Village Halls Domesday Book 2021
A record of the good things village halls are doing to mark a century of rural community action
Many of England’s 10,000+ village halls date back to the 1920s. To celebrate the contribution they make to rural communities,
has created this virtual ‘Domesday Book’ for village halls to record the work they are doing in 2021. The record will help make the case for sustained funding and support for village halls which will be especially important as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreword
Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity)
“Village halls have been a crucial part of rural life for the past century. They provide a space for activities and events that bring people together, create a sense of community, reduce loneliness and support local businesses.
At a time when many village halls are closed because of coronavirus, it is especially important to recognise and celebrate the work they do. As such, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone involved with a village hall to sign this ‘Domesday Book’ and help create a record demonstrating how important these buildings are, and what is needed to make sure they survive in the future” (January 2021)
Tell us what your hall is doing, the difference you are making to your community and any hopes you have for the future!
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Rode and District Memorial Hall
Somerset
The early years of the Hall are not clear but documents indicate that attempts to provide a village hall on the current site began during the 2nd World War.
At that time the Rode Branch of the British Legion was considering a memorial to commemorate the servicemen from the village who were dying in that war. The Branch Committee thought that it would be better that the memorial should not only honour the dead but be of practical use to the living, especially to those who served in the present war. The Rode Branch had no place of its own, where ex-servicemen could foregather, nor was there any hall in the village sufficiently commodious to meet the needs of the general public.
Consequently the Committee concluded that the provision of a Memorial Hall would best fulfill these aims, since such a hall would provide: -
(a) a fitting memorial to those who have given their lives for the freedom of their countrymen;
(b) a place of meeting for ex-servicemen;
© a headquarters for the local branch of the British Legion;
(d) a place where the general public could hold dances, concerts, etc.
They envisaged the hall would be known as the
British Legion, Rode, Memorial Hall
, it would be held in trust by the National Headquarters of the British Legion and the local branch would administer it.
Acting on the assumption that the public would support the scheme, the Committee approached Capt. W. S. Batten-Pooll of Rode Manor, who generously offered to provide some land on which the hall could be built. Estimates were also obtained for the purchase and erection of a hall to accommodate up to 250 persons, with a stage, dressing-rooms etc., for the installation therein of essential services, for the provision of the necessary furniture and fittings and the placing therein of a memorial tablet, inscribed with the names of the fallen. The total outlay was thought likely to be about £2,000. The Committee then launched an appeal:
“ to all those, who have at heart the well-being of the people of Rode and District, especially of those of them who served in this war, to support this scheme by sending as generous a donation as they can afford”.
At a later date, a newspaper reported that a meeting (probably open to all the village) was held in the Rode Hill schoolroom
“to consider further the suggestion to build a Village Hall as a war memorial tribute”.
The Chairman, Capt. Batten-Pooll, reported that the (Hall?) Committee had inspected various village halls. He said that they would have to raise at least £4,000 to build a hall on the lines proposed. It would require a wholehearted and united effort and would probably take 3 or 4 years to collect the money. After considerable discussion it was decided to ask the (Hall?) Committee to continue with their efforts to raise money for the
Rode and District War Memorial Hall
Fund. The same newspaper column contained a report of Rode British Legion giving the village children a victory tea, which suggests a date of 1945.
On 11th February 1946, a Post Office Savings Bank account was opened in the name of the
Rode and District Memorial Hall
Fund**.** A letter dated 8th April 1947 from Col. F. C. C. Ensor, the Hon. Secretary of the Rode and District Memorial Hall Committee, requested the Rode Branch of the British Legion to nominate its representative for the Committee. The letter clearly indicates that a trust deed, containing the terms and conditions of the Hall Management Committee, had been written and was in use (probably since 1946, see tenure of lease). The deed was not signed until 11th September 1952, possibly because, prior to that date, the Committee was still fund-raising and a signed deed was not needed until negotiations to procure a hall began. The deed legally established the Hall trust, its constitution and management rules. It also recorded that Capt. Batten-Pooll leased the land on which the Hall stands to Rode Parish Council (in trust), for a tenure of 99 years from 1946, at a rent of 5/- per annum.
In October1948 an outline drawing (no. 707/2) was produced by Mr. R. W. H. Vallis, an architect in Frome, in support of a proposal for a temporary building on the site. Later that year Mr. A.E. Perrett, a builder at Rudge, provided Mr. Vallis with an estimate for building a hall for the sum of £1,801. 8s. 5d.
Some time later the Committee approached the National Council for Social Service (a Government body) with a view of hiring a temporary building to be supplied by the NCSS. It is likely that these negotiations with the NCSS required the Committee to be legally established and hence the signing of the trust deed in 1952. Mr Vallis produced a detailed drawing (no. 707/6) of a temporary hall in May 1953. The drawing is clearly of the current hall in its original form.
The hall was built by (Mr?) Woodman in the early part of 1955 (photos exist of the footings being dug) and hiring from the NCSS commenced on 1st February 1955 at a cost of £13 per annum. The Committee signed the formal Agreement for the building and hiring of the hall with the NCSS on 30th March 1955, which required the hall to be insured for at least £3,000. Lord Hylton opened the hall in April 1955 and a
hangs in the Committee Room.
As soon as the hall was opened the Committee launched an appeal to raise money for furnishing and equipping the building, calling particularly on those who had promised, when the original appeal for a hall was made, to give donations when they could see the project was becoming a reality. The officers of the Committee at that time were S. G. Paradise (chairman), E. C. Porch (treasurer) and F. N. Stacey (secretary).
A brass memorial plaque was placed in the Hall and has the following inscription:
TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM
1914-1918 1939-1945
“WE WILL REMEMBER THEM”
A flower holder was fixed below the plaque and is kept full of flowers by the ladies of the village.
Capt. Batten Pooll died in 1953 and the freehold of the land on which the Hall was erected was acquired by Mr. F. C. Arnold of Ivy House. Mr. Arnold subsequently donated the freehold to the Parish Council (but not in trust), subject to the conditions in the lease, through a Deed of Gift dated 21 July 1962. On 27th April 1964 the Management Committee bought the Hall from the NCSS for £450. The outcome of these transactions appears to be that the Trust owns the Hall and has a lease on the land, which the Parish Council owns.
The Hall has been extended on four occasions. The kitchen area was added in 1976; the area at the southwest corner in 1979, now being used as two small storerooms and the gents’ toilets; and the committee room and rear toilets in 1994. In 1999, a major refurbishment was undertaken including the fitting of a new roof, ceiling, floor and doubled glazed windows. In addition a new entrance hall, the ladies toilets and a side extension to the main hall were added and the fixed stage replaced with a more flexible system of portable units. This latest work was funded by a £30,000 bequest from the estate of Miss Hilda May Woolley of Langham Place and a grant of £60,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
May Woolley, whose older brother Bert served in the First World War, provided and arranged the flowers for the memorial plaque for over 32 years from the time the Hall was opened.
The Hall has always been well cared for by the village and in 1990 won the competition for the best run village hall in Somerset.
January 2007 Peter Harris
Plantation Hall
Essex
Plantation Hall is owned and managed by Heybridge Parish Council. Prior to lock down the hall was busy 7 days a week , hired out by community groups. Council cannot wait to re-open the doors to welcome them all back. During the lock down Council have been providing food bags for some of our vulnerable residents. Hearing Help sessions have been able to continue to run due to being an essential service.
Abbotsley Village Hall
Cambridgeshire
Our village hall was once the village school and for the past 50 years, since the school closed, has provided a comfortable, well equipped and convenient venue for all types of social interactions. We look forward to being able to re-commence those activities, once the COVID restrictions have been lifted.
Abinger Hammer Village Hall
Surrey
Thank you to ACRE for all the good work you’re doing, which is particularly important at this challenging time.
Abthorpe Old School
Northamptonshire
From its inception as a school, built in 1642, Abthorpe Old School has been the centre of life in this small rural village near Towcester. Its history, reminiscences of past pupils, details of all the masters from 1642 until its closure as a school in 1959, and an architectural tour of this lovely Grade 2 building are described in a book, ‘The Free School in Abthorpe’, available from our website.
Acklington Village Hall
Northumberland
Acklington Village Hall is proud to serve the local community and act as a hub for all kinds of activities for all kinds of people. We offer a warm welcome to locals and visitors, young and old (and everyone in between!).
Acomb village haĺl
Northumberland
All good wishes
Acomb parish council. Com
Acton Bridge Parish Rooms
Cheshire
Acton Bridge is a small rural village located near Northwich in Cheshire. Northwich is the UK’s salt capital, and the home of Britain’s chemical industry, founded by Brunner- Mond, which became ICI. Sir John Brunner the co-founder of ICI opened our Parish Rooms in May 1909. Since then, they have been the centre of our community life. In 1983 they were extended, and today we have first class facilities, two all-weather tennis courts, opened in 1995, and an all-weather bowling green. with active sections using these facilities. In addition, our Parish Rooms are used by 15 Interest groups (dancing, choirs, arts classes, WI, Taekwondo etc), and our village pre-school. At weekends, the rooms are available for private hire for weddings, christenings, birthday parties and family celebrations. In 2009, at our centenary celebrations, Sir John Brunner’s Great Grandson handed back to us, the key which our Parish Council presented to his great grandfather at the opening ceremony 100 years ago! Today, like all other village halls we are constrained by COVID measures and usage constraints, but our active trustees and volunteers have ensured that we can continue in a limited way to offer support and help to our village community. ACRE through Cheshire Community Action, continues to provide us with valuable support, thank you.
Adlington Village Hall
Cheshire
We are looking forward to reopening as soon as we are allowed so that we can continue to serve this rural community.
Aldworth Village Hall
Berkshire
Opened in 2016, designed by a local architect, this beautiful hall is situated near the Ridgeway and the Berkshire Downs.
Alfold Village Hall
Surrey
Built in 1962/63 Alfold Hall is the culmination of many years hard work by locals of the time. In 2005 another era for the Hall saw the building extended; the kitchen enlarged, toilets refurbished; disabled facilities added and the “Green Room” built. 2015 then saw the Hall move further into the 21st century with the introduction of a surround sound system, stage lights, projector and screen.
The Hall is managed by a small committee of volunteers. Regular users include a toddlers group, short mat bowls, pilates lessons, dance classes and a well attended monthly lunch club. The Hall is also used for touring theatre, dances, wedding receptions and children’s parties. The Hall is managed by a committee of volunteers.
Alfold Village Hall
Surrey
Built in 1962/63 Alfold Hall is the culmination of many years hard work by locals of the time. In 2005 another era for the Hall saw the building extended; the kitchen enlarged, toilets refurbished; disabled facilities added and the “Green Room” built. 2015 then saw the Hall move further into the 21st century with the introduction of a surround sound system, stage lights, projector and screen.
The Hall is managed by a small committee of volunteers. Regular users include a toddlers group, short mat bowls, pilates lessons, dance classes and a well attended monthly lunch club. The Hall is also used for touring theatre, dances, wedding receptions and children’s parties. The Hall is managed by a committee of volunteers.
All Cannings Village Hall
Wiltshire
All Cannings Village Hall lies in the centre of an attractive village situated in the historic Vale of Pewsey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village lies midway between Devizes and Pewsey in Wiltshire. The hall dates from the 19th century when it was the village shop and Post Office.
Since the COVID restrictions have been in place, the village hall has provided a much-needed additional stock room for the volunteer-run community shop and has continued to provide the venue for the daily pre-school group to enable those parents and their children to have a degree of normality in these difficult times.
