Peter Fisher MBE, the man who saved Seend Community Centre from financial collapse, was remembered on Friday as the centre’s hall was rededicated in his honour.

Mr Fisher moved to the village with his wife Patricia almost 40 years ago, and soon found himself at the heart of community life, designing the beacon for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, and orchestrating the campaign to save the hall in the 1990s.

The Peter Fisher Hall was officially re-named at a ceremony at the centre on Friday, where a plaque was unveiled to remember the former club president, who died in April aged 87.

Committee member Tessa Doe said: “It was really good, we had 30-40 people there who had worked with Peter on the community centre or were personal friends.

“Unofficially the decision was made a long time ago, but officially it was at a committee meeting a few months back. I think it was a foregone conclusion though, we all knew we wanted to do something for Peter.

“The hall was in financial difficulties and Peter decided he wanted to do something about it. He called a public meeting and declared we should change it from a social club to a community centre.

“He was very hands-on; he would come along on Friday mornings when we have a maintenance team in doing odd-jobs. He was always there well into his 80s climbing ladders and painting ceilings.”

Before moving to the village Mr Fisher was vice chairman of Avon Rubber PLC in Melksham, which he joined as a young chemist. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Hon-ours list in 2012, but was too ill to travel to London to collect it, and received the medal from Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire in a ceremony last summer.