THERE have been celebrations in Bere Alston to mark the completion of the roof of the new annexe to the parish hall.

The Bere Alston Regeneration Partnership has raised almost £500,000 to enable the construction of the annexe. It will include a dedicated child care space, new toilets, a kitchen, new parish council offices, meeting rooms and an IT suite.

The work, which started in June, is being carried out by DAB?builders of Plymouth.

Completion of the roof marked a major stepping stone towards completing the project, scheduled for late November or early December.

Trustees secretary Sara Pike said: 'It's amazing to see what we have worked so hard for for five years to achieve finally taking shape around us.

'The internal walls are almost complete, glazing is nearly done and we can begin to see how the buildin g will look for the community.

'I think the architect, Steve Whettem, has done a fantastic job to get the amount of floor space and light that he has within the building.'

Anyone wishing to follow the progress of the project can do so via http://www.bergen.org.uk">www.bergen.org.uk or on twitter as BergenUK.

Sara is pictured with fellow trustee Paul?Gentle and builder Dave Bothma, celebrating the topping out of the new annexe with non-alcoholic cordial — the hall is within an alcohol-free zone.