Twenty village hall refurbishment work continues

Efforts to bring an ageing hall back into use have taken a step forward with the installation of new doors and windows.

A committee was formed last summer with the aim of breathing new life into Twenty village hall.

It is one of only a few venues in the area to have a full sized stage which villagers thought was worth preserving for the benefit of future generations.

Thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Len Pick Trust, new windows and doors were installed over the summer by Raymond Bills Double Glazing which is based in the village.

Chairman of the village hall committee, Andy Johnson, said: “We couldn’t have got this far without the grant from the trust and the incredibly benevolent quote from Raymond Bills. It’s made quite a stark difference to the building.”

The committee hopes to carry out the remaining work within the next two years. Next on the agenda is cleaning the roof and replacing the guttering before teams can refurbish the interior.

Grant applications are underway but financial support will be welcomed.

Volunteers are also needed to help with a hedge-planting project in November. More than 400 small trees will be delivered by the Woodland Trust to create a boundary hedge. Details of the planting day will be announced on the village hall Facebook page.

Andy added: “It still feels like a daunting journey because although the hall is safe and useable, it’s not where people would like to it be. It is one of the few halls in the area with a stage and there is so much potential. It’s a travesty that the hall isn’t being used.”