‘THE glue that holds people together.’

That’s the ringing endorsement of village halls as a new survey finds that people still value them as an important part of community life.

While nearly half of those asked said they had experienced pivotal moments - from birthday parties to wedding receptions - in village halls, 65 per cent of those surveyed said neither they, nor a family member, had used one in the past two years.

But, nearly half hailed village halls a a good hub for community activities and a quarter said they help to connect generations.

It's certainly the case for Clayton Village Hall, which hosts a packed schedule of regular events throughout the week, from toddler groups and senior exercise classes to meetings of the Women’s Institute, yoga, pilates and baby ballet.

Anne Clarke, bookings manager at the hall, said: “It’s somewhere for people to go, rather than being stuck at home.

“People still like to come - you’ll find that people will come to the toddler group and the same people then book their children’s parties here. It snowballs.

“I think they are really important.”

Community centres across the country host a wide variety of activities, including exercise groups, fundraising events and art classes, with some serving as polling stations, but 21 per cent of people admitted they have no idea what goes on inside their local village hall.

Milton Pearson, centre manager at Wilsden Village Hall, described halls as “hubs” of the community.

He said: “It’s almost a glue that holds people together. We’re here for the community - the village hall belongs to the community.”

As in Clayton, a huge range of groups use Wilsden Village Hall, crossing generations and cementing its place as an integral part of life there.

Only 6 per cent of those asked thought village halls and community centres no longer serve a purpose and only one per cent thought they should be demolished or privatised.

The research by Skipton Building Society coincides with the running of their Grassroots Giving Scheme, which will see them give away a grant of£500 for each of their 164 years, to a local or community

organization to support its activities. The closing date is July 31 - visit www.skiptongrg.co.uk.