WORK to renovate a community centre will start later this month after a group of villagers raised enough funding for work to commence.

Since 2001, members of the West Auckland Community Partnership have been raising money to give their village centre a much-needed refurbishment.

They have received grants worth about £30,000 and now have sufficient cash for work to begin. Plans for the site, opposite the village green, include a kitchen, upgraded toilets, Internet access points and better accessibility.

The centre has been used as a meeting point for people of all ages since it was launched as a pilot scheme five years ago, but has long been in need of improved facilities.

John Niven, from the partnership, said that work was set to get under way within the next few days and should be completed within three months.

He said: "We hope to start doing refurbishment work by the end of January, with the aim being to finish by the end of March. We are still working to tie up a few loose ends but we now have enough money to start.

"It would be somewhere where anyone could come, maybe just for a cup of tea, or for information about different activities - somewhere to bring the people of the village together."

The centre is a former Co-op building and library which has opened sporadically for different uses over the past ten years, but recently it has been used during the week as a youth drop-in venue.

The success of the pilot scheme has led to the community partnership deciding to use it as a full-time village centre. The money has been raised through grants, but the group is still hoping to secure more funding in order to complete the work.

Mr Niven said: "The main funding we have had so far is from the Big Lottery Fund, which made up 50 per cent. Another 25 per cent came from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund."

Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman has agreed to become patron of the centre, and will open it when the work is completed.