areas.

The work, costing nearly £100,000, will also see improvements to the entrance lobby, enhancements to the building's exterior and changes to enable disabled people to access the building more easily.

To fund this, the hall's committee has applied to a spectrum of charitable trusts and foundations, and has already received some support, with more decisions expected in the next month.

Residents have also been donating to a Brick In The Hall scheme.

Andrew Eckersley, the committee's chairman, said: “The new kitchen looks fantastic and it will be a great facility for existing user groups and to allow us to offer a local facility for events such as parties, concerts and dances.

“Improvements of the scale planned are a major project for the two villages, and getting things organised and funded is a massive task for the team of volunteers that make up the village hall committee.”