RINGSFIELD and Weston Parish Council is looking for grants as part of a plan to upgrade its village hall.

Ringsfield Village Hall, near Beccles, is used by a broad section of the community and now the council wants to refurbish the building and its facilities to offer an even better service to local people.

Council chairman Philip Johnson said: 'We have started a programme of upgrading and refurbishing our village hall – it is a well used facility but it is starting to show its age, and we plan to improve it.'

The council and hall committee are putting together plans for the hall, which was opened in January 1983, that include an extension and more storage space.

Among the current facilities are a bar, football fields, children's play area, cricket nets and tennis courts.

It is used by a range of groups including mother and toddler groups and bowls clubs.

Yesterday, Suffolk county councillor David Ritchie gave the hall's committee a �1,000 grant from his locality budget to cover the cost of a floor refurbishment.

Mr Ritchie said he was pleased to be able to help the village hall.

'I appreciate that village halls need all the help they can get to remain viable financially and provide a good service to the local community,' he said.