We are looking forward to reopening and for the normal range of community activities to take place in the hall. These include table tennis, pilates, arts group activity, book club and garden club meetings, in addition to other private bookings.
Allington Village Hall
Lincolnshire
Our village hall built in 1929, is the heart of our village with a wide selection of events and activities taking place for all ages and abilities. A selection of these are New Age Kurling, Carpet Bowls, Keep Fit, Yoga, Morris and Square Dancing, Craft Session and Community Choir. We also hold an Outreach Post Office. All these along with a wide range of fund raising events. We also hire out the hall for weddings, parties and funeral wakes.
Alstonefield Village Hall
Staffordshire
As we begin 2021, we look back at the challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic with a mixture of satisfaction and nervousness. Satisfaction in maintaining at least some of our essential activities; nervousness in what lies ahead for 2021. When the pandemic began and community halls essentially closed, it was good to be able to continue with our outreach Post Office, at least. Getting suitably prepared even for that limited service - with risk assessments, deep-cleaning, signs and cleaning protocols in place - meant we remained technically open, and that was enough to be able us to offer the premises for a vital service - manufacturing scrubs and gowns. It’s hard to believe nearly a year on, but at the time, there was a huge national shortage of protective equipment for front-line workers in the NHS and care homes. A small team of locals, headed by Cathy Reavy (who normally runs embroidery workshops in the Hall), worked solo in shifts through until the end of May, having made an amazing 437 gowns and 183 sets of scrubs.
By the Autumn, things were looking more positive but restrictions continued and few of our normal users had an appetite to re-commence their activities, even in a limited way. But it has been good to see financial support to charities like ours being provided, with much-appreciated help from local authorities - themselves ‘locked-down’ with employees working from home. That support enabled us to continue with our maintenance plans, which included substantial works to re-surface and mark-out our car park - a well overdue improvement.
By the end of the year, the pandemic was showing no sign of abating - just the opposite, in fact. So we took the decision to try and generate some extra income and, at the same time, provide at least something for the community, by opening a takeaway food service for the first time. Within a couple of weekends of opening, it was proving a huge hit for locals, so we decided to invest a little in equipment (a hot cabinet, for example). Opening the service meant meeting Environmental Health requirements including registration as a food business, and the local authority have been wonderfully helpful in making things straightforward. Some further kitchen improvements will be needed for this, but we’re looking at the long term!
Looking ahead into 2021 and beyond, the pandemic has made us think about what else we might do to ensure the Hall is of real benefit to our community, and remains financially viable. In normal times, we already host fitness classes, indoor bowls, arts groups etc., and the committee itself runs monthly live music events that attract locals and visitors (which is also good for the local economy in this rural area). But ideas are flowing for other activities we could run, or encourage(!) and to broaden the use of the premises for commercial or other bookings such as weddings and parties.
In summary, we’re very positive for the future. The pandemic will go away in time, and we hope to come out of it with an enhanced understanding of the role a village hall can play in our particular community.
Alton Barnes Coronation Hall
Wiltshire
Alton Barnes Coronation Hall is closed at the moment because of the current Covid-19 national restrictions. We very much look forward to resuming our role as the central hub of the three villages of Alton Barnes, Alton Priors and Honeystreet.
Normally the Hall is open for hire from the public all year although we have a policy that parishioners can use it free of charge for weddings and funerals.
The Management Committee organises events to promote a welcoming feeling and enable parishioners to get to know each other and have fun. Regular events include a Coffee Morning on the first Saturday of every month, a Midsummer Horticultural Show, a series of three Autumn Talks, and a Christmas Entertainment evening. Other events include a variety of evenings organised by Alton Arts, a Curry Evening, a Barbeque and Ceilidh, a Murder Mystery and a very popular Open Gardens involving all three villages.
Alveley Parish Memorial Hall
Shropshire
The Village Hall has been part of the community in Alveley since it was built in 1928 in memory of the people who died in the Great War of 1914-1918. Over the years it has been available for the residents of Alveley and the outlying district for family events and celebrations, village organisations’ fund raising events and meetings, drama and film evenings with the Alveley Entertainers, indoor bowling through the winter months with the Squirrel Bowling Club, and more recently to promote shows through the Arts Alive rural touring scheme, Saturday morning Dance Classes for school- aged children, Music and Movement for pre-school children and as a studio for The Alveley Art Group whose first exhibition was a great success. Covid Secure Guidelines were adopted between Lockdowns so the hall could still be open for suitable activities but like everyone else the committee are looking foreward to the hall being fully open for village life to flourish once again.
Alverstoke Parish Centre
Hampshire
A welcoming village hall with so many activities to suit all age ranges. Cann’t wait to get back to the fun and laughter and companionship once covid is over!
Anslow Village Hall
Staffordshire
Anslow Village hall was built on land donated by Walter Thompstone of Anslow Park farm following a public meeting at Anslow Mission Hall on 21st March 1949. Fund raising events and donations from hundreds of individuals helped secure finance as well as interest free loans, and in 1951 a grant was provided by the Ministry of Education under the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937. The hall was officially opened on 23rd August 1952. The first event was a whist drive which continued until 2014. The hall is regularly used by local groups including WI, the local gardening society and the Parish Council and classes inclcuding, bridge, yoga, pilates, a choir, painting and karate. It is a popular venue for weekend children’s and adult occasions, fund raising events for the local parish church and a venue for elections.
Applause Rural Touring
Kent
We have worked with many Village Halls across Kent and East and West Sussex. We applaud the work they do in their communities and celebrate the role they play in connecting communities to creativity! We have included a picture of All Saints Church in Allhallows Kent who have recently hosted a poetry residency.
Appleton Thorn Village Hall
Cheshire
Our Hall, like many others, is a converted village school and opened in 1981. It is therefore our 40th Anniversary! Since then, it has been the centre of the community providing a venue for many activities. The adjacent field owned by the Hall is used in a unique village fete celebrating Bawming the Thorn. It has a membership licensed bar providing real ales and winning many CAMRA awards. The Appleton Thorn Preschool is based in the hall. The venue is available for hire typically for local groups such as Appleton Thorn School of Dance, Brownies, Yoga, wedding parties, christenings, and birthday parties. When we finally re-open we would like to improve and extend the facilities making more use of the outdoor facilities for the benefit of the community. We joined CCA/ ACRE in 2019 and have benefitted from their excellent advice and help, especially during these difficult times during the pandemic. We are delighted to sign ACRE’s ‘Doomsday’ Book for 2021 celebrating ACRE’s 100th anniversary as well as our own 40th.adjacent
Arborfield Village Hall
Berkshire
Built in 1931 on land gifted by the Simonds family with bricks purchased by members of the Arborfield and Newland community the hall is a registered charity run by volunteers and interested parties such as the Parish Council and regular users.
Arkenstall Village Centre
Cambridgeshire
The main business of the Arkenstall Village Centre – in the middle of the village of Haddenham, near Ely in Cambridgeshire – is the hiring out of facilities for meetings, functions and events. It is also the centre of activities for local groups – art classes, exercise groups, drama groups, concerts and the village pantomime. In addition, the Centre plays host to the village library access point, providing a link to the county’s public library service for Haddenham and the surrounding villages.
The Centre has three rooms for hire: a 200-seat main hall with a stage, and two smaller meeting rooms each seating about 40 people. There is a well-equipped kitchen, and on-site parking. There are discounted hiring rates for regular bookers, charities, and local organisations that are represented on the management committee.
Although the centre was converted from its original purpose as the village school back in 1972, there is an ongoing programme of updates and improvements to keep the facilities fresh and modern while retaining the building's original character.
Unfortunately the Centre is currently closed because of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. While we have made the Centre 'Covid secure' we are, at the moment, only able to offer rooms for hire for exempt activities, but we are looking forward to fully opening our doors again in the not-too-distant future.
Arkwright Centre
Derbyshire
The Arkwright Centre provides a venue for local people to meet, hold events and support the community.
Ashampstead Jubille Village Hall
Berkshire
This original Victorian village school house has been renovated to provide the only community facility other than the church. It even doubles as the village pub once a month.
Ashbury Village Hall
Oxfordshire
The building was built in 1864 to accommodate The National School, a charity school for children of the poor. Since construction of a new Ashbury with Compton Beauchamp C of E (Voluntary Aided) Primary School in 1960, the old National School has been used as a Village Hall. Over the years there have been several improvements. In recent years the whole hall has been updated with new kitchen and toilets, a new floor proved insulation. Before Covid it was used regularly by local groups for keep fit, art and social events.
Ashenground Community Centre
Sussex
Looking forward to fully opening again for our vast array of Community Groups. We’ve managed to remain partially open during the Covid-19 pandemic for permitted activities including our Preschool.
Ashford Carbonel Village Hall
Shropshire
Our Hall was built in 1911 and has since been extended twice. Together with the adjacent sports and recreational field it forms the hub of our village of 160 dwellings, about one third of which have single occupants. The Hall hosted a wide variety of events and activities until the first lockdown forced us to close. Subsequently in March 2020 a community email newsletter was set up, food deliveries from local businesses were arranged and a support network established. When allowed we held morning coffee, afternoon teas and pub nights in and out of doors. To raise money and our spirits, we opened our gardens to fellow villagers with timed appointments and an honesty stall for surplus plants and produce. Realising gardens were our salvation, we wrote a book ‘Gardens under Lockdown’ with contributions from eight to eighty year-olds, full of tips, activities and beautiful illustrations. Ten per cent of the profits went to our local food bank. Later in the year morning coffee and cake became a takeaway service as did a soup kitchen. Our Christmas fairs, carol concert and Candlefest were all held outdoors. As 2021 begins we have coffee mornings, a wine tasting and a poetry recital for Valentine’s day all online. The book exchange has been expanded to include jigsaws. Children continue to play on our field, which will have a new wildlife area this summer. We are now planning activities for when we come out of lockdown. We shall continue to provide, as we have done for a hundred and ten years, a venue, events and activities which cater for all ages and abilities, thus cementing the social fabric of our village.
Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall
Essex
A hall left in Trust to the residents of Ashingdon and East Hawkwell
Ashreigney Village Hall
Devon
The recent Coronavirus Pandemic has really brought home how vital our Village Hall is to a small, rural community such as ours. It is literally the “heart” of the Village.
Social gatherings, our market, and meetings may be banned; but our Hall continues to serve. In recent months it has been used as a central control room by emergency services carrying out search and rescue operations, it continues to act as our Post Office, and the Car Park now hosts regular street food Pop Ups. The Village Hall Newsletter hasn’t missed a single edition and The Renovation Committee continue to work with Architects to plan for a new and exciting future.
We look forward to the day when we can all meet up again, to celebrate and fully enjoy this vital and much loved part of Village Life.
Ashton Keynes Village Hall
Wiltshire
Our Village Hall is the centre of the community and as the hub for numerous services, has remained open throughout the pandemic. Although group and social activities have had to stop, including our own fund-raising Rural Cinema; the Hall complex houses the Village Shop, the out-reach Post Office and the GP Branch Surgery. All of the these are classed as essential services and so we had to ensure that we made the Hall COVID-Secure in order to keep it open. We introduced disinfectant fogging, hand sanitisers, risk assessments, etc. The Village Preschool is also housed within the Hall complex and we had to accommodate this restarting in June 2020 (at the end of the first lock-down).
