CUMBRIANS have been invited to celebrate their village halls during the first ever national celebration of the buildings.

ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) wants to extend its thanks to hall volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure halls can stay open.

Lorrainne Smyth, ACT chief executive said “We’re very proud to support the volunteers running community buildings in our area. There are over 330 village halls across Cumbria and without the dedication, skill and expertise of volunteers these facilities would close down and be lost forever.

"We are supporting #VillageHallsWeek so that we can celebrate the network of halls we have locally; champion the great services they offer to their community; and thank the volunteers at the heart of all that goes on."

ACT is part of the ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) Network, which is England’s largest network of rural community support organisations.

During the week, the Network is encouraging volunteers managing England’s 10,000 halls to use #VillageHallsWeek on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to promote the activities and services provided in their hall.

As part of #VillageHallsWeek, Cumbria ACT is running a free Community Buildings Event at Bothel Village Hall on January 27, for anyone involved in running village halls and community buildings across the county.

The event will include presentations and workshops on fundraising, managing risks, incorporation, and village halls as places of safety in an emergency, as well as proving a great opportunity to meet with other village hall volunteers.

For more information and to book a place visit: www.cumbriaaction.org.uk/News-Events/Events or contact ACT on 01228 817224 or email info@cumbriaaction.org.uk.

#VillageHallsWeek starts on January 22.