The transformation of a village hall showing its age has been completed following a £340,000 project.

Villagers in Frittenden joined together to help raise the cash to fund the overhaul in an 18-month renovation and features new facilities for the community at the Memorial Hall.

It was officially opened earlier this month after securing grant funding from the National Lottery and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) as well as individual donations and events.

The makeover of the hall, which was built in 1963, includes a new interior layout which provides more space, re-roofing and recladding the exterior and rebuilding the entrance, new windows and doors, new meeting room, new heating system, kitchen and toilets.

The formal opening was carried out by Helen Grant MP for Maidstone and The Weald.

She said: "Frittenden imaginatively turned the Covid lockdown into an opportunity to upgrade a much-loved hall, which had begun to show its age.

"It's now transformed inside and out with sparkling new facilities.

"Our village halls are a real treasure and are an essential focus for rural communities. Maintaining and keeping them in good order is a demanding job and I congratulate you all for your excellent work.

"I know that the hall already has a busy schedule of users and I look forward to attending community events here in the future."

Representatives of village organisations and people who contributed to the project were at the event on Friday.

Rosalind Riley, chairman of Frittenden Memorial Hall Committee, said: "We are extremely grateful for all the support we have had in fund raising and for the hard work that so many in the village have put into the project.

"We still have some final work to do but the Hall is now fully open and we are delighted with the result."