The support of the Local Authority, Community First and ACRE have been exceptional.
With luck (and the vaccine) we are looking forward to reopening fully sometime during 2021.
https://www.akvh.org.uk/
Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall
Somerset
Having taken advantage of the COVID lockdowns by refitting, redecorating and refreshing the main rooms, internal facilities and equipment, the committee are now progressing formal plans to convert the integral garage and adjacent store rooms into a new, larger kitchen and community cafe that will serves via a purpose-build external hatch next to the children’s playground with views across the recreational field and beyond - much fundraising work required! Externally we are repairing and replacing leisure equipment to facilitate increased usage. We are also addressing our environmental strategy and have planted a wildflower meadow and 11 trees along one boundary to be fitted later with various bird boxes. We also plan to become Hallmark Level 1/2 accredited!
Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall
Oxfordshire
The Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall stands as a memorial to the men and women who fell in the 1914-18 and 1939-45 Wars, and to those that returned.
Records show that the Hall dates back to 23rd February 1922 when the land was purchased for the sum of £40 for the purpose of providing
a site for the erection of a building as a war memorial for the Parish of Asthall.
The management of the Hall and Garden is in the hands of the Memorial Hall Trustees and is now a registered charity, No. 263789
The Memorial Hall provides the residents of the Asthall Parish with recreational and social facilities which include a ‘Village Pub Night’ a ‘Film Night’ and a ‘Villagers Lunch’ each month.
Avebury & District Social Centre
Wiltshire
The Social Centre in Avebury was built in the Victorian era and was formerly the Village School. In the early 1990s an extension was built to include a new kitchen and toilets. The main hall is approximately 180 sq m and has a curtained off stage area with portable staging.
It is licenced for a maximum of 60 seated at tables, 75 dancing, 80 seated in rows OR 100 standing. Suitable for parties, shows, meetings and exercise classes the space can be divided by a folding screen.
Facilities include Wifi, Projector, Kitchen, Stage, Large National Trust Car Park nearby
Axbridge Town Hall
Somerset
Built in the 1830s and owned and run by Axbridge Town Trust since 1889 for the benefit of the local community for functions, meetings, education and exercise.
Bainton Reading Room
Cambridgeshire
The place where interests interact, where people care, where insight is shared. Always worth a visit
Bamburgh Pavilion
Northumberland
Bamburgh is a historically important village on the North Northumberland coast. The Pavilion overlooks the village green, in the shadow of the magnificent castle. As well as supporting the village cricket team. croquet club and tennis court, it is used by many local groups. It is also used for events such as wedding receptions, craft fairs and fund raising events. During lock down it has been redecorated and refurbished and is now ready to return to its key role in village life.
Barrasford Village Hall
Northumberland
Barrasford Village hall was built in 1927. It has been extended and improved over the years, with a major ongoing refurbishment programme since 2011. The building is very well used and has a large main hall and a further spacious meeting room known as the supper room. A variety of regular events take place; beavers, cubs and scouts, toddler group, Pilates, pottery and art classes, monthly community coffee morning etc. The hall is also available for hire for one-off private events. There is a fully equipped kitchen with range cooker, commercial dishwasher, fridge and freezer. A licensed bar is available on application. Contact
for further information
Barrow on Trent Village Hall
Derbyshire
Our Village Hall is located in a small rural community in South Derbyshire. The land the hall is built on was gifted to the village by a local farmer in 1949. Parishioners fundraised to help build the Hall. It remains an integral part of village life offering a base for our local Playgroup along with a variety of regular weekly activities including : Women’s Institute meetings, keep fit, line dancing, choir practices, tia chi, parties etc. Trustees have taken advantage of the Covid lockdown to upgrade the hall by sanding and revarnishing the parquet floor, and replacing the carpets. We hope the hall will continue to be used and enjoyed by our community for many many years to come, it is an asset for our village.
Barrow upon Humber Village Hall
Humber & Wolds
Our Village Hall is the largest in our community, parties for children are the best because of the size of the space. The hall, when open provides space for Parents, babies and toddlers; Brownies; Guides; Keep Fit; Yoga and Christy fundraisers.
Barton Bendish Village Hall
Norfolk
We are just finishing a complete refurbishment and extension to our hall, which was originally an Oddfellows hall built in 1905. Although it had some toilets added in 1990 it was getting very tired, with no insulation, no proper heating, and no disabled facilities. We also suffered from a lack of capacity because it was too small. Thanks to a marvellous fundraising effort, serious community collaboration and the input of an excellent local contractor we have now extended the hall and made it fit for another 100 years! We can’t wait to open up as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic allows us to do so!
Barton Village Hall
Cambridgeshire
Barton Village Hall (formally Barton Parish Institute) is situated in the centre of the village opposite the Parish Church and adjacent to the Village School. It was constructed on land given to the village for the purpose by the University of Cambridge in 1920. Originally a WW1 hospital hut before being rebuilt on the current site, the hall has been extended over the years to include modern kitchen and cloakroom facilities as well as a snooker room.
The hall is managed as a registered charity by a committee of trustees which includes representatives of the many village clubs and societies that, normally, use the facility on a regular basis. The hall is also used for elections and community flu vaccinations as well as being available to be hired by local residents for private functions.
During the past year it has been mainly closed, opening only when permitted in a COVID secure manner for pre/post school care and business meetings.
Beaford Village Hall
Devon
Based in rural northern Devon we are the hub of a small parish of fewer than 500 people. We have a stunning view from our hall thanks to a local farmer who donated the land and local builders who constructed the building. We are a busy hall (normally) and we take great pride in our beautiful home. Our plans include making the hall as environmentally friendly as possible and creating a wildlife haven on our recently acquired field adjacent to the hall.
Beckford Community Village Hall Ltd
Herefordshire & Worcestershire
The present hall was opened in 1937, an earlier small facility having existed since 1924-5. It is managed as a ‘Charitable Limited Company’ with directors, officers and a committee made up of representatives of the organisations which are ‘members’ of the hall. These include the Tennis Club, the Women’s Institute, the Gardening Club, the Toddlers Group, the Croquet Club, the Church and others. The hall is surrounded by extensive fields, which are used by footballers, dog walkers and the camping and caravanning clubs who often rent them. Many improvements have been made to the hall over the years, and a substantial refurbishment is currently in progress. The roof having been replaced three years ago, exterior insulation has been added and internally the ceiling is being lowered, lighting improved and the sprung maple floor refurbished. Currently closed due to the refurbishment ad well as COVID-19 restrictions, we anticipate that in April 2021, like a chrysalis emerging from its cocoon, the hall will re-emerge to act again as a centre of village life.
The website is currently being reconstructed, but until that is complete the hall has an active Facebook page.
Bedhampton Community Centre
Hampshire
It’s a shock to the system to having gone from a full, thriving, exciting centre to being nearly completely shut down, but we’re coming into 2021 positively! We’re still open for our local Lunchbank to prepare, cook and deliver hot meals to people in our local community, and we’re excited to hit the ground running with community projects, classes and activities as soon as we’re allowed! Our aim for 2021 is to get planning permission to have an extension built onto the front of the building, so we’ll be doing some massive fundraising as soon as that’s agreed. We love our community, and we miss them. We usually have over 1000 people through our doors each week, which for a small village just off of Havant is brilliant, and we can’t wait to have everyone back again.
Bedmond Village Hall
Hertfordshire
Bedmond Village Hall has been serving its small rural community since it was built with funds raised by the Bedmond Pioneers, a very active group of local group of residents, in 1930. It was rebuilt by a massive fundraising effort in 2000 supported by the Heritage Lottery Millennium Fund and is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who maintain the Hall to a very high standard. It is home to a wide variety of groups and activities and also provides a very popular local venue for parties and events. This much loved Hall is located at the heart of its community and is always looking to expand the range of activities and events on offer to provide more opportunities and support for its community.
Beeding and Bramber Village Hall
Sussex
The current village hall was built in 1930 and established as a charity. It was and is managed by a Management Council composed of representatives of the organisations and groups who use the hall.
As well as the full Council there is an Executive group who are elected from and by the Council.
In common with many Village Halls it has had its ups and downs. Thirty years ago the Hall was in a poor condition and in very straightened financial circumstances but as a result of enormous hard work by volunteers funds were raised and renovation work placed the hall back in good working order.
From this time to the present day the hall provides a venue for community meetings and activities and a Pre School which has now served several generations of village children.
The Covid 19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the hall. Since the first lockdown the community groups have closed, the exercise groups have come back in a limited way when outside the complete lockdown or tier 4 regulations. Fortunately the Pre School has continued to operate although with reduced numbers of children which gives some income and a government grant of £10,000 was welcome. The hall has financial reserves but they will not last for ever.
We are aware that some groups may not return to when the hall can reopen but intend to advertise with the support of the Parish Council to develop the customer base for the new situation. We hope to see this as an opportunity to ‘Build Back Better’.
Bellingdon and Asheridge Village Hall
Buckinghamshire
COVID and 2020 shone a new light on the role of village halls and community associations with our committee quickly becoming aware of and competent on Zoom to communicate remotely. This enabled us to set up a support group working in collaboration with other local groups to ensure all our residents were safe, had supplies of shopping and prescriptions along with moral support and just a chat on the phone to reduce the feeling of isolation and concern.
The resident’s mastery of Zoom enabled us to establish Quiz nights to replace our monthly pub nights allowing people to remain in touch and keep the banter going!
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 we ensured the hall was COVID safe within the government guidelines (with clarity provided by ACRE and CIB) enabling its continued use, including a tuition group throughout the summer. During the latest lockdown the hall has been closed for hire with the playing fields and playground (when permitted) remaining open, providing an open space for people to exercise.
Our hall, playground and adjoining playing fields support the village of Bellingdon and hamlet of Asheridge; it is located two miles north of Chesham, and situated along a ridge, typical of the Chiltern Hills.
It is built on ground donated by Miss Marion Thompson, a local resident and officially opened on 6th November 1948. Until 1965 the land adjoining was rented for use as a playing field but in that year, we were able to purchase it by local fundraising.
The hall facilities have been continuously improved enabling it to be used for a diverse range of activities from village groups, community events, exercise classes, and family celebrations especially children’s parties and weddings. In recent years it has established itself as a festival venue for Brazilian dancing. The playing fields with separate changing rooms support local football leagues and training.
The pandemic has been a huge learning curve, clearly demonstrating the importance of village halls and community associations and their flexibility in adapting to the changing and diverse requirements of their communities.
Berrynarbor Manor Hall
Devon
Our pretty grade 2 listed hall is in the center of our lovely village and a focal point for many community activities including art and craft clubs, Pilates ,wine circle,wedding, table tennis, parties, council meetings, snooker club, our village fete and much more . Sadly corona virus put paid to most of this fun last year. Thankfully our popular pre-school situated in one wing of the building was able to carry on providing a fantastic service and of course much needed income for the hall! We have optimistically booked a date in the diary in August for our village fete- fingers crossed! Good luck to all our fantastic halls around the country for 2021 - we all provide an amazing and precious service to our communities and a big thank you to ACRE for their help and support particularly in these most difficult times.
Bestwood Village Hall (The Welfare)
Nottinghamshire
In 1890 as The Music Hall was built with money donated by the Lancaster family that run the Colliery and Iron Works. The building had its first extension in 1939 which created a bar area on the side of the building. The Hall was eventually used as a village hall which was run by a committee . The village hall committee disbanded and they passed on the building to the Miners Welfare Institute & Recreation Ground Charity which is still serving the community to this day 91 years on from when they first started.
