SOUTH West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison, yesterday (Sat, 25 January) joined managers and users of the Leigh Park Community Centre in Westbury to celebrate Village Halls Week.

He was joined by manager Debbie Cole and community users including Kime Shotokan, Little Voices, Spurgeons children's charity, Westbury Quilters and the Lord's Pentecostal Church at the centre in Leigh Park Road.

Village Halls Week ran for the first time in 2018. This year's event was held from January 20-26. It is supported by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

The campaign is an annual and national celebration of rural community spaces and the people whose time and dedication keep them going.

Organised by the Action with Communities in Rural England network, the campaign sees a huge variety of events across England.

The centre showcased a range of activities it provides.

ACRE said: "Village halls and centres are run by dedicated volunteers that work tirelessly to keep them going.

"They are the heart of rural communities, they bring people together; they provide a meeting space essential for tackling loneliness and they often provide vital services that rural communities would otherwise lose."