A VILLAGE hall in North Yorkshire is to reopen this Saturday.

The Thornton le Clay and Foston Village Hall, which dates back to 1930, was refurbished following a consultation with local residents.

In 2009, villagers put together a village plan and improving the hall was a high priority. It now has better disabled access, better storage, heating and lighting and has been redecorated. The work cost about £30,000 and was funded locally and by the Big Lottery Fund, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and Ryedale District Council. A wider range of social, cultural and sporting activities will be possible in the hall.

The launch party on Saturday will include tea and cakes at 3pm ahead of the formal opening at 5pm. Villagers and guests are welcome.

Fiona Hill, village hall secretary, said: “We hear a lot these days about the Big Society, and here’s a great example of it in action. People in our villages discussed what they wanted, planned how to do it, raised the funds and saw through the work.”