A COMMUNITY centre has benefited from the help of supermarket workers after winning a competition.

Bromley Cross Village Hall was painted and decorated by eight staff from The Co-operative’s food stores in Bolton.

They spent the day decorating the corridor and painting a meeting room at the hall, which hosts activities such as crafts and coffee mornings. The team also deep-cleaned the kitchen area.

The hall was one of three Bolton groups to win the supermarket’s community challenge, and it was awarded a “hit squad” and £200 towards materials.

In addition, volunteers raised £300 from raffles and donations, enabling them to buy new curtains and other furnishings.

Keith Whitter, a member of Bromley Cross Village Hall and treasurer of Birtenshaw Methodist Church, said: “We are delighted with the support from The Co-op. It has made such a big difference and helped us to achieve much more than we could have done alone.

“The hall is constantly in use. It is a vital community asset and to have a team of people for the day to help us to maintain and enhance this wonderful facility is just fantastic.”

Darren Walsh, manager of The Co-op in Bromley Cross, added: “It is great to see the difference we have been able to make. As a community retailer, it is important to have been able to support the local community.

“Support for all communities is at the heart of The Co-operative and has been ever since the beginning of the movement.

“Our activities show how people can achieve more and bring about changes they would like to see in their society.”

The initiative was part of The Co-op’s employee volunteering scheme, which gives staff a chance to make a difference in the communities where they live and work, and involved staff from 11 food stores in Bolton.