The old music hall doesn’t have many walls left and has been engulfed by the Welfare complex which is a community hub and public house. The Welfare charity is keen to be a bigger focal point of an expanding village. The charity aims to provide Youth Services; Basic Health Services & training courses; Educational Services: Baby, Child, Teen and Adults; Child Care/Friendly areas and space for local groups; Community Events for all; Fitness and Well Being.
Support is provided for: Mental Health; Elders of the community; intergenerational activities; local artists; we link all these sectors into our current grounds, sports fields, and buildings.
Currently the Welfare charity offers support and space to The Football Club (5 teams in all), 2 Bowling Club teams, the Karate Club, Brass band.
We provide facilities for local and surrounding families to use and provide space and support to; Yoga, Salsa Group, WI Ladies, Bestwood Ladies Group, Children’s Theatre Group, Autism Group, the Male Voice Choir and Youth Club.
There is also support for the village Christmas tree, parties, and local events. We have also reopened the Welfare, which is now a public house open to the public, serving a wide range of good pub cuisine and drinks.
The Welfare also provides the community cafe, which is open weekly. Provision for free meals for the community has been started and runs every Saturday.
The Old Music Hall is one of the oldest live music and entertainment venues in the midlands.
Bicester East Community Centre
Oxfordshire
The North Bicester Community Centre was opened in 1973 at Keble Road but was demolished in 1999 by the Cherwell District Council due to its dilapidated state and vandalism.
Bicester Community Church started working in the area, initially taking a converted bus to the site on Thursday evenings to act as a mobile centre for youth work but there was clearly a need for a permanent building.
In 2001 a mini-community centre housed in a Portakabin, paid for and run by the Bicester Community Church under agreement with Cherwell District Council, which owns the land, was opened to provide a base for the church to serve the residents of the Keble Road area of North Bicester. Activities inclding Toddlers, Bumps and Babes, Youth Work and Over 50's groups were all successfully run there.
The Kabin was opened by Bicester town mayor, Councillor Lawrie Stratford, and his wife, mayoress Councillor Rose Stratford, on Saturday, 23rd June 2001 on a site near the playing fields off Keble Road, and was in constant use until its age forced its removal in August 2005. The current one started life in November 2008, but is hoping to be reincarnated as a permanent building in the near future. It is great value to hire, at typically £9/hour, less for charities and local causes.
Bickerton Village Hall
Cheshire
The Land and buildings currently in use today comprise an attached cottage, the main hall with a second smaller hall and kitchen on the ground floor, plus a meeting room upstairs.
The above premises and land were initially leased from Baronet Sir Phillip Egerton in 1898, on a 40-year lease, to a group of trustees lead by Rt Hon, Lord Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor (2nd Duke of Westminster)
This lease arrangement remained in place until February 1927, when the hall, cottage and land were purchased by the trustees from the Egerton estate for £50.
Originally named Bickerton Recreation Club, it then became the Village Institute, and finally Bickerton Village Hall.
The hall remains run to this day by elected trustees.
The hall is used on a regular basis by the following groups.
Bridge Club
Toddlers Group
Ballet Classes
Yoga Classes
Film Nights (The hall has projection and screen facilities)
W.I. Meetings
Music Group (BYMG)
Tennis Club
Caravan Rallies
Monday Club
Art Group
In addition to this there are a number of less frequent, yet important activities held at the hall outlined below. My thanks to trustee, Nigel Briers for the inclusion below.
ART EXHIBITION.
Since 2006 this rural village hall has been the centre of a hugely successful and popular art exhibition. Over 500 original paintings submitted by some 150 artists are displayed for sale over an 8-day period from 10am to 5pm each day in the last week of July. Over the years it has grown and there is a waiting list for entries, which are on a first come basis. The art displays a wide range of interests and abilities and this is reflected in prices ranging from £20 to £1000. Each year we sell over 20% of all exhibits which is generally held as a real success.
Each year about 800 people visit the exhibition and are met by a team of volunteers from both members of the community and some artists. Over 100 people help at each exhibition and this includes reception of visitors/sales of cards/ and the ever-popular refreshments sales which involves many more volunteers donating cakes for sale. The sale of teas and coffees and cakes will bring in a net profit of some £1,000 each year.
The support from the small community which serves the village as well as the support in setting up and running the exhibition by some of the artists really helps inspire the spirit of community. The quality of the refreshments enables a growing number of people to spend time meeting and discussing art as well as buying cakes. We invite artists to set up their stall and demonstrate their work. So, the artists in residence combined with the separate room for the sale of their cards and the paintings on view enable visitors to spend quite some time enjoying the exhibition. The free parking available in an enormous car park and the rural and beautiful setting makes this a special event in our calendar.
The pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 exhibition. We will have to see when we can next begin. I am confident that our past success will enable the community to re-start its planning with a view to even more success in the future.
Nigel Briers
MUSIC AND THEATRE AT BICKERTON VILLAGE HALL
For over 15 years Bickerton Village hall has promoted a wide range of musical and theatrical events. Our membership of the Cheshire Rural Touring Arts network enabled us to put on numerous plays which were generally well attended. This live theatre was always a challenge in the Hall but all groups made a special effort to adjust to the facilities available. We were part of a large network supported by staff from Chester and Cheshire West Council who in turn have Arts council funding.
We also on our own arranged a large number of musical evening covering Skiffle/Pop/Jazz/Big Band and Classical. With refreshments often available and reasonable costs we generally sold most seats. We welcomed many performers most notably the Doghouse Skiffle Band from Hull who made 2 appearances to a wildly supportive audience. We welcomed new talent like guitarist Remi Harris and the ever-popular folk group the Houghton Weavers. Several visits have also been made by Ninebarrow a folk duo from Dorset with a growing following. We have also held some notable poetry evenings.
One final highlight was the performance of Sue Tysoe from the Black Theatre group who performed in a largely one person shows as a bag lady. She was quite outstanding and appreciated by a lively audience.
Although there are theatres in Chester/Crewe and Mold many people do not get to visit these places who can be quite expensive. The local theatre and music events do provide people of all ages the real opportunity to share in live events. We do hope to see the early return of such activities.
Bicton Village Hall
Shropshire
Many community groups access the village hall including WI, Parish Council, keep fit, coffee mornings, mothers and toddlers etc for the community. We organise a Summer fete which is a great event bringing the whole community together for both young and old. We would like to continue to provide community events and support for our community.
Biddulph Moor Village Hall
Staffordshire
Biddulph Moor Village Hall was constructed around 1975, following a fund raising campaign by the local community, to provide a facility for the community and surrounding areas. Over the years it has proved to be a focal point for the community providing a venue for activities, clubs, celebrations and community events and remains so.
The Village Hall is used for many different activities which cater for diverse age groups including a Playgroup, Radio Controlled Car Club, Bowls Club, Dog Club, Yoga and the Evergreens group for the more elderly local residents. It is also available for hire for private events such as weddings and special occasion celebrations such as birthday parties, anniversaries etc. Drapes can be hung to transform the hall into a very attractive and affordable venue.
The Committee run a number of different events for the community as a whole including an annual fireworks display, musical events, discos, touring theatrical performances and themed dining evenings.
The Committee work together with other organisations to operate community events such as the village Well Dressing and the Biddulph Festival.
The Village Hall is a focal point for the community. It provides a vital, convenient, accessible and affordable venue for many activities and it is conveniently located within the village. This is really important to the local residents who would otherwise be deprived of these activities as Biddulph Moor is poorly connected to the surrounding area which makes it difficult to travel to alternative venues.
During this current period of enforced closure due to the Covid-19 situation the Committee have been focussing on carrying out maintenance and improvement work and seeking grants for the refurbishment of the hall. The aim is to continue to improve the hall so that it is an even more attractive facility for the local community.
Billingley Village Hall
Yorkshire
Our Hall is relatively new, opened in 2010. Its a conversion of a 300 year old ruined cartshed. Our faming hamlet got mentioned in the original Domesday Book, and we still only have about 70 houses. There is no pub, shop or place of worship, so the hall is a big part of village life. We have been closed since the first lockdown, but we have been providing space for Abdominal Aortic Aneurism screening clinics. They usually come a couple of times a year but asked if we could help as they were unable to use most of their other sites in GP surgeries. We were glad to help. We offered space for anyone having problems home working or home schooling, and soon after the first lockdown started, a villager who is a senior child protection manager was having problems with sensitive and difficult zoom meetings, with her 8 year old daughter home from school even though Dad was at home too. She has worked most days from the hall, which is great, and means there is a presence daily, saving us a lot of visits to check on the building. We have used our FB Page page, normally used as a marketing tool for the hall to make sure that any community notices are posted, and adapted another Village Group to become a chat and help forum. As we are a registered limited company as well as a charity, we have received the Covid 19 Small Business Grants, and had a business rate holiday, so fortunately we have no financial woriies, and several weddings booked for next year. We are grateful for advice from Acre, our insurers and the local authority. We have had only 1 case of Covid in village, a doctor working in local hospital. Fully recovered. We all know each other and hacve looked after each other, especially our older neighbours but we can’t wait for the first coffee morning as soon as we can re open safely
Binley Woods Village Hall
Warwickshire
Our hall was opened in 1957 and has been the hub of our rural village ever since, always providing social and educational activities for all age groups.
Subsequent committees have worked hard over the years to raise funds to maintain and modernise the hall.
Various groups hire the hall for:- zumba, children’s dance classes, indoor bowls, luncheons for the elderly, Scottish dancing, keep fit, over 60’s, coffee mornings, craft, playgroup, children’s indoor soccer, ballroom dancing, amateur dramatics , women’s institute, the church in Binley Woods and carer’s cafe. At weekends the hall is hired out for children’s parties, dances, fashion shows, baby shower parties, etc.
Although the Hall has not been open during the Corona virus pandemic, the local fruit and vegetable shop (Turnips) have used it to make up orders to be delivered to local residents and people in surrounding villages.
We look forward to opening up again and welcoming our residents back to a Covid secure hall, thanks to ACRE’s help and advice.
Bishop Middleham Village Hall
Durham
It has been a busy and exciting time for the Village Hall with lots to look forward to in 2021. Despite having to close our doors due to Covid-19, work continues to develop our facilities to ensure they remain a valued space for our community members and groups.
BISHOP SUTTON VILLAGE HALL
Bath & NE Somerset
WE ARE BISHOP SUTTON NOT BISHOPS SUTTON
Bishop’s Park Community Centre
Hertfordshire
Bishop’s Park Community Centre offers two rooms which can also be joined into one large room with shared kitchen facilities, wifi, car parking and disabled access. There is also a committee room upstairs for quiet meetings, yoga or meditation. The Centre usually has many users who host a variety of activities from Baby Yoga to Karate and many other private functions and events, from a huge number of exercise classes to wedding receptions and family parties. Its larger hall normally accommodates up to 70 people and its smaller hall up to 40. The upstairs room will facilitate 15 people. The Centre also has a beautiful garden and patio area which provides ample room for outdoor activities. Although the Centre has been made Covid-secure it was recently closed due to the Covid-19 National Lockdown. The Centre is an important part of the Bishop’s Stortford community and we look forward to re-opening further and re-engaging with the local community, as and when we can, in line with the latest Government Guidance
Bishop’s Park Community Centre
Hertfordshire
Bishop’s Park Community Centre offers two rooms which can also be joined into one large room with shared kitchen facilities, wifi, car parking and disabled access. There is also a committee room upstairs for quiet meetings, yoga or meditation. The Centre usually has many users who host a variety of activities from Baby Yoga to Karate and many other private functions and events, from a huge number of exercise classes to wedding receptions and family parties. Its larger hall normally accommodates up to 70 people and its smaller hall up to 40. The upstairs room will facilitate 15 people. The Centre also has a beautiful garden and patio area which provides ample room for outdoor activities. Although the Centre has been made Covid-secure it was recently closed due to the Covid-19 National Lockdown. The Centre is an important part of the Bishop’s Stortford community and we look forward to re-opening further and re-engaging with the local community, as and when we can, in line with the latest Government Guidance.
