HER Royal Highness Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall officially opened the newly restored Julia and Hans Rausing Building in Malmesbury on Friday, and attended a Carols by Candlelight service celebrating 70 years of Youth Action Wiltshire.

The Hans Rausing Building, formerly the Moravian Church, will provide a new multi-purpose educational, heritage, cultural and arts centre for the area.

More than 250 local groups, business and individuals contributed, along with grant funding, enabling the Athelstan Museum to buy the derelict building and complete the restoration.

Sharon Nolan, chair of the Athelstan Museum, said: "As a team we are extremely proud we have restored a derelict building to its former glory, providing an added facility for the museum and a unique cultural, arts, and educational opportunity for the area."

Many local crafts and trades people were involved in the project included artist Melissa Cole who designed and made the Moravian Star sculpture featured in the new ornamental garden, glass artist Sasha Ward, architect Jonathon Rixon, Andy Nurden Builders and stained-glass windows craftsman Mike Vincent. Project team members Angela and Bill Sykes, Roger Griffin, Sharon Nolan, Chas Gould and Mark Odlum extended their many thanks to everyone involved.

A commemorative book listing all donors and craftspeople is being compiled together with a donor board which will be on display in the building.

On Friday evening, the Duchess attended the carol service in Malmesbury Abbey. On arrival the she met committee and staff members from Community First before the service began with a solo sung by a young carer who uses Youth Action Wiltshire’s services.

Humorous and festive readings followed from a host of well-known personalities including Ben Miller, Sheila Hancock and James Gray MP, as well as a reading from Her Royal Highness and another beneficiary of Youth Actions Wiltshire’s services.

The programme included musical recitals and solo performances from Mike D’Abo, classical trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins, mezzo-Soprano Rosie Clifford and tenor Alex Haigh.

The Duchess of Cornwall, the patron of Community First of which Youth Action Wiltshire is the youth arm, met the performers after the service and thanked staff for the work that they do and the lifelines they provide to young people across the county.

As the Duchess left the Abbey she was presented with a posy and wished a Merry Christmas.

Youth Action Wiltshire works to improve the lives of Wiltshire’s young people and support them to reach their full potential.

They deliver the Wiltshire Young Carers Service, Splash - which provides positive activities during school holidays for young people facing challenges in their lives, Employability Programmes that support young people who are not in education, employment or training, and Youth Club Support, developing new youth clubs and working with youth and young leaders to ensure youth clubs are safe, interesting places to be.