A small community on the edge of Monmouthshire is celebrating after it won almost £150,000 from the Naional Lottery Fund to upgrade its hall and turn it into a thriving hub.

Llanelly Hill Memorial and Welfare Hall has been awarded the money after a two-year campaign by local people.

The grant will enable the refurbishment and upgrade of the building and kick-start an exciting series of local events.

Steering group member Anna Guzzo said: “We will employ a co-ordinator to organise and deliver a range of subsidised and free activities at the hall. We have enough funding for the first two years and it will totally transform how the hall is used.

“It is set to become the vibrant heart of the community for everyone.”

Activities will include pop-up restaurant nights and markets, a community cafe and soup kitchen, film nights, and young people’s social events.

Physical improvements to the hall will include refurbishments to the main entrance, adding disabled access, ladies toilets and a new kitchen.

The project aims to increase access to services, create community connections especially for those socially isolated and build community capacity and volunteering.

The project will be led by the Welfare Hall Committee and the project steering group working in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council.