Bishops Nympton Parish hall
Devon
Our beautiful hall built in 2011, has been sadly quiet nearly a year. It is usually buzzing with luncheon groups, a dance club, short mat bowls, pilates, yoga and various clubs. It is a popular venue for weddings and parties, with a lovely view and plenty of parking. On site is also a Community Shop and Community Club. A real community hub.
Bishops Tawton Village Hall
Devon
Our village hall used to be the Village School. In life before Covid it was the centre of our community, hosting coffee mornings, jumbles, sales, the art group, meetings and numerous parties. We look forward to being able to return to that way of life.
village website still being built use the Bishops Tawton facebook page
Bishopstrow Village Hall
Wiltshire
Bishopstrow Village Hall was the village pre-school until 1965, when the Hall was gifted to the village by the Temple family. Since then it has been run by a volunteer committee and used for all the usual hall activities. From 2013 to 2017 it underwent a huge refurbishment programme, with a new roof, new floor, new electrics, heating and audio-visual and a new-build kitchen. Up to March 2020 it was used every weekday for various activities (pilates, yoga, table tennis, bridge, music, art classes, as well as village specific events such as quizes, themed suppers, meetings, etc) and often at weekends for parties for all ages. We are hoping to get back to this level of use as soon as the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Bishopswood Village Hall
Herefordshire & Worcestershire
Set in the picturesque Wye Valley two miles South of Ross-on-Wye, Bishopswood Village Hall provides leisure, educational and community activities for all ages of the local population. We are looking forward to getting back to running our quarterly Community Lunches where we cater for around 100 - 130 local people for Sunday Lunch, and hosting the local Church’s monthly Big Breakfast. Our various social events help bring the community together in what could otherwise be a rather widespread and remote area.
Bishopton Village Hall
Durham
The existing timber-built hall was originally a 1920’s school in nearby Greatham. It was dismantled and re-erected in Bishopton in 1959, a brick-built annexe was then attached to provide a meeting room, kitchen and toilet.
Our Hall together with the nearby Bishopton Playground forms the hub of our village of 156 dwellings and 360 residents.
The Hall hosted a wide variety of events and activities until the first lockdown forced us to close. Before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, we held morning coffee, Brownie meetings, Yoga, Swing Fit, Fund raising events for the newly acquired Playground.
We shall continue to provide, as we have done for a hundred and ten years, a venue for events and activities that meets the requirements of the local residents of all ages and abilities We provide a sense of place, pride and belonging to villagers and encourages a spirit of community.
We are now planning activities for when we come out of lockdown. We now are on Bishopton Village website and have a Facebook page.
& Facebook
Blackford Reading Room
Somerset
The Blackford Reading room has been at the heart of the village for the past 109 years, opening in 1912 due to the generosity of Miss Emily Senior who sold the land it stands on to the Fidelity Trust for the sum of £25.
Since then the Reading Room has hosted whist drives, dances, brownies, a Girls club, Womens’ club, concerts, lectures, several Jubillee celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries and numerous fund raising events. One of its most active periods was during the 2nd World War holding almost weekly socials with members of the Royal Airforce from the airfield at Sigwells. At the end of the war the Compton Pauncefoot and Blackford Working Party were presented with a personal message of thanks from Marshal of the Royal Air Force, The Lord Portal of Hungerford
In 1993 The Fidelity Trust passed ownership of the Reading Room to the PCC who assumed the status of management committee and the Reading Room Trust was formed. Thanks to a substantial donation from the Lottery Commission and the Wyvern Trust and the hardwork and dedication of the Reading Room Trust, the building went through extensive modernisation at the start of the millennium making it the perfect venue for the local Gardening Club, Wine Club, Book Club, and the hugely popular monthly village breakfasts. We will be looking forward to opening the doors again soon!
Blackhall Community Centre
Durham
A fully accessible centre which offers a range of activities, we have a fitness centre, licensed bar and a cafe with home cooked food.
Bletchingdon Village Hall
Oxfordshire
Bletchingdon, or Bletchington, depending on how far back family links are in the village, had a village hall from the 1920's. It was a typical steel framed/wood clad structure which, having been operated along charitable lines, finally registered as a Charity in the 1960’s. Later additions of a small annex, a basic kitchen and new ‘facilities' couldn’t save the fabric of the overall building which became increasingly dilapidated. Around 2008/9 plans were afoot to replace this building with a new one, and works began in 2013 together with the development of a new village school as a combined build. Our new village hall opened in September 2015 and is currently managed by the Trustees of our village charities. Since its opening it has been used by the school every day in term time, but more significantly by community groups everyday as well, accommodating Exercise, Yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes, Toddler group, Thursday (older villagers) Club, Village Silver Band, Community café, parties and more. The Parish Council has an office in the hall and it is also a popular venue for wedding receptions, having a catering kitchen for professional use. Designed by a local architect it is very much a well-used venue in our community. In 2020 the Covid pandemic impacted the use of the village hall, but not necessarily the bookings, many of which remain in place awaiting the day that lockdown is relaxed.
Bletsoe Village Hall
Bedfordshire
Bletsoe Village Hall was opened in 1971 though the public subscription started after World War Two and there were several false starts along the way including potentially using the school when it closed down before a brand-new building (using a prefabricated bungalow design!) was chosen. The hall has been the social hub of a small village of 130 houses since then and has good regular local use for events organised by the hall, the church, WI and village fete plus hirers ranging from the local area Young Farmers, deanery churches, Morris Dancers, swing band plus plenty of private hires. We enjoy events such as concerts, Breakfasts, Food events such as Puddings Nights and the combination of food, dancing and concert which is a Haggis / Burns Night! Extended once including the provision of a formal bar with complete replacement of toilets and kitchen, it remains in good shape and is lucky to have the parish children play area next to it whilst the parish bought the field alongside which means that the hall has a large open space for games and activities that hirers can use. The pandemic has meant complete closure with only spasmodic use when permitted by two yoga groups that have come to Bletsoe as we were prepared to open under strict conditions. The available grant have cushioned the hall and mean that the future is secure as far as we can see. We look forward to getting back to some form of normality as soon as possible.
Bloxham Ex-Servicemens Village Hall
Oxfordshire
Originally opened in 1926 to cater for ex servicemen who tended to gather in the village pubs it became a focal point in the centre of what is now a large village with two other halls. Between them their various activities tend to be complementary catering for a wide variety of users.
In 1939 the then trustees declared that it was for the use of Bloxham villagers generally and not simply for the local Royal British Legion branch. During the Second World War it was used for teaching evacuee children from London.
We undertook a major project three years ago to build a suitable store to cater for an increasing number of users. Upgrades to the lighting and internal and external redecorations were completed during Lockdown periods. We really appreciate the guidance and advice from ACRE which helped us comply with the ongoing changes to COVID regulations. Normally we cater for groups such as Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Ballet, Children’s mini activities, Personal training and Table tennis. We act as a local Polling station, as well as supporting W.I. coffee mornings and Parish Council open mornings.
Blythe Bridge & Forsbrook village hall
Staffordshire
The Blythe Bridge & Forsbrook village hall has undergone an internal facelift to bring it up to date & now hosts a range of community activities & events
Bolton Village Hall
Northumberland
Bolton lies on a fold of land in the valley of the river Aln. To the south Alnwick Moor rises above the farmalnd, to the north towers Titlington Pike, and to the west and north the impressive range of the Cheviot Hills dominates the skyline, culminating in Cheviot itself. The history of the village goes back to pre-christian times. Bolton Village Hall was built in 1929 on land given by the Burrell Family and using money raised by public subscription, in memory of those who died in the first World War. It has continued to function as the centre of village life to the present day. Activites include: Keep fit classes, dancing classes, quiz nights, Gardening Talks, Wine Tasting Evenings, Ceilidh’s, Band Practice, Film Night’s, Harvest Festival Suppers. The hall is available to book for Private Parties, Meetings, Local and National Elections. During the recent pandemic The Committee has been busy refurbishing the Ladies Toilets and ensuring the hall is Covid secure.
Botesdale Village Hall
Suffolk
Built in 1913 as The Church Rooms, in 1993 it became Botesdale Village Hall when Botesdale Parish Council assumed responsibility for it. It was refurbished with the assistance of a National Lottery Grant in 1998 with modern facilities which include a new kitchen, new toilets with disabled access and a new meeting room. The main hall is 12.8m x 7.7m and can accommodate 100 people seated at tables, 160 people with seating only and 200 for standing/dancing. The stage is 4.8m x 4.3m and is equipped with Stage Lighting and Sound System, Dimmer Lights and an Audio Loop P.A. System and is used by the local drama group and visiting productions. The hall is well used by local groups and is available for private bookings.
Bowerhill Village Hall
Wiltshire
Our current village hall was built in 2005 and is centred in the heart of our community with a wide selection of events and activities taking place for all ages and abilities. A selection of these are Local School, Yoga, Slimming Clubs, Craft Sessions, Church Groups, Scout Groups, Baby Toddler Groups, Dancing and a variety of Health Groups. All these along with a wide range of fund raising events. We also hire out the hall for weddings, Christening celebrations, parties and funeral wakes.
Bowsden Village Hall
Northumberland
Set in the centre of the beautiful village of Bowsden, in picturesque north Northumberland. Today's larch clad hall replaced an earlier village hall, completed in 2009 with the help of National Lottery funding and provides local residents and visitors with a thoroughly modern meeting facility. The village hall is the focus for village life and we have a busy calendar of regular events ranging from our monthly coffee mornings, soup and sandwich lunches to film nights, pub and quiz nights.
Boxford Village Hall
Berkshire
The new village hall, opened in 2014, is situated on the edge of the village along with a very popular playground, tennis courts, cricket and football ground. It is a modern flexible space well used by the wide community. The hall is virtually carbon neutral with solar panels, a ground source heat pump for heating and water. There is a dedicated hall for the Teddy Bear’s pre-school and Panda Club which continue to operate during the Pandemic, within the government guidelines. A wide selection of activities take place including ballroom dance classes, Yoga, Pilates, Thai Chi, art classes, lectures, weddings, christenings, wakes and fundraising events. The Boxford Masques rehearse their productions in the hall and will be staging their 2021 production within the recreation ground, postponed from 2020, to celebrate 21 years of the revival of the original Boxford Masques-
Bradenstoke village Hall
Wiltshire
Beautiful hall, in a lovely village, The hall was originally the School built in 1873, it became the village hall in 1969 and made a Charity, It is owned by the village and looked after by A Board Trustees and a Committee of residents.
