It has taken two years to successfully revamp the 1886 building, inside and out.
St Martin’s constable Dave Beausire said the bulk of the work was carried out by a team of four douzeniers, who volunteered their efforts to complete the project both time- and cost-effectively.
‘The gang of four, I call them,’ he said.
‘Obviously we’ve had contractors too and had it professionally done.
‘But we’ve achieved it mostly with the great help of the volunteer team, who have given hundreds of hours.
‘We’ve estimated it as saving the job over £100,000 – basically a quarter of the cost we were quoted – which is money we haven’t got to charge our ratepayers.
‘Also, rather than us every year maintaining an old building, we’ve now got the building up to scratch, with energy-saving improvements which will cut costs down further.’
Key developments included re-roofing the south-facing side and installing solar panels and new windows, as well as brand new electrics, complete with modern plumbing and heating.
The entrance now hosts an honest library, packed with beloved books left by islanders, for islanders.
‘We’re far from the largest parish,’ said Mr Beausire.
‘But we are open every day and very lucky because we have a village.
‘We want to ensure there’s always access and information, to encourage anybody to wander in for a chat, or meet up.
‘For some of the older generation, it’s the only time they see somebody – we’ve got one lady that has two or three books every weekend.
‘It’s going to be far more comfortable this winter.
‘It used to be like an icebox in here.’
A new chairlift leads upstairs to the newly expanded douzaine room, now named after Ben Gregg, the dean of the douzaine, who is retiring after 25 years of service.
Incorporating a kitchenette, full disabled toilet, and TV screens with comms links for Powerpoint presentations, the room can now be rented as a meeting space for anyone to use.
The floor of its large hall, which is a sprung dance floor with metal grooves, has been checked, sanded, varnished and restored, and a new projector installed.
The hall is used regularly for weddings, funerals and parties and is welcome to anyone.
Mr Beausire said he planned to restore its kitchen so it can be used to cater large functions again.
Outside, the toilet block has been redone, repainted and fitted with a new store unit.
At the front of the building, work is being done to embellish the area around the monument.
New walls have been built to create smart borders and the walkway is set to be resurfaced with tarmac, hopefully in time for its Remembrance Sunday service in November, said Mr Beausire.
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