Village halls are the hub of communities and more than 62,500 hours are dedicated every year by volunteers across the county to keep them running.

To encourage more people to give their time, charity Action with Communities in Rural England has teamed up with advisors at Community First Wiltshire to offer advice and training to help support village halls.

A free coffee morning will be held at Lansdowne Hall, Derry Hill, on Wednesday, October 22, from 10am-noon.

Carol Southall, of Community First Wiltshire, will be on hand to offer advice from funding to health and safety. Ms Southall said: “Village halls and the volunteers who keep them going do a fantastic job.”

Gastard Village Hall is just one of the halls in Wiltshire to have become successful with the help of volunteers.

At the unveiling of its makeover last Thursday there was bubbly and cheers all round as residents celebrated the transformation the 77-year-old hall has undergone over the past year.

Hall treasurer Debbie Anstis said: “It was fabulous, everyone had a wonderful evening. The Rough Jug Street band came down and was playing music.

“Everyone came into the hall and Ken Salter, the oldest member of the village, cut the ribbon. He remembered it being opened and sang a song.”

More than £40,000 was spent to restore the building, which was raised from a combination of area board grants, donations and fundraising by the hall volunteers. The renovation involved the hall having its roof replaced, insulation installed, and a new kitchen fitted.