VILLAGE hall volunteers will be cooking up a storm in their kitchen, after a £10,000 Lottery grant to upgrade it.

The kitchen at Ruardean Woodside Memorial Hall has undergone a full refurbishment and is now a gleaming new faciliy, complete with sparkling worktops and a dishwasher.

“It’s given the hall a real boost. It’s new and modern and we’re delighted with it,” said hall committee chairwoman Mo Powell.

“We already have quite a lot of activities there, but now we’ll be able to support them better and hire the venue out to more people in the community, such as private parties.

“It was in a sad state before the refurb, and really needed doing, so the £10,000 Lottery grant topped up with a few donations was a godsend. It was completely gutted and all new units put in, and the place is fabulous now, with the dishwasher a real bonus.

“The hall hosts keep fit sessions, a luncheon club, the Beavers, a village coffee morning and tea parties, as well as community social events like quizzes, bingo, music and race nights, and the kitchen upgrade is the launch of a new era for us.”

The committee thanked the National Lottery for the £10,000 grant, and also those who helped with the kitchen renovations, including Hale & Co, builder Richard Barnard, electrician Steve Robbins, plumbers Steve and Richard Dunn and JW Blinds.

It also thanked the Forest of Dean Round Table, Joan Green, Tom Berny, and Steve and Joan Gibbons for donations.

Future events include a Harvest festival night on Saturday, September 22; a quiz night on Saturday, October 6; a race night on Saturday, November 17; and a Christmas Afternoon Tea on Saturday, December 15.