VILLAGERS in Old Cleeve have reached their fundraising target of £50,000 to re-roof the Community Hall, which was built in 1923 by local benefactor Gerald Lysaght.

The hall, which is a registered charity, has received grants totalling £44,000, from the National Lottery, Hinkley ‘C’ Mitigation Fund, The Fairfield Trust, the Roger de Haan Trust, the St Luke’s Trust, and the Garfield Weston Foundation, as well as the Tesco Bags for Life scheme.

In the six months since the appeal was launched, a host of events including an Italian evening, royal wedding tea party, Sunday lunches and barbecues have been organised by the volunteers from the hall and the adjoining Lysaght Club. Individual donations have provided the remainder.

“This is great news for Old Cleeve and the surrounding villages,” said hall chairman Mike Hunt.

“The hall is a fantastic venue for all sorts of activities, and is popular for family celebrations such as weddings, christenings and birthday parties because the hire charges are kept affordable and the adjoining Lysaght Club has a licensed bar.

“We are extremely grateful to all those organisations and individuals that have recognised the importance of the hall to the community so we can continue to have local facilities for sports such as badminton, short mat bowls and keep fit.”

Work on the roof will start in mid-August.