PEOPLE who run Combe St Nicholas Parish Hall are becoming anxious that they will be unable to improve its facilities unless more groups can be encouraged to use the hall.

The hall was built in the years leading up to the start of the Second World War and was used by the church, while in the 1980s it was decided that the hall would come under the management of a Trust consisting of village representatives.

But 20 years on and the Trust is becoming stretched with funding to meet the growing shopping list of improvements needed.

Trust secretary Betty Cloke said: "The costs are escalating and it is getting more and more difficult to keep on top of it all because it seems like just one thing after another.

"But if we are to carry out the improvements then we need to increase the money we are getting in and that means having more groups hiring out the hall.

"We have already got some clubs and groups using it, but we need more to help us to fund the improvements we need.

"It is not a question of use it or lose it' but we do need more people using the hall."

Betty said it was a catch 22' situation as organisations were probably using other halls in the area because of the better facilities available, but added that without an increase in usage they would be unable to fund the much-needed improvements.

"It is a nice hall and we have tried to maintain it to the best of our ability, but we need to promote it and get more people using it," she said.

Any groups in the area looking for hall premises should contact bookings secretary Richard Roderigo on 01460-62081.