A DRAB community hall in Gosport received a new lease of life when a group of MADD volunteers picked up paint brushes.

Despite the bad weather about 50 people turned up at Magennis Hall to transform it, as part of Make a Difference Day last Sat-urday.

The volunteers, including eight refugees, built a large raised flower bed, painted the fences and designed and painted a mural for the outside of the hall in Magennis Close.

They also put up fences for the children's play area and installed some play equipment, all funded with donations from local companies and fuelled with food from Asda.

HMS Sultan, Gosport, supplied the manpower for the heavy lifting and digging needed to meet the plans drawn up by a landscape designer.

Organiser Maxine Jackson said: "Magennis Hall was crying out for a facelift and Make A Difference Day has provided the inspiration to get local people involved in this exciting project."