Residents turn out for the official opening of the village centre

People in Tackley, West Oxfordshire, were spurred into action after the village's two shops closed, followed by the post office and then a pub.

They decided to set up a group to secure sufficient funding to replace the lost services.

After four years the group raised enough money to transform an outdated village hall into a community hub - with a local shop, coffee shop and a post office due to open soon.

Gill Withers, one of the organisers, said: "If somebody had said to me four years ago - please be involved in a project that at times will take over your life and at times will be very, very hard work and depressing - I would've said no way."

At the official opening David Cameron, MP for Witney, said: "I think we ought to have a specific funding stream through the lottery that actually backs village hall projects.

"So that a pot of money up there that village halls know they can apply for and know that one day even if they have to wait for a bit, one day they know they'll get."