VOLUNTEERS have celebrated the completion of a dream project to provide a brand new community facility after four years of fundraising and 18 months of construction.

The Goathland Community Hub – nicknamed “The Hut” – provides a range of new facilities including a public hall, local library, changing rooms with showers for local cricket and football teams and a fully equipped kitchen.

Volunteers have spent the past few weeks adding the finishing touches before the opening celebrations on Saturday and to date, their village-based charity has raised around £398,000 in grant funding, sponsorship and volunteer labour since the project was first conceived in 2013.

Chairman Keith Thompson said the building had added a new dimension to activities in the village.

“There’s no question about it - this is an amazing facility which will quickly become a part of village life,” he said.

“We have received astounding support from a number of charitable and other funding bodies as well as a huge number of individuals and local businesses.

“Their response has been incredible – and not just in donating hard cash. They have given around 1,000 hours of their time and effort to level the site, dig drainage ditches, install utilities and dig the foundations to lay 150 cubic metres of concrete."