VILLAGERS are celebrating following the completion of the second phase of a major project to modernise their community hall.Last year work costing £26,000 was carried out to the Memorial Hall in Trimley St Martin - and now a further £15,000 worth of work has been done.

VILLAGERS are celebrating following the completion of the second phase of a major project to modernise their community hall.

Last year work costing £26,000 was carried out to the Memorial Hall in Trimley St Martin - and now a further £15,000 worth of work has been done.

The latest work involved four projects:

new safety flooring;

converting an old kitchen into a new multi-use committee room;

purchase of 150 new chairs and a stacking trolley;

installation of radiators to replace old gas fires.

The project was paid for with help from the parish council, Suffolk Coastal council, county councillor John Goodwin's locality budget, Suffolk Environmental Trust and Biffa.

It added to the work done last year to improve access for disabled people, turn part of the old lobby into a disabled toilet, create a new lobby plus a modern kitchen, and add an upstairs overhead balcony for sound and lighting technicians as the hall is often used for theatre productions.

Heather Rodwell, the management committee secretary, said everyone was thrilled with the work at the hall in High Road.

“Our aim was to modernise the hall and these projects have brought it up to a very high standard,” she said.

“It has been a lot of hard work but we are delighted and I am sure the community will be, too - all those who came to see the finished hall were very pleased at what had been done.

“It's used by lots of different organisations and it is important that it is a comfortable building with modern facilities.”

What do you think of the work done to the Memorial Hall over the past two years? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk