COOKHILL Village Hall's building and refurbishment project is making great progress and should be finally getting under way soon.

The £325,000 cost of the scheme has been raised over many years through the generosity of residents and businesses in the village, Astwood Bank and surrounding areas.

Applications were also submitted to a number of organisations, including Cookhill Parish Council, Wychavon District Council, Awards for All, Eveson Charitable Trust, Welcome To Our Future (the landfill tax grants scheme), DEFRA, The Countryside Agency, Lloyds TSB and The Community Fund Trial Programme.

The building work will take about 17 weeks and is expected to be completed by the first week in October.

In order to complete the financing, the committee is planning a "buy a brick" scheme and members of the public who would like to make a donation can call Eileen Payne on 892225.

It is anticipated the stone walling blocks will be sold to contributors at £10 each and the number of blocks in the new extension is estimated at 2,150.

The new hall will have facilities for disabled and less-able bodied people, together with new entrances, toilets, store room and bar store.

Also included is a new pitched roof, double glazed windows, new electrics and lighting and extensive refurbishment throughout the whole building.

A spokesman said: "The management committee has planned to produce a hall which will have warmth, comfort and some luxuries, a modern kitchen for catering, bar and toilet facilities, yet retaining the interior character of beams, pillars and dance floor for which the hall is well known."