Bradfield Village Hall
Berkshire
Bradfield Village Hall has been at the centre of the community for the last 69 years and is regular host to Bradfield Market, WI, Parish Council meetings, dog training club, Sunshine [Before and After School] Club, Tai Chi classes, Gardening Club, Bridge Club, Mayfayre, Pigeon and Rabbit Shows, annual visit of the Fun Fair, Library Van, caravan/motor home club weekend retreats, not forgetting the weekly visit of the fish and chip van! There’s also the many children’s parties, family celebrations of all kinds including wedding receptions, and parish meetings. Our 4 acre site also has a tennis court, children’s playground and field, well used to recreation and exercise for both people and dogs. We are working hard on a development project which aims, by 2023, to build a brand new Village Hall, more suitable for current needs, along with improved Multi Use Games Area and a playground for all ages, enlarged car park [also used by the community shop next door and the close-by primary school] and much improved, safer pedestrian access. The new facilities will give so many more opportunities to meet together at the heart of our community.
Bradford on Tone Village Hall
Somerset
A beautiful, traditional village hall built in 1913 at the heart of our lovely village. We host events and a variety of groups making it a vital community hub. We also let the hall for private functions.
Bramfield Village Hall
Hertfordshire
In 1946, at the end of the Second World War, Bramfield was given a field covered in bracken and brambles, by the Woodhall Estate which owned land in the area. The men of the village, returning home after active service, cleared the land and turned it into a recreation field so that families from the village could enjoy peace and family leisure time once more. Shortly after this a timber framed hall was built and this became the social heart of the village. This hall has been extended twice and now boasts a separate annex housing changing facilities for the local sports teams. Together with the adjacent playing fields and children’s play area it forms the hub of our village. The Hall hosted a wide variety of events and activities until the first lockdown forced us to close. Now, in early 2021, we are planning activities for when we come out of our current lockdown. September 2020 was our 50 year anniversary and we had a celebration party planned for all the village. Sadly that had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but we are hoping we can now hold this in September 2021. This coming year we are also hoping to hold our very popular Open Gardens event and our regular Summer Fair and Dog Show. We shall continue to provide, as we have done for many years, a venue for events and activities which cater for everyone in our community.
Braughing Community Hall
Hertfordshire
The Braughing Community Hall was opened in 1974 to provide facilities for sport and recreation in the village of Braughing. We have a number of groups using the hall and the hall is available for private bookings at reasonable rates.
Bredfield Village Hall
Suffolk
Our hall was built by the community in 1983 and has been refurbished over the years, with a new kitchen in 2017 and an extension, new bar and new patio were completed in 2020. The hall is adjacent to a large playing field with tennis courts and a play area. There is Village Shop and Bowls Club on the site.
Brentor Village Hall and Playing Field
Devon
Brentor Village Hall was established in 1952 in the original Brentor Men’s Reading Room and is managed by a small committee of local residents. The village hall is normally the hub of the community with themed suppers, a pop up café, coffee mornings and many private bookings each month, but since Lockdown started last year the hall has basically been closed. However we are very lucky to also manage the village playing field, where subject to the Covid-19 restrictions, we have still been able to hold events in an outdoor setting. The field is on the edge of the village of Brentor with no access to mains services. In the past 18 months we have obtained grants from West Devon, the National Lottery and the Postcode Lottery which have enabled us to install a shelter, a composting toilet, tables & chairs (made from durable recycled plastic) and enhance the car parking. This has meant that during the past year when restrictions allow we have been able to have many events on the field including a Christmas market, car boot sales and coffee mornings. A weekly takeaway van supporting the Hall funds operates every Friday at the field supplying the community with morning coffees, lunches and afternoon teas. We are so proud that the field has helped the community so much in these difficult times. Once restrictions are relaxed a bit we hope to hold a treasure hunt to raise the funds to complete the field renovation project by installing a play/trim trail
Brinkworth Village Hall
Wiltshire
We are one of the longest villages in England and the Village Hall is vital for keeping the community together. We managed to get some decorating done in the summer with a great team of volunteers from the village (socially distant!) Sadly we have lost a couple of our main hall users during Covid including the Butterflies nursery that has been looking after our village children for more than 30 years. However, we are looking forward to welcoming back users such as Danceaerobics, Garden Club, Bramble Patchers, Cubs, Beavers, Lunch Club, Yoga and Pilates.
Broad Hinton Village Hall
Wiltshire
Broad Hinton Village Hall was rebuilt in 2009 after the old hall built in 1963 was knocked down. We are lucky to have a new modern hall with excellent facilities that serves the local community. The hall provides a venue for clubs, weddings, parties and a place where people from the local community can get together. It also currently provides a Post Office service, which would have been lost when the Village Shop closed. The hall is essential for a Rural community, and hopefully will continue to server the community for many years to come.
Broadhempston Village Hall and Headlands Playing Fields
Devon
Our carbon-neutral village hall was opened in December 2015, on land acquired for community use by the parish council near the centre of this very active community of 800 residents. A parish-wide survey assessed the needs of all age groups and this resulted in a building with a 9m x 16.5m main sports/function hall with sprung beech floor, a large meeting room and a smaller meeting room. The hall has exceeded its 3-year business plan and caters for all ages, with a regular baby and toddler group, indoor sports and fitness sessions for all ages including a thriving badminton club and short-mat bowls. It’s also a great venue for lunches, parties, music events, meetings and courses. The 84 PV panels on the roof and a high standard of insulation means that the building overall costs nothing to heat and light - a tremendous benefit and which keeps our hire charges low. The trust also runs the sports field which has become a valuable asset during the various Covid-19 lockdowns for open-air exercise. A skate ramp has recently been built and we are now actively working on the creation of a MUGA on the existing tennis court. The local primary school makes considerable use of all facilities. Our village also has a thriving community shop and two popular pubs.
Broadwoodkelly Village Hall
Devon
Broadwoodkelly is a tiny village in rural Devon. With only farms and a few houses in the immediate area, our hall is the centre of this small community’s life. The building started life as the village school in the 1870’s, closed its doors in 1945 and was purchased by the locals in 1963 in order to turn it into our community hall. Over the last 20 years, fundraising, grants and much sweat and toil by volunteers has transformed the stone structure into a warm and welcoming space, with all the facilities needed for its new role.
Before lockdown, we had a full calendar of activities, all organised by those living in the village –markets selling locally produced food, sports days, barbecues, book club, exercise and art classes, coffee morning, weekly walks, trips to the seaside etc.
Of course, at the moment, everything is on hold. However, our lifeline is our use of the internet, communicating via e-mail messages to a village-wide community group. Roll on the time when we can all get together again.
Brownlow Community Centre
Shropshire
Lord Brownlow gifted this ex C of E Junior School for Boys and Girls to Whitchurch and surrounding areas in 1982 for use as a Community Centre after it ceased to be used as a school. Today its main user is Little Bears Daycare, a registered charity supporting local young families with a range of services to include baby creches, breakfast and after schools club plus holiday clubs Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm. The Centre’s longest user is Whitchurch Weighlifters Gym started in June 1982 with weekly regular evening user groups including 2 Line Dance Clubs, Whitchurch Band practice nights, a social club for persons with special educational needs, a contemporary fitness and exercise club, Little Voices West Cheshire singing and drama classes, a school for Pop music, Pilates sessions and council welfare meetings/sessions. Its main hall is very popular for children's parties and it also has for hire a mid sized room for up to 30 persons and a small meeting room for 8/10 persons. At present all projects are on hold that include refurbishment of ex-staffroom and storage area into another hirable facility, provision of purpose made parking facilities for dis-abled vehicles, automatic sensor doors, replacement of the main hall’s original block floor and the installation of double-glazed window units to some areas not already upgraded. The Centre got into financial difficulties in the late 1990’s, was involved in “fire fighting exercises” for almost a decade starting 1999, managed to attract a strong combination of Holding Trustees and Management Committee Members and then Covid-19 came along!! At present we are optimistic of being able to retain this marvelous facility for the benefit of the local Community but concerned about working on projects in case the money runs out.
Buckland Dinham Village Hall
Somerset
The hall has been owned by various groups since it was built: originally gifted to Russell Duckworth to create a recreational place for the village, the Duckworth family gifted it to the Diocese of Bath and Wells in 1915. In 1978, a few years after the last live in manager retired, the “Trustee Ownership” was transferred to the Parish Council, and in 1981 it was transferred to the Charity Commission. Buckland Dinham Village Hall is now put to more varied use than it was originally intended for - no longer simply a coffee house and reading rooms, until the lockdowns it was the regular venue for short mat bowls, the WI and a monthly luncheon group, in addition to private hire by members of the public - but it still fulfils the original role intended by the Rev Clutterbuck as a place open to all the residents of the village.
Bucklesham and Foxhall Village Hall
Suffolk
Our fantastic Village Hall, built in 1976, didn’t let a little thing like a global pandemic get in the way of village life. We may have temporarily lost our regular bookings, but hosted guest bookings to clubs that had lost their own regular venue. An extremely considerate bunch old ‘old regulars’ then agreed to change their permanent days to allow for the ‘guests’ to become ‘new regulars’ too. An extremely hard working committee lead by an excellent Chair, gave us all the impetus to apply for any and every grant available meaning we actually received 13 Grants totaling over £24,000 during 2020. We continued with our renovation scheme during Lockdown, and even though we started 2021 with a leaky ceiling and the news that a whole new roof was necessary, our spirits will not be dampened! None of the above would have been possible without the wonderful people at Community Action Suffolk and Suffolk Community Foundation guiding us all the way.
Buildwas Village Hall
Shropshire
Buildwas Village Hall has been part of the community in Buildwas since it was built in 1954. Over the years it has been available for the residents of Buildwas and local villages for family events and celebration; village organisations (such as the village church) fund raising events and meetings; annual pantos by The Buildwas Players; music nights; our monthly community meals; and a weekly whist club. The hall is also used by our village Primary school for assemblies / productions / presentation evenings etc. The hall has been closed to general bookings during the COVID19 lockdown, but has been running a Meals on Wheels project since July 2020, delivering hot meals on weekday lunchtimes to elderly residents in Buidlwas and neighbouring villages who otherwise can’t go shopping (or don’t have access to online shopping) as they are shielding. This has been funded by Shropshire Council, The National Lottery Community Fund, and the Co-op Emergency Food Fund. The committee are looking forward to the hall being fully open so village life can flourish once again.
Bulphan Village Hall
Essex
Our hall was built in 1964 and was transferred to the community by Thurrock Council, under a Capital Transfer Asset 99 year lease in June 2019. Bulphan’s only shop had closed in July 2014, so the trustees set about building a shop as an annex to the hall. Thanks to a very generous donation from an anonymous benefactor, and numerous smaller donations and fund-raising initiatives, the shop was opened in March 2020, just as the first pandemic lock-down restrictions started. The income from leasing the shop is distributed to 4 voluntary organisations in Bulphan. Although there is no income from letting or from the Community Cafe the trustees run twice a week, the shop has been busy and has been a community hub (socially distanced of course!). The Outreach Post Office continues to use the hall twice a week. Over the last year, we have had to cancel many of our usual events, or move them to the recreation ground behind the hall. We look forward to when our many local organisations and regular activities can once again enliven the hall.
Bunbury Village Hall
Cheshire
The hub of the village with classes/functions every day of the week
Bunny Village Hall
Nottinghamshire
This former school became a village hall in the 60s and is owned by the Bunny & Bradmore Charities Trust. There are two rooms, with a kitchen added about 70 years ago.
