A rural village hall in South Herefordshire is celebrating its survival through challenging times.

Llanwarne Village Hall is hosting a celebratory bring-and-share party on Saturday, September 3 following the circus themed village fete and dog show at 2pm.

A major refurbishment has substantially spruced up the former Victorian School in Llanwarne which sits alongside the iconic St John the Baptist ruin and Christchurch in the parish conservation area.

Insulation, damp proofing, new heating and major redecoration have helped breathe new life into the building thanks to funding from Awards for All, Garfield Weston Foundation, Action with Communities in Rural England, Pomona Solar Co-op, Eveson Trust, Bernard Sunley Foundation, Herefordshire Community Fund, and generous contributions from local supporters.

The village hall has also had a digital overhaul and has become a Talk Community Hub. Talk Community Hubs are located across Herefordshire and provide a place where people can access up-to-date wellbeing information; as well as connecting residents to services, groups, and activities.

Covid Recovery Funds from Community First and Herefordshire Council have funded a series of arts and cultural events which have drawn hundreds of people back into the hall since covid. A Jubilee Garden has also been established with the help of local artist Harriet Birchley and additional support from Llanwarne Parish Council.

Chair of the village hall Jeremy Helme said: “We would love people to come and celebrate the resilience of this community during such difficult times. Our fabulous hall has always been well-loved and so much work has been done to make the building fit for modern life and enable people to gather for an enormous variety of events, including just having a jolly good time.”

The village hall and Wales One World Film Festival will also be screening the world’s most famous 1920 German expressionist silent film The Cabinet of Dr Caligary accompanied by live music from the improvisational soundscape duo Toru with Lyndon Owen on electronics and acoustics and Ashley John Long on double bass on Saturday, September 10 at 7.30pm.

Further information information on Llanwarne Village Hall events can be found on their Facebook page or via or ticketsource.co.uk.