WITH winter well on the way Horncastle Community Centre is giving the installation of new heating a warm welcome.

Transition Town Horncastle group, Green Babies And Toddlers, was awarded £140,000 as part of British Gas Green Streets Campaign to give an energy make-over to Horncastle's Community buildings.

The Community Centre, home to the community playgroup, is the first of the buildings to see large-scale work begin – just in time for the cold weather.

Jenny Davey, team leader for the Green Babies project, said: "Our community buildings are the heart and soul of life in our town and it's wonderful to be able to help them continue to be great venues for so many activities here."

Work is being completed this week to replace the old boiler that stopped working last winter.

Jenny added: "For much of the winter it was not working at all, causing some vital community services to be cancelled when the weather was really bad.

"The playgroup struggles to keep going, having to resort to electric heaters to be able to stay open, as children as young as two had to endure the cold temperatures."

However, it was not only the young that were affected by the Centre's heating issues as both the Luncheon Club and Sunshine Club were seriously affected.

Organisers of social opportunities to the elderly Jean Norman, said: " With users being up to 100-years-old, they are extremely vulnerable to the cold and many members had to eat their dinners with their coats on.

"Our old folk are not of the age to complain but they were very uncomfortable in the cold.

"The new central heating system will be a great blessing and we are looking forward to a brighter winter this year."