Trustees of Fowlmere Village Hall are delighted to have been awarded a nationally recognised Hallmark accreditation.

Hallmark is the quality standard for village halls and community facilities, and is promoted by Cambridgeshire ACRE - the county's rural community council.

The Hallmark accreditation has three levels - level one covers charity administration and management, level two, health and safety, security and licencing and level three - the top award - covers community involvement, forward planning and development. Fowlmere achieved Hallmark 2 and 3.

Dorothy Woods, chairman of the trustees for Fowlmere Village Hall, said: "Our management committee are very proud to have achieved Hallmark 2 and 3 accreditations from Cambridgeshire ACRE.

"Although it involved a lot of work, it is very satisfying to know that we have reached the quality standards required to ensure that we are running and managing our village hall in compliance with the standards set out by national ACRE, and that this has been recognised by ACRE."

Benefits of achieving the Hallmark standard for village halls include formal recognition that the community facility has embedded good practice and procedures and giving residents and hirers confidence that their valuable community venue is being well managed and run by the trustees.

Slightly further afield in South Cambs, Little Gransden has been awarded a Hallmark level 2.

Sue Chase, Chairman of the trustees at Little Gransden said they work hard to ensure the hall coninues to be a major asset for the community, and said "I have a super team of trustees and thank them for enabling our success at Hallmark 2."

Presentation of their certificates took place at Cambridgeshire ACRE's AGM with the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely, making the awards.

Annie Blair, chairperson of Cambridgeshire ACRE, said: "Congratulations to Fowlmere Village Hall and Little Gransden Village Hall on their Hallmark achievements, which demonstrates how well these halls are being run by the trustees.

"It is excellent that the hard work which volunteers undertake in community buildings across our county is being recognised by this quality standard. I wish them all well with their future plans and projects."