A £1,000 charity project has resuscitated a neglected Lympstone church hall to create a new space for the crowded village school. Until last week pupils taking music and art activities and extra-curricular lessons found themselves huddled in the staff roo

A £1,000 charity project has resuscitated a neglected Lympstone church hall to create a new space for the crowded village school.Until last week pupils taking music and art activities and extra-curricular lessons found themselves huddled in the staff room at Lympstone CofE Primary.Now, thanks to a four-figure donation and a day of hard graft, all provided by the Nutwell Lodge pub and restaurant team, a brand-spanking new room is available for use.Headmaster Tony Priest said: "It hasn't been ideal to have pupils kneeling on the floor in the staff room. A teaching space like this is something we have really aspired to."The hut was a place that would inspire learning, and it is good to see a large concern making an investment in the local area."A day of work by the Nutwell Lodge team saw the hut painted inside and out, photos of the village framed and hung on walls, a reading corner, and new tables and chairs. The room will also be available for community groups.The hut, in School Lane, was put up for use by St Mary's Church, and transformed after being selected for a charity project by the newly refurbished pub and carvery restaurant - located outside Lympstone on the A376.General Manager Graham Williams said: "Lympstone School is right on our doorstep so it seemed ideal that we could help out our very deserving neighbour. We've been working hard getting the pub ready for summer and wanted to help our local community do the same.