During these Covid times and not being able to use the hall, we have made it a time to freshen it up with a coat of paint and to hope that it will encourage many more bookings as we move into the relaxing of rules
Burbage Village Hall and Recreation Grounds
Wiltshire
A large community asset that can hold up to 130 people. Sadly we have remained closed since the start of the pandemic and have only opened for use by the local Doctors’ surgery for flu jabs. We have taken the opportunity to redecorate with the help of local volunteers ready for a grand re-opening when safe to do so
Burcot Village Hall
Herefordshire & Worcestershire
Burcot Is a thriving community, with a modern village hall that provides a focus for a range of social and learning activities.
Burness Parish Rooms
Suffolk
The Burness Parish Rooms in Melton were built in 1904 and have been at the heart of the community ever since. Melton is a large rural village in East Suffolk dating back to Saxon times. Located on the banks of the River Deben, it is close to the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths, AONB and Sutton Hoo. There is a railway station with frequent trains from Lowestoft to Ipswich and on to London.
The Parish Rooms were the gift of local benefactor James Alexander Burness. Run by an active committee of dedicated volunteers, there is a wide range of activities taking place each week, including Yoga, Art, Drama, Music, Brownies, Tai Chi and country dancing classes and many others. Over the past few years, the building has been modernised and refurbished and now provides an excellent venue for interest groups, private parties and family celebrations. Melton Women’s Institute meets here each month and the parish council holds public meetings in the large hall.
Today, as with all public indoor facilities during the pandemic, we have been restricted by Covid regulations, however we have been able to continue with our traditions and provided space for Food Parcels to be packed, collected and distributed by volunteers to Melton residents, at a time when many of us have needed support and a helping hand.
Burnham Green Village Hall
Hertfordshire
A small Village Hall in pleasant surroundings including a play area. Ideal for children’s parties.
Burrington Parish Hall
Devon
Burrington Parish Hall in North Devon was established in 1930. It was burnt down in 1943 and was rebuilt in 1960 and has been continuously modernised since to include a full catering kitchen, solar panels and new heating system. We now have an extensive hall which plays host to various community activities and fundraisers, monthly over 65 lunches, fitness classes, meetings and much more.
The hall is home to the Comrades Club which celebrated its Centenary last year and runs skittles, darts, snooker, billiards for the locals over the Winter months- there are currently 17 teams. This year is the first year since World War 2 that the Annual January dinner has not taken place.
There is a floodlit Muga adjacent to the hall, we are really pleased that this has been very popular through the recent Winter months for local netball and football teams, providing some fun and fitness at such a difficult time.
We look forward to continuing to be part of the community once more when the pandemic eases.
Burrington Parish Room
North Somerset
Burrington Parish Room was built at the turn of the last century by the determination of the village community.
Today it still fulfils a vital roll in providing a focal point for the local population and is used daily by the school, weekly by the church and throughout the year by the skittles club and other various activities.
Burton Memorial Hall
Cumbria
Built in 1956/7, the Hall has been the centre of village life ever since. Serving all age groups and abilities, we host a wide range of activities, societies and groups, along with a twice-monthly library book drop. The Hall is run by a management committee comprising representatives of user groups along with directly elected residents. It has three meeting rooms and a large central hall with a stage, kitchens, toilets, baby change, hearing loops, and a car park.
Burton Pidsea Memorial Hall
Yorkshire
Our hall, which was totally rebuilt in 2018, is used and loved by the community to celebrate from Baby Showers through Christenings ,Birthdays, Wedding receptions, to Funerals. We have a café which is a meeting point for the population of the extended area, some of whom would not otherwise meet anyone. We hold classes, both educational and recreational, fairs, dances, film shows and concerts and all that cements the cohesion of an area.
Burwell - Mandeville Hall
Cambridgeshire
Modern hall built in 2011, consisting of three halls that can be used independently
Burwell Gardiner Memorial Hall
Cambridgeshire
Built in 1915, lovely traditional hall.
Bury village hall
Cambridgeshire
The hall was built in 1996 and is managed by Bury Residents Charity. it is used on weekdays by Bury Playgroup and various community groups in the evenings. During the COVID-19 restrictions we have been able to keep the hall open for use by the Bury playgroup.
Butcombe Village Hall
North Somerset
Small but beautifully formed. Sadly closed at the moment, but ready to go when we’re allowed. Along with the Church next door we are the heart of the village, the only places for people to meet indoors.
Butterknowle Village Hall
Durham
A wonderful hall in the heart of our rural community. We will be celebrating our 60th anniversary next year , in one form or another. We can’t wait to reopen and welcome back our many users and groups.
Facebook Butterknowle Village Hall.
Cadbury Heath Hall
South Gloucestershire
Established in 1977, Cadbury Heath Hall is a thriving community resources. It is a busy venue and there are plans in 2021 to extends the Hall by approximately 40% in an attempt to accommodate the growing demand for meeting space and storage by a wide range of local groups and organisations.
Capheaton Village Hall
Northumberland
Built in 1921, originally as a reading room, library and meeting place the village halls usage has always reflected society at the time. From the 1930s to the 1970s it was an extremely popular weekend dance venue fondly remembered by many Northumbrians. More recently the hall has become host to Capheaton Village Tearoom, a national award winning venue that provides for local residents and the wider North Eastern area. Again, as a reflection of current society many of the the users of the hall are now cyclists, walkers and locals who come through the daytime with evening usage being much reduced. The hall has been there for the last 100 years as a meeting place for the community and providing a focal point for all that is good in our area.
Carlton Scroop & Normanton-on-Cliffe Village Hall
Lincolnshire
Used during WW2 for events involving many from local airfields, our local hall has changed forms from tin hut to large brick building, and is now used for many local groups covering all ages and many interests. A large hall in a small community, we are also fortunate to attract users from slightly further afield which means we are reasonably well used, in normal times.
Carrington Village Hall
Lincolnshire
Set in a rural location having served the community for nearly 60 years, we are to celebate our Diamond Anniversary in style hopefully in August. At the heart of community, we usually run coffee mornings, archery, dancing, bird sales, auctions and are adjoined by a playing field run by our local football team
Caryford Community Hall
Somerset
Opened in 1994 our Hall serves the communities of Ansford and Castle Cary. As soon as we can do so, we will resume an ambitious building programme to improve the building’s capacity and make it more versatile for the needs of the growing number of groups and individuals wanting to use it.
Cassington Village Hall
Oxfordshire
The new Cassington Village Hall was opened in 2002. It was built on the site of the old village hall, dating from the 1920s, and is situated in the heart of the village, overlooking the village green. The hall provides an excellent community hub for the village and surrounding area. It is used by many village groups including a community cafe, toddler group, WI and drama, exercise and music groups. We also host community events such as film nights, theatre shows, a Christmas pantomime and a supper club for a local dementia support group. We are very much looking forward to opening again. Thank you, ACRE, for supporting us in these challenging times.
Casterton Village Hall
Cumbria
The land on which Casterton Village Hall is sited was given by Lucy Constance Bickersteth and Mary Lilian Bickersteth to the Carlisle Diocese in 1911 and the building was erected in 1912. A trust fund relating to the running of the Casterton Church Room was drawn up in 1915. In 1978, the Carlisle Diocese set up a 60-year lease and trust deed which specified that the Registered Charity should be administered in accordance with the deed by a management committee, the Casterton Village Hall Committee. This committee includes representatives from user groups and elected residents.
The hall is on the A683 in the centre of the village and is a focal point for social events in the village. It has undergone a number of modernisations and is a pleasant meeting place suitable for a wide range of private or commercial events. It is available for hire by the hour for private parties. South Lakeland District Council hires the hall as a Polling Station for elections and regular users include the Parish Council, the WI, Kirkby Lonsdale Scouts, Casterton Community Trust and Yoga classes. Talks, coffee mornings and plant sales are organised by the committee and we started hosting live entertainment provided by the Highlights company in 2019. We have used the lockdown period to do repairs to the cellar and the outside of the building and are looking forward to welcoming back our regular users.
Castle Acre Village Hall
Norfolk
Next to the medieval castle, the village hall used to be a baptist chapel and pair of cottages. A hall with history, it’s the only venue in the village for meetings, concerts, exercise classes, art groups, craft fairs and many other local events. A fantastic hall for wedding receptions, with an enclosed garden and romantic view of the castle.
Catshill Village Hall
Herefordshire & Worcestershire
Catshill Village Hallwas built in 1897 on land donated by Cadbury Bros( of Chocolate fame ) and has been used for multifarious uses ever since ie. dances, soup kitchen, cinema, and many more. It now rents out the space to a selection of groups in the community : dance classes, mother and toddler groups , slimming world, karate the list goes on, as well as being used by the Parish Council for formal meetings
Catshill Village Hall. co.uk
Cavendish Hall Thurston
Suffolk
The Village Hall, Thurston (known as the Cavendish Hall) opened in 1914 as a memorial to Tyrell Cavendish who lost his life on the Titanic. The hall was extended and refurbished in 2002 and is used by many local groups such as scouts, brownies and WI, to name but a few. During 2021 we are planning to update the hall with a new kitchen and a new, environmentally friendly, heating system; ensuring that the hall remains fit for purpose for the rapidly expanding population of the village.
Cawthorne Village Hall
Yorkshire
This characterful Hall was built in 1850 by the Spencer Stanhope family of Cannon Hall, as a school for the benefit of local village children. In 1953 the Spencer Stanhope family sold the Hall to Cawthorne Parish Council for the further benefit of the community. Although the Parish Council holds it in trust, the Hall is run by a Management Committee composed of representatives of all the groups using it. They take responsibility for day to day organisation, fundraising, maintenance and bookings. Over the last twenty years the hall has been re-roofed, re-wired, decorated and brought up to date.
The Village Hall is composed of a large hall, a small committee room and two kitchens. It is the hub for a diverse rural community, providing both educational and social groups for Babies, Toddlers, Brownies, Guides, Pilates, Zumba, Choral Society, Brass Band, and a venue for Fundraising, weddings and social events.
There is an active Facebook page and a new website is under construction.
CAYTHORPE & FRIESTON VILLAGE HAL
Lincolnshire
The Village hall is located in the centre of the village - this stone built property was originally built as the coach for the now demolished Holy Cross House. During the war it was requisitioned by the Army as a billet for soldiers and also accommodated a NAAFI store. It became the Village Hall in 1951. It is used by many village organisations, Brownies, Badminton Club, Yoga classes, Keep-fit classes, Pilates classes, Children’s Musical Theatre, Craft Club and the Parish Council. Once a month it hosts a Sunday Village Breakfast which is very well attended and has become a great social event.
Chalfont St Peter Community Centre
Buckinghamshire
After the First World War, the village wished to have a Memorial Hall of those who had lost their lives. A wooden army building in Denham was purchased and re-erected on a site at the corner of Market Place and Church Lane. This served the community well for many years until the major population increase in the 1950’s following the end of building restrictions on new homes.
By 1957 the old building was becoming uneconomic to maintain, nor could it be enlarged. A Committee was set up to find a site and negotiate with the County Council for a new “Community Centre”. The old building and site was sold, to be replaced by shops and living accommodation.Bucks County Council erected a new Community Centre in 1961-62 on a site at Mill Meadow owned by Amersham Rural District Council. The original building comprised the Hall and Stage, Players room, Mary Smithells room, Foyer, office and toilets.
