A FREE event will celebrate the first-ever Village Halls Week in North Yorkshire on Thursday, January 25 at Middleton and Aislaby Village Hall.

Open to all community-run venues, the event by Ryedale Community Buildings Network aims to get those involved in running rural community buildings and village halls to get together, share their experiences and problems, hear about new resources and policy development, and explore topics of interest in more detail together.

The event is part of Village Halls Week run by the ACRE Network to celebrate the huge contribution that village halls and the volunteers running them make to rural communities.

Kathryn Chapman, community buildings adviser at Community First Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the network meeting in Ryedale to celebrate Village Halls Week, where there are so many brilliant village halls, run by dedicated and wonderful trustees who make things happen.

"Across North Yorkshire, village halls are a lifeline for our communities. They are often the only community space left in villages which have lost their pubs, shops and mobile libraries, and they come in all shapes and sizes, from old school buildings, to brand new facilities and community hubs."

She added: “Village Halls Week gives us a chance to celebrate the dedicated and wonderful and trustees behind the scenes who make things happen. Come along to our Ryedale Community Buildings Network in Middleton and Aislaby Village Hall and be inspired.”

Doors at 9.30am for bacon butties, light refreshments and networking, before the meeting takes place from 10am to noon.

To book, go to eventbrite.co.uk/e/ryedale-community-buildings-network-middleton-tickets-41335306013