VILLAGERS turned out to celebrate the re-opening of their parish hall following a £40,000 refurbishment and five years of work.

Richmond MP and shadow foreign secretary William Hague performed the opening ceremony at Hutton Bonville, near Northallerton, on Saturday.

The 19th Century former school has been used as a parish hall since 1951 and it and its grounds had fallen into poor repair.

Dr Louisa Ells, of the hall committee, said: "It was a bit rough round the edges and didn't have very good disabled access. It is now fully equipped with a new kitchen, toilets and better disabled access and we are really hoping that it will be used by more groups and for more activities."

Fundraising began in 2001 and the committee secured a £34,000 Big Lottery Fund grant, with the help of Hambleton District Council and the Yorkshire Rural Community Council.

This was followed by a £5,000 Hambleton Community Grant and £925 from the district council.

Villagers also held fundraising events, including barbecues and domino drives, to boost the coffers.

Work has included a refitted kitchen, disabled access and toilets, new heating, electrics, insulation, re-decoration and improvements to the grounds. New soft furnishings, tables and chairs were bought, along with a table tennis table.

Representatives from groups which use the hall - including the WI and table tennis club - and organisers of community events joined residents for the re-opening.

"It was a really good and very enjoyable community event and Mr Hague made a very good speech," said Dr Ells. "A lot of work has gone into the project over the past five years and it is wonderful to see it completed.

"The hall has provided a meeting place for many groups from the parish and surrounding areas for more than 50 years.

"As a result of the work carried out, we have improved facilities for our groups and improved access for people with disabilities. We would like to encourage more community groups, clubs and individuals to use the hall, which is available for hire."