Locals will now be able to enjoy the new outdoor space at South Hanningfield Village Hall after a local water company made a generous donation to revive the area.

Around 63 tonnes of soil left over from a construction project, was donated by Essex & Suffolk Water in order to help and improve amenities for local people.

This follows the company’s latest £14m project to protect water resources for future generations by constructing a new pumping station and wash-water tanks at its treatment works in Hanningfield, Chelmsford.

Volunteers of South Hanningfield Village Hall have been working hard to get the communal space looking ship shape both inside and out ahead of their events this autumn and winter.

George Mok, Project Manager for Essex & Suffolk Water said: “It has been a pleasure to support the village hall by providing them with some materials to improve the space. During the construction of the new pumping station and wash-water tanks, we had a lot of soil left over, so seeing this reused and put to good use in the local community is wonderful.”

Clive Vallis, Chair of South Hanningfield Village Hall said: “The donation from Essex & Suffolk Water has been a great help and all the volunteers who have helped get the hall spick and span are very pleased.

“This massive amount of soil has meant we have been able to complete our renovations, making a great outdoor area for the hall where we can use marquees and the space is now ready for our events this autumn and winter, which kick off with our Christmas Craft and Gifts fayre on Saturday 26 November.”

The water company also supports local community projects through its volunteering programme, Just an Hour, which allows employees to give a minimum of 15 hours every year to support community and charitable causes close to their hearts.

If you have a local community project that would benefit from support through Essex & Suffolk Water’s employee volunteering scheme, Just an Hour, head to https://www.nwg.co.uk/responsibility/community/just-an-hour-case-studies/ to apply.