BACUP Leisure Hall is celebrating a £50,000 overhaul which its manager hopes will inject new life into the centre.

The hall, which has suffered from a lack of investment, won £40,000 from Bacup and Stacksteads SRB fund and has used £10,000 of its own cash to improve facilities.

Dale Connearn, development manager at the Burnley Road centre, said work was almost complete.

The stage area has been extended, new velvet stage curtains have been hung and backdrops have been upgraded.

New stage lighting and sound equipment have been installed and the main hall, sports hall and stage have all been redecorated.

Mr Connearn said: "There has not been much investment in the hall for a number of years but now it is a much-improved venue.

"The brand new sound system is one of the things that really needed doing and all the work has made quite a difference."

Amateur operatic society the Rossendale Players already use the hall but Dale hopes it will soon host a far more varied programme of events.

He said: "There's the possibility of schools using it and other amateur groups."