A VILLAGE institute which was once a textile mill has been able to upgrade its ancient toilets, thanks to a £8,000 grant from the Skipton Building Society's charitable foundation.

The Kildwick and Farnhill institute in Airedale was donated to the villages in 1911 in memory of Sir John Brigg, a local benefactor who had been MP for Keighley.

The building, a key centre of village life, has just finished a major upgrade and the Skipton gift means that the loos can cater for the elderly and the disabled.

Institute trustee Paul Gittins commented: "The donation we received from the Charitable Foundation was vital, as it gave us the initial funding we needed to get the refurbishment programme under way."

Sarah Strickland, trustee at Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation, added, "We are delighted to have been able to donate to such a worthy cause that will help the local community. Our foundation aims to make a real difference to people's lives and any registered charities which are looking for help can pick up an application form from their nearest Skipton branch."