A VILLAGE community hall held a festive open day as it celebrated a new �300,000 refurbishment.

Welwyn Civic Centre was officially reopened by Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps, Welwyn county councillor Richard Smith and parish council chairman John Blackburn, following an extensive revamp of the Prospect Place facility.

Past and current users of the centre set up stalls in the main hall, school choirs from Welwyn St Mary’s and St John’s Digswell performed Christmas carols, while craftsmen and artists sold jewellery, cards and ornaments.

Welwyn Parish Council clerk Anita Pack said: “We had a really good turnout. We had some feedback from the library [based at the centre] and they had about 250 people visit them. Usually they get 60 or 70 for a Saturday.”

Much of the �300,000 was spent creating a new commercial kitchen, which will provide groups and events using the centre with state-of-the-art facilities to cook meals.

“Before the refurbishment, it [the civic centre] wasn’t a very attractive place for people,” Mrs Pack said. “It hadn’t had any maintenance for some years.

“This is a major refurbishment, and the kitchen can now be used by far more groups.”