STAINTON Village Hall’s catering facilities have undergone a £20,000 revamp, making it more roomy and safer.
Two new ovens, a five-plate hob, a wine fridge and a fridge-freezer are among the new kit installed to complement the makeover.
Also introduced is a new disabled access.
Project leader Beverley Redfearn said: “The previoius disabled access wasn’t terribly safe. It was right next to the oven – if there had been a fire, we could not get the people out quickly, so we wanted to open it up.
“In the next phase we want a disabled access at the front because we don’t want disabled people feeling like they are second-class citizens coming in through the back.”
Planning permission has already been granted for the improvement and committee members hope to start fundraising for the works soon.
The committee began fundraising for the most recent improvements about a year before the coronavirus hit and they smashed through the £4,000 target they had set for themselves.
The remainder of their initial £10,000 budget was received through a grant from neighbourhood budgets of county councillors George Richardson and James Rowlandson.
Mrs Redfearn said: “We have spent an awful lot more than that and we have used the village hall’s own funds.”
Village hall stalwarts Cath Brown and Margaret Hutchinson were invited to cut the ribbon to open the revamped facility.
Ms Redfearn said: “They have devoted years and years to the hall and that is why the building is still here.”
She added that the new facility would help attract more people and groups to hire the venue and make it more sustainable.
She said the new kitchen equipment was of a high standard needed by external caterers.
Already enjoying the new facilities is committee member Sue Foulson who described how cramped the kitchen was before a wall was broken through into the serving area to make it open plan.
She said: “I used to have to be on my knees cooking.”
Brenda Toulson, who also works in the kitchen, added: “[The revamp] is just wonderful.
“It means we can open it up for more people to use the hall.”
Later this month, community interest company Trades4Care will be visiting the hall to do a bit of re-decorating including painting the outside of the rear windows as well as a panel separating the new kitchen area from the main hall. Trades4Care works by giving young people an opportunity to gain experience by working alongside skilled tradesmen at care homes and small village venues.
