Goldhanger Village Hall celebrated its opening ceremony this month after undergoing a £227,000 makeover and a dangerous asbestos removal.

The celebration saw hundreds of happy villagers and project funders gather to watch resident Dorothy Chaplin cut the ribbon.

Dorothy was present when the foundation stone of the original hall was laid in 1937 and has been a supporter of the Village Hall all her life.

Improvement Project Manager, Chris Joslin, gave an uplifting thank you speech to the funders, the community and to Dorothy who was presented with a bouquet of flowers.

Chris said: “It’s coming up to four years since the project was borne.

“We had sought the views of the community, which although very fond of our Hall, made it clear that our inclusive society requires modern accessible facilities.”

The new features include an accessible toilet, a welcoming and accommodating entrance foyer and kerb side appeal.

A replacement was also carried out for the old asbestos roof and boiler.

Sue Gibson, from the Rural Community Council of Essex, said: “It’s a great achievement and one to be rightly proud of.

“It was lovely to see so many residents and well-wishers there – you really do have the support of the whole village!”.

Celebrations continued with the cutting of the cake by Dorothy, refreshments, and a performance by ‘The Four Blokes’ band from Colchester. .

The Hall is now available for parties, meetings, clubs, groups and more www.goldhangervillagehall.co.uk