A disused old school has officially opened as a community facility following a tireless fundraising campaign.
The doors of the new Pickenham Hub, in North Pickenham, were formally opened to the community on Saturday (February 1), replacing the former St Andrew's CE Primary Academy which closed in December 2018.
As the school's closure became increasingly likely throughout 2018, North Pickenham Community Project Ltd sprung into action with a view to repurposing the school as a community hub.
Its fundraising efforts had already begun back in 2013 and, over the years, £30,000 was raised as the group sought to provide a central space for villagers to socialise.
"This is a brilliant project," said Mr Freeman. "It's a great example of a community taking over an asset and turning it into a proper community hub.
"The challenge now is to make sure the project grows. This could become a model for how we do rural village renaissance."
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