WARMINGHAM and surrounding communities will benefit from the opening of a new village hall.

The village hall in School Lane is now up and running and taking booking after funds were raised through a combination of community fundraising and grants from the Big Lottery Fund and WREN.

The new hall has a large main hall catering for occasions involving up to 150 people.

There is also a smaller smart-networked meeting room with conference facilities suitable for smaller group meetings up to twenty persons.

There is a king-sized fully-equipped kitchen which was funded from a portion of the £50,000 grant from WREN’s FCC Community Action Fund and a large furnished foyer for coffee-mornings/drop-in chats/casual group get-togethers.

Simon Moss, chairman of Warmingham Village Hall Committee, is delighted that the project is now in use after several years in progress.

Simon said: “The new hall has taken five years to achieve. I pay tribute to all of the local community who have been involved with fund-raising events to make this possible.

“This vital facility is going to make a real difference to those who use it, as well as the wider Warmingham and District community.

"We are extremely grateful to WREN for providing funding as we would not have been able to go ahead without its support.”

WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund.

“The new hall has taken five years to achieve. I pay tribute to all of the local community who have been involved with fund-raising events to make this possible."

Simon Moss, Village Hall Committee chairman

Richard Smith, WREN's grant manager for Cheshire says “It’s wonderful to see something we have funded finally open and ready to make such a difference to so many people across Warmingham.

“WREN is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that benefit local communities and this is a great example of what can be achieved.”

There will be a launch party attended by Big Lottery Fund, WREN, Cheshire East CVS, local councillors and the oldest and youngest inhabitants of Warmingham at the new facility in School Lane, on Saturday, February 16.