Monday 22nd January see the start of Village Hall’s Week, a nationwide celebration of hall’s and community buildings that are the focal point of so many of our rural and urban communities.

The hall has signed up to take part and starting on Monday we will be releasing a daily post to showcase the building, the groups and organisations that we host and how the hall continues to be relevant in the 21st Century.

The hall was built in 1913 and its first meeting took place 104 years ago this month. Initially, a reading room bequeathed to the community by the influential Beech family many of its members saw action and died in the First World War,

In the late 1960’s it converted into a village hall and around the millennium underwent a £80,000 refurb that saw new toilets, kitchen and a small meeting room replacing an old flat roof extension.

The hall is managed by a group of at present 5 trustees as well as 2 representative trustees from St Werburgh’s Church and the Parish Council. We are keen to recruit more trustees to ensure the future of the hall is secure.

The trustees work hard behind the scenes ensuring that we get good value for money, be it the building insurance or energy contracts. In addition, we arrange access to the hall for parties and events and work with groups and organisations to encourage use of the hall by the community.

The trustees also organise and host events such as Breakfast Mornings, concerts, the Scarecrow Festival and many others that have the twin aim of creating a community atmosphere in the community as well as fundraising to secure the hall’s future as well as to make improvements.

Please do remember that all this does not happen on its own and if you don’t get involved then who will?

Its a fact of life the no is here forever and unless the community is prepared to step forward and get involved in whatever way then the hall’s future is not secure.

We have seen half a dozen or so volunteers, your friends and neighbours, step forward and offer their help, be it at events, maintenance of the exterior of the building and contributing their thoughts on what can be done to improve matters. If they can do it so can you.

If anyone one to find out what it entails being involved then call Martyn Hordern on 01538 750657.

We do hope you enjoy reading our daily posts!

#villagehallsweek