A VILLAGE hall at the heart of its community for the past 85 years has topped more than two years of investment and a major revamp by securing a prestigious accolade.

The efforts of Roadwater Village Hall's management committee have been recognised with the presentation of a Hallmark Award from the Community Council for Somerset.

The award is part of a national quality standards scheme aimed at promoting effective and well managed halls.

Last year a total of 23 Somerset halls met the Hallmark criteria but Roadwater was also singled out as deserving special recognition.

A Community Council for Somerset spokesman described the facility - opened in 1928 and funded by the Reckitt family of the Reckitt and Coleman food company, who lived locally - as a "delightful facility and of great benefit to its rural community."

The hall was said to be run by a relatively young management committee whose members were "completely on the ball."

"Although they had obviously achieved much, this enthusiastic committee were not content to sit back on their laurels but were constantly looking for ways to improve the hall to better serve the community," said the spokesman.

"The building, the management committee and the general ambience all add up to a winner."

Around £150,000 of grant aid secured over the last few years has helped pay for a raft of improvements, including the installation of double glazed windows, replacement play equipment and a new state-of-the-art wood pellet boiler and central heating system.

In addition, solar photovoltaic panels have been installed, the electrics and lighting updated and substantial building work completed.

Edward Townsend, chairman of the Roadwater Village Trust, said everyone was honoured to receive the Hallmark Award.

"Our many volunteers have transformed the hall in recent years into a well equipped and modern amenity which is well loved in the community."

Mr Townsend said the 'Village Hall for the Future' project, backed by the Exmoor National Park Authority which gave almost £90,000 from its Government funded Carbon Neutral Exmoor project, had been made possible through numerous grants and successful fundraising.

And the result had been an increase in hirings.

"Roadwater is now renowned as a leading venue for events ranging from wedding receptions to music gigs, from art classes to yoga, from 'New Age' meetings to our own 'Big Breakfasts'.

"The hall and the recreation ground are home to the multiple award-winning Roadwater Players, the famous summer fete and our cricket teams.

"And now we also have our own Lottery-funded state-of-the-art community cinema."

Photo: Steve Guscott