A VILLAGE hall which has undergone a £56,000 refurbishment will re-open on Saturday, six years after a local referendum was held to decide its fate.

Richmond MP and shadow foreign secretary William Hague will perform the opening ceremony at 11am and unveil a plaque commemorating the occasion at Kirby Sigston.

The hall has had central heating, double glazing and a new kitchen installed, a new roof and an extension added, which includes a disabled toilet and cloakroom.

More than £56,000 has been spent on modernising it, with grants coming from the Big Lottery Fund, Lloyds TSB Foundation, the Jack Brunton Trust, North Yorkshire County Council and Hambleton District Council.

Summer hog roasts were held which raised £4,000, while donations also came from local trusts and individuals.

The decision to renovate the hall was taken six years ago after a public meeting. Questionnaires were circulated to local residents to gauge opinion on the future of the building - whether to sell it or try to raise money for a refurbishment.

Despite a mixed response, the village hall committee decided to modernise the hall.

Committee chairman John Dennis said: "Kirby Sigston is a small, dispersed community, but the amount of money that has been raised and the effort that has gone into renovating the hall has been phenomenal.

"It has been a long process to get to this stage, but we are glad we took the decision six years ago to keep the facility for the people of Kirby Sigston and the surrounding area.

"We just hope that people use the hall - it is now an ideal venue for meetings, small parties and community events."

The hall started life as a school and opened in 1910 to replace a school in the grounds of St Lawrence Church.

It closed in 1944 and a group of residents entered into negotiations with North Riding County Council with a view to buying it as a community facility, but they were outbid by another buyer.

Undeterred, the group contacted the new owner, who eventually agreed to sell them the premises for £345.

Saturday's re-opening will include an exhibition on the history of the building. Refreshments will be available and the hall will be open to visitors until 4pm.

The hall is available for bookings. For more information, contact Di Renwick on 01609-775245.