COMMUNITY workers in Galashiels have unveiled their new refurbished hall.

And they have vowed to continue with the regeneration of their little part of the town by creating a new playpark.

Halliburton's Fifth Ward Community Centre, affectionately known as the Mission Hall, has received new windows, new toilets, a new kitchen and a new heating system.

An Awards for All grant of over £9,000 and a further windfall of almost £5,000 from Scottish Borders Council allowed the refurbishment to take place.

The ground floor lesser-hall and lounge have also been given a make-over.

Now the hard-working committee hope the facelift will lead to a new lease of life for the 130-year-old hall. Gordon Keddie from the Fifth Ward Community Centre committee told the Border Telegraph: "The ground floor of the hall has been completely refurbished - it is a facility that is there to be used by the community.

"We still have to give the main upstairs hall a fresh coat of paint, and once that is done we have an official re-opening."

The Gala Fifth Ward Community Association, which represented the Glendinning, Halliburton, Low and High Buckholmside, Bristol Terrace and Plum Tree Brae areas, acquired the hall from the former St Ninian's Mission in the years after World Warr II.

They paid £600 for the internal caretaker's house, which has since been integrated into ground-floor meeting rooms, and agreed to allow the Church to continue holding religious services and Sunday School classes.

Over the decades the hall has been the home for youth clubs, dog shows, the Women's Guild, flower shows, keep-fit classes and children's parties.

The community volunteers from the Fifth Ward Association hosted an open day at the hall last Wednesday.

On show were the plans for their next venture - a children's playpark on nearby land.

Mr Keddie added: "The planning application has now gone in for the playpark. We are currently looking at different funding options but hope to start work by the summer.

"We are extremely grateful to Pamela Martyn from Waverley Housing for all the help she has given us with the hall and also getting to where we are with the park."