VOLUNTEERS and community spirit is being celebrated in Westbury and other parts of the county this week with national Village Halls Week.

The national event, which highlights village halls as an integral part of rural communities, was set up by charity Action with Communities in Rural England and its partners, including local charity Community First.

Debbie Cole, centre manager at Leigh Park Community Centre, Westbury said: “Being a member of Wiltshire Village Halls Association is invaluable to our success.

“The team are always there to advise us when we have called and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us achieve our goals.

“Their newsletters are very informative and it is from here that we learnt about the Lace Up Grant, a new piloted scheme for village halls and community centres in Wiltshire and Cumbria to put on fitness sessions for the community.

“We were awarded just over £7,600 and this has enabled us to put on six weekly fitness sessions to include family fitness, toddler fun fitness, post-natal pilates, over-50s flexibility and core, black belt fitness and ladies’ boxing and kick fit classes, which will run free of charge to the local community until May 2.

“The classes have been so popular we are seeking additional support and funding through Community First to put on an extra three classes a week.”

CEO of Community First, Lynn Gibson, said: “The village halls and community buildings network is so vital to the fabric and well-being of any community and we are very proud to continue to support the volunteers and infrastructure which is crucial to their continuation.”

The purpose of Village Halls Week is to raise awareness of village halls and community buildings which create vital community spaces in rural areas.

With more pubs and shops closing, the charity believes community areas such as village halls must be supported.

Community First says it is passionate about supporting village halls and community buildings and has more than 169 members across Wiltshire and Swindon through the Wiltshire Village Halls Association (WVHA) Network.

It provides a community buildings service offering support and advice for trustees managing community buildings around the county.