Village's new hall is shortlisted for award

On Wednesday this week Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, announced the shortlist for the second annual Civic Voice Design Awards.

The rebuild of Westbury Village Hall is listed in the new building category alongside Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, The Discovery Centre at The Royal Latin School, Buckingham, the Soho Multi-level Playground and St Valentine’s Close in Winchester.

Westbury Village Hall will be formally opened on Sunday, May 15, with a special event from 2pm to 4pm.

There will be a village bake-off, Morris dancers, a climbing wall and more.

As well as being the new community hall for the village, the building has a modern kitchen, bar, extensive home and away sports changing rooms, officials’ changing room and the community shop/café.

The shop will sell both staple foods and milk, but also provides local products 
such as home-made jams, chutneys and bread from Westbury’s own artisan baker Geoff.

The hall also provides space for the regular Wednesday evening weekly youth club, which allows young people from the village who attend different schools make local friends.

The process of building the new hall started in 2013 with applications for grants and funding being sent out.

Demolition of the old pavilion started in July last year, and building work started on site later that month. Work was complete on the building by the end of March this year, and a ‘soft opening’ took place at the start of April for villagers to see around the new facility.