Former Mayor of Melksham Vic Oakman, who worked for 20 years to establish a community centre in the Forest area of the town, said he was chuffed to be named this month’s Wiltshire Times Community Hero.

The chairman of the centre, who spent 16 years on the Town Council and served as vice chairman of West Wiltshire District Council, was instrumental in establishing the centre, which opened in August.

He said: “I was chuffed to hear I’d won. It’s going very well, it’s picking up quite a bit of trade at weekends for kiddies’ parties, and in the evenings we have only got one free night now.

“We are looking at doing country and western nights on Sundays, and we already do men’s and women’s skittles, bingo, and family nights on Saturdays. We had about 100 people there last week for Halloween, with 40-odd kids all dressed up.”

Planning for the centre started back in 1993, and Mr Oakman said: “We sent out questionnaires for what people wanted from the new housing and the resounding answer was a community centre, as there was nothing here at all. We took it all from there and it gradually snowballed.

“There’s been a lot of false starts, but I’ve stuck with it right from the word go.”

Plans are already under way to improve the centre, with a new lounge area next on the agenda.

Mr Oakman said: “The award’s come to me but it should go to my whole crew.

“All the staff are volunteers and they work for nothing, and they have all been absolutely magic.

“Without them we wouldn’t be where we are now.”