NEW toilets at a village hall near Bedale were opened with a bang.
Richmond MP Rishi Sunak pressed a National Lottery-style button to trigger a display of pyrotechnics to mark the official opening at Hackforth Village Hall.
The new facilities replaced toilets which dated from when the hall was first built in the 1930s.
Mr Sunak said it was a privilege to perform the “First Flush” opening ceremony. “The superb new facilities are the result of a lot of hard work by villagers and demonstrate what can be done when people come together for the benefit of their community,” he said
“I did wonder what the opening ceremony for the new toilets might be but the pyrotechnics were fantastic,” he added.
During the visit with his wife, Akshata, Mr Sunak enjoyed a masterclass in dominoes, played table tennis and met many of the hall’s supporters and users.
The £14,000 cost of the new toilets, which included facilities for the disabled, was funded by grants from three charitable trusts – the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Bernard Sunley Charity Foundation and the Jack Brunton Trust – plus £5,300 from Hambleton District Council and money raised locally.
But Chris McGee, secretary of the village hall, said the work could not have taken place without a great deal of volunteer labour. He said: “Many villagers helped, particularly with removing the old toilets which wasn’t a very pleasant task.” He thanked everyone who had contributed to the project.
The opening of the new toilets is part of a continuing project to update the hall. In recent years it has been re-roofed and extended with new kitchen and bar facilities. New heating, lighting and glazing have been installed and further improvements are planned, include new stage equipment.
The hall is also the home of the popular Live@Hackforth music events and has been shortlisted in the village/community hall of the year category in this year’s Hambleton District Council Community Awards to be held in March.