One year celebrations mark next phase ofPiece Hall's journey

To mark the occasion, the heritage building in Halifax has announced its first patrons from the world of sports, art and culture.

The patrons include Halifax-born paralympian Hannah Cockroft, MBE, who officially re-opened The Piece Hall on August 1 2017. She is joined by speaker and musician Paul Whitaker OBE, Lord David Shutt OBE of Greetland, former Beats International band member Lester Noel, actor and director Reece Dinsdale, and DJ Graeme Park.

Since reopening, the Piece Hall has attracted 2.4m visitors, with over 23,000 people attending the opening day. It has also created and hosted 67 days of flagship events including a royal visit, the Tour de Yorkshire, and the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of visitors and students have benefitted from the interactive educational facilities on offer. The site has hosted over 1,400 school visits, more than 9,200 family visits and conducted more than 2,400 guided tours.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said: “After a very successful first year, I am really honoured to have attracted such an illustrious and diverse group of patrons who will help to support The Piece Hall in the next phase of its journey.

“Our vision of delivering a world class destination is becoming a reality and there is no doubt that the combined efforts of ourselves, partners and the people of this town have all helped to put Halifax on the map.”

An afternoon tea party is planned for August 1 from midday.