The owners of a church hall used by dozens of community groups in Bushey Heath have been handed a £4,000 grant to improve its facilities for the disabled.

Members of St Peter’s Church, in High Road, were given the cash through Hertfordshire County Council’s locality budget scheme to create better disabled access to its community hall’s toilets Among those that use the building on a regular basis are a mother and toddler group, a pensioners’ club and a keep fit class.

Children’s birthday parties are also regularly held in the hall and the church hopes the new facilities will open it up to more members of the community.

Church warden Anne Swerling said: “We’re absolutely delighted - it has been a big help to us. It means a huge amount because it is the parish hall and it is good for us to see that the parish can use it - it really encompasses the whole of Bushey Heath. We’re very grateful because donations are not easy to come by at the moment.”

Building work on the toilets is expected to begin before the end of the month.