WEST Hendred Village Hall has a new kitchen with professional-grade catering facilities available for hire.

The revamp was completed last month thanks to donations from villagers and grants from the Big Lottery Fund, the Magnox Socio-Economic Fund and Doris Field Charitable Trust.

The hall, which was rebuilt with a basic kitchen in 2005, is well-used by toddler groups, coffee mornings and the annual West Hendred Beer Festival.

With the new kitchen, it will be able to meet growing demand for large parties including weddings and birthdays.

Committee chairman Hugh Rees, said: "We are hugely grateful to the organisations that have generously supported this valuable community project and to the hall’s committee members who have worked hard to achieve its realisation."

Grants for the new kitchen included £9,844 from Awards for All England, the small grant division of the Big Lottery Fund and £1,000 from the Doris Field Charitable Trust.

The hall committee also won £600 from the Magnox Socio-Economic Fund, a community donations scheme established by nuclear-decommissioning company Magnox, which is currently decommissioning Harwell's former nuclear research facility.

Further donations were made to the revamp by The West Hendred Beer Festival, West Hendred Parish Council and village residents.

The kitchen was installed ahead of schedule and within budget by Caterplan Solutions.