A BEQUEST left by a former resident has given a big boost to a project to bring back into use a room at a thriving village hall.The £2,000 legacy will be put towards a scheme to refurbish and create a small committee or meeting room at the century-old Welcome Hall, Trimley St Mary.

A BEQUEST left by a former resident has given a big boost to a project to bring back into use a room at a thriving village hall.

The £2,000 legacy will be put towards a scheme to refurbish and create a small committee or meeting room at the century-old Welcome Hall, Trimley St Mary.

Organisers of the hall in High Road have for some time wanted to bring the room back into use but have had a number of pressing projects to deal with to ensure the building is modernised and in tip-top condition.

Now it is being used so much by different groups – from the very young to the elderly – that bookings are having to be turned away.

Chairman Mary Dixon said it was hoped that bringing the committee room into use would enable more people to use the hall as well as it being used by other groups wanting smaller accommodation.

The £2,000 legacy had been received from the will of a former resident, and the management committee had some funds of its own, as well as an allocation of £1,750 from the locality budget of county councillor Patricia O'Brien.

"We have wanted for some time to bring this room into use and we have had inquiries from people interested in using it," said Mrs Dixon.

"The problem has been whether we could afford the investment, especially as there has been so much other work to do, but now thanks to the very kind legacy and the locality budget money we will be able to get some estimates.

"Some work is needed to the floor and we will need to look at what sort of heating will be required – it's a bit chill and grim in there at the moment. Then there will be furnishing and decorating.

"It's going to cost quite a bit of money but we are sure it will be worth it and will provide a very nice room in which people can hold their smaller meetings or committee meetings."

The Welcome Hall, next to the Three Mariners pub, celebrated its centenary last year. It was provided originally by the Pretyman family and is today run by a management committee with the parish council acting as trustees.

In recent years it has been given a new roof, as well as the main hall being redecorated inside and its kitchen being brought up to modern standards.