Hundreds of local residents filled the brand new community centre at Garway for the official opening on Saturday, April 7th.

Watched by Garway Village Hall Trustees, the architects, and many others instrumental in securing and constructing the centre, the High Sheriff of Herefordshire, The Reverend Lady Lisvane cut the ribbon.

The oldest village residents, Thomas Farr and Sylvia Dance, were delighted to see the new hall, they spoke with Lady Lisvane and were presented with a momento of the day.

Garway is a rural village, with a sparse transport system and the nearest medical facilities some seven miles away. The centre will benefit up to 800 people from the local area, in particular older people, young people and those without transport. Lady Lisvane, who has been focusing on loneliness during her term of office said that she hoped the hall would help bring the Garway community together.

Although many villagers spoke of their fondness for the original village hall, a tin building put up in the 1930s, most felt it had outlived its purpose. There were many comments on the design and layout of the new hall as villagers thronged the spacious new rooms.

The new centre will provide a spacious hall suitable for Flicks in the Sticks, a Heritage group, fitness and leisure classes, the annual village pantomime, live music organised by Garway Live and a range of sporting activities. The state of the art kitchen will be used to provide lunches to the adjacent school, the café area will provide a space where low cost lunches will be served to the older folk, a reception office and a meeting room.See the full story, and lots more pictures, in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here