A team of volunteers has clocked up an incredible 14,000 hours of work over the last year as they try to convert a derelict RAF base into a visitors centre.

The group, led by charity Veterans Central, is carrying out the renovations on the station headquarters (SHQ) building at RAF West Raynham.

The site closed in 1994 and the SHQ was left abandoned.

Under the plans, it is being restored so it can host a centre for people to visit and learn more about its past.

Fakenham & Wells Times: Ken Delve hopes that the new restoration efforts will create a space for veterans to find community.Ken Delve hopes that the new restoration efforts will create a space for veterans to find community. (Image: Ken Delve)

RAF West Raynham opened in 1939 and was operated by Bomber Command during the Second World War.

A total of 86 of its aircraft were lost during the conflict.

It later became a key Cold War base, housing fighters as well as air defence missiles.

Since its closure, the site has become derelict and the headquarters covered in weeds, presenting a challenge for those restoring it.

Ken Delve, an ex-RAF navigator and now a trustee for the Veterans Central West Raynham SHQ, said that even dead animals had been found in some of the rooms.

Fakenham & Wells Times: One of the rooms at the former RAF base, before and after restoration.One of the rooms at the former RAF base, before and after restoration. (Image: Ken Delve)
"It's been an enormous project to take on, but I've always told them, focus on the six inches in front of you, and then move on to the next."

After a year of work, the team has almost completed the building's first floor, with just one room to go.

The process has uncovered some unusual artefacts from the base's past, including a newspaper from 1943, which was used to block a window, and some military clothing.

Fakenham & Wells Times: Veterans at a breakfast hosted at the West Raynham SHQ.Veterans at a breakfast hosted at the West Raynham SHQ. (Image: Ken Delve)
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"One of my colleagues also thought she'd found a dead rat, but it was actually an army beret from the 1980s," said Mr Delve.

He said the biggest challenge still facing the team was its lack of skills in electrics. "So, if any of your readers is an electrician, please give us a call." 

The land outside the building is also being revived, and plans are under way to get started on a new sensory garden. 

Fakenham & Wells Times: The memorial garden a year after work began to bring it back to life.The memorial garden a year after work began to bring it back to life. (Image: Ken Delve)
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In the meantime, visitors can tour the building and learn about its history.

On July 6, the SHQ will host its annual activities and open day, where there will be a craft and memorabilia fair, as well as a café and bar.

Visitors will also see military re-enactments and Bomber Command virtual reality experiences, among other activities.