A wooden plaque commemorates the formal opening on 15th.March 1962 by Lord Curzon of Bucks C.C. The full title, as required by the Charity Commissioners, was “Chalfont St.Peter Memorial Garden and Community Association”, to maintain the link with the former Memorial Hall. The Book of Remembrance, displayed in the Members room, contains the names of all village residents killed in the 1914-18 and 1939-45 World Wars.
The Centre was originally built by Buckinghamshire County Council, who provided a paid part-time Warden as manager. Chiltern District Council took over the arrangement, but halved the grant in 2001. The District Council and Chalfont St.Peter Parish Council both made generous grants towards the £50,000 cost of the 1992 extension. The Parish Council were our tenants from 1992 to 2006, and have made grants to various improvement projects over the years. Both the District Council and Parish Council appoint representatives to the Executive Committee. The Community Centre holds a 21 year lease from Chiltern District Council expiring in 2021.Over the years the Centre has been enlarged by the addition of a Members room, a bar, a boiler house, toilets for the disabled, the Chiltern room and most recently in 1992 by the Tony Graham room, named in memory of our late vice chairman. The Parish Council occupied part of the extension, which is now occupied by Apex Physiotherapy until 2006. Recently the bar was converted into the Misbourne Room and the Members Room was enlarged. The Community Centre also holds the lease for the Garden Club and St. Peter Player’s storage huts. In view of the age of the building, the cost of maintenance and the demand for more space plans are afoot to replace it with hopefully with a new building. A Feasibility Study has been completed and the New Building committee are considering the next steps to achieve this end. Watch this space.
Charlestown Victory Hall
Dorset
Run entirely by a small group of volunteers.
Charlton Horethorne
Somerset
Charlton Horethorne Village Hall stands as a memorial to lives lost in the First World War. The land on which it is built was obtained from the Digby Estates in 1923 and a wooden building, which had been the Royal Engineers’ Dining Hall at Larkhill Camp, was purchased from the Army Surplus Depot in Yeovil. This building has been maintained and nurtured ever since and, such is the dedication of past and present Village Hall Trustees, it was awarded “Hallmark 2” rating in 2010. A focus for a variety of popular village activities and events, it hosts an annual pantomime, a youth theatre group, arts and crafts classes, country dancing sessions, short mat bowls, Pilates sessions, a number of exercise classes and a great deal more besides.
Charlton Marshall Village Hall
Dorset
Our original hall was built in the 1930s and whilst it had been the venue for many village and local family events for 70+ years, by 2010 it was in urgent need of repair or replacement and plans were put in place for an ambitious contemporary hall fit for the 21st century. After a mammoth fundraising effort and with grants from The National Lottery and others, the grand opening of our new and spacious hall was held on Saturday 7 September 2019. After so much optimism for this long anticipated new beginning, 2020 was unfortunately a year of stop and start for both our community events and the local activity groups that have used the hall for many years, including youth groups, yoga, indoor bowls and more. However, we are looking forward to welcoming our regulars back and to restarting our Film Nights, craft fairs, quiz nights and village celebrations in 2021 and for years to come and to once again playing our part in community life in our corner of Dorset.
Charlton Recreational Centre
Wiltshire
Our village hall usually provides a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities and this has been much missed during the Covid pandemic. We very much look forward to be able to re-open the hall but in the meantime the outside space is still providing a much-needed opportunity for local people to walk and exercise and the car park has been used for pop-up takeaway. Our play area has continued to provide a vital space for local children to let off steam and have fun.
Chartham Hatch Village Hall
Kent
Chartham Hatch is a small hamlet near Canterbury in Kent. Our Village Hall lies in the centre. Originally built in 1873 as a school that closed in 1966, the hall is now a well used community facility. Before Covid Lockdown in 2020 our regular hirers included Guides, Rainbows, Dance classes, art and craft clubs, a Quilting Group, a Tea Club, a Brass Band and a Jazz Group. The hall is also available for anyone to hire for parties and occasions.
The Village Hall is a registered Charity run by a Committee of volunteers who like to organise Community Events like Breakfasts, Games Nights and regular Quiz Nights for anyone that wants to come along – everyone is welcome. Funded by a Grant from KCC we were able to purchase a projector and screen this year for future Film Nights.
Fund Raising events are fun community occasions. In recent years they have included Plant and Book Sales; Christmas Fair; Summer Fete; Firework Night, Curry Night and an Afternoon Tea. We also run a 100+ Club which is well supported. We are grateful to receive donations every year from the local Croquet Club.
We have carried out an extensive maintenance programme during lockdown to ensure our facilities remain of a high standard and are very much looking forward to welcoming our villagers back into the hall.
Cheapside Village Hall
Berkshire
It all started with a Nissen hut bought from the MOD in 1947 which was upgraded to the current timber version in the early 1970s. There were initially three Affiliated Societies, but now only the Horticultural Society remains and holds shows twice a year. Coronavirus has hit all activities bar our Preschool. However over past years the community has benefitted from all sorts of events: all age group parties, a Choral Society (now relocated in Sunninghill) and various keep-fit sessions in the evenings and at weekends. Also in previous years we teamed up with the Big Lunch Group to provide a wet weather facility for the June annual gathering. Now we Zoom together, and it is our hope for the future to plan a greater range of activities in the community.
Chebsey Parish Hall
Staffordshire
Chebsey Parish Hall was originally constructed in the late Victorian era as a school for the local children in the Chebsey area and remained so until its closure in the early 1960, after which it was taken over by the community as a village hall.
In 2012, the organisation was registered as a charity. Following a fund raising campaign, and with the help of local authority and other grants, a large refurbishment and modernisation project was subsequently undertaken in 2015 and the hall now provides all the facilities required to make it an ongoing viable hub for Chebsey village and its surrounds.
Over the years it has proved to be a focal point for the community providing a venue for activities, clubs, celebrations and community events and remains so.
The Village Hall is used for many different activities which cater for diverse age groups including Yoga, Keep Fit, Live and Local presentations and a very popular whist drive group for the more elderly local residents. With its very large integral car park it is also very popular for hire for private events such as weddings and special occasion celebrations such as birthday parties, anniversaries etc.
The Village Hall is a focal point for the community. It provides a vital, convenient, accessible and affordable venue for many activities and it is conveniently located within the village. This is really important to the local residents who would otherwise be deprived of these activities as Chebsey village is poorly connected to the surrounding area which makes it difficult to travel to alternative venues.
The ongoing aim is to continue to improve the hall so that it is an even more attractive and vibrant facility for the local community.
Cheddleton Community Centre
Staffordshire
Our Community Centre was once the village school and is managed and owned by the Parish Council. It is a lovely building and we look forward to re-opening our facilities to help provide the heart of the village community in its various groups who use it and hope to attract new users in 2021.
Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall
Somerset
Due to the pandemic we are presently only supporting a local special school. We are also ensuring all of the maintenance is up to date so we can open for our regular users, Dancing, Zumba, Yoga etc as soon as the Government allow.
Chedworth Village Hall
Gloucestershire
Chedworth Village Hall, which was opened in 1976, replaced an old YMCA Hut that had served the village well since 1919. Our recently re-decorated spacious hall, with parking for 80 cars and free super-fast wifi has, frustratingly, been closed due to Covid restrictions. The wide variety of activities which would normally be taking place include dinners, talks, conferences, indoor games, especially table tennis, exercise and fitness classes. The large rear projection screen has enabled us to show films on a regular basis as well as live sporting events and live theatre. We are a popular venue for weddings and all events can be supported by the bar. It is therefore, disappointing that we have had to be closed to all users except the Pre-School which continues to run in its own rooms, and look forward to the time when we can open for business again.
Chelmarsh Parish Hall
Shropshire
Founded in the 1930’s, the Hall has been the home for many local groups and the centre of village activities, including running the annual Fete for over 40 years. The challenge today is keeping the Hall relevant to villagers with changing lifestyles. We have an active Committee, and are working to make the Hall more energy efficient and cheaper to heat, so hire charges can be kept low.
Cherhill Village Hall
Wiltshire
Prior to lock down the hall was a very busy place with activities, classes, clubs and groups, village events, theatre productions and parties filling almost every part of the diary. There was something for everyone and all ages from toddlers to lunch clubs for older folk. Lockdown has clearly changed all that but we are hopefully that we will get back to some kind of normality in the not too distant future. In the meantime we have been busy with hall maintenance jobs that were always tricky to schedule with so little free space in the diary.
Cheriton Fitzpaine Parish Hall
Devon
The original timber built hall was constructed in 1935 on a site given by Rev. W H Arundell. It was extended in the 1960s and developed further and fully refurbished during 2012 - 2016 as a social project involving many people of the village. Pre Covid the Hall was well patronised by many people enjoying the variety of events on offer such as short mat bowls, aerobics, yoga, garden club, bingo; drama, dance and musical productions; film shows and dances. During the Pandemic the Hall has continued to serve the Community. During total lockdown the accommodated outreach Post Office has continued to function and in the tiered restricted times the Car Park has safely hosted mini markets and a take-away cafe. It has also acted as the 'nerve centre' for the 'Market on the Move' whereby individuals set up their own stalls outside their own houses. We eagerly look forward to a time where we can once again offer the Community a series of interesting events right in the heart of the village!
Chew Magna Old School Room
Bath & NE Somerset
Built in 1510 as parish meeting rooms. Today the 2 original halls and 1 modern addition are still used regularly by a
variety of local clubs and organisations.
Chiddingly Village Hall
Sussex
Chiddingly Village Hall was built in 1848, but has been added to, many times, over the years. In the early days it was used as the village school. It is the social and cultural centre of the village, hosting many functions, from short mat bowls matches to plays, pantomime and concerts. We are itching to re-open and are planning, at the very least, coffee mornings, for locals to mingle, at long last.
Child Okeford
Dorset
this is a good Idea TO HELP hALLS
Chilthorne Domer Village Hall
Somerset
Chilthorne Domer is a fairly small village with an active community. The Covid 19 lockdown has stopped many of the activities that regularly took place in the hall; Pop-up sports, Yoga, Pilates, Dancing, Big Band rehearsals and Gardening Club meetings among them. But we have remained open for our weekly half-day Post Office to assist the local community and we have opened for the Chilthorne Domer Church School when they have needed us for wet day PE sessions. The Hall was refurbished in 2000 and has recently had a new kitchen installed. We are feeling good about the future once meetings can take place again and the activities in the hall resume. The Government grant has been so useful in covering our maintenance and running costs whilst our income has been minimal.
Chinnor Village Hall
Oxfordshire
Chinnor Village Hall has been part of village life since 1939. Chinnor Village Hall is situated centrally within the
, which nestles at the bottom of the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is a traditional build of that period - 1939. Surrounded by rural life Chinnor Village Hall is the ideal location offering excellent and modern facilities so as to accommodate as many varied events as possible. The original build has in recent years undergone two major refurbishments. Additional halls and facilities were added enlarging the capacity. The main hall and small hall are, in normal times booked out throughout each day including week-ends. The committee room, located upstairs, access via a lift for stairs, is an ideal room for smaller groups. The hirers are varid, covering all age groups from 0 to 100 and activities range from soft play, musical groups for toddlers, young drama groups, sports, badminto, short mat bowls, exercise, zumba, jazzasize, pilates, yoga, adult drama. The list is endless. Ad hoc bookings at week-ends accommodate, quiz nights, fund raising events, wedding receptions, birthday parties for both children and adults. Chinnor Village hall proudly supports the NHS Blood Donor sessions and free training courses held by our First Responder, showing residents how to use the defibrillator which is installed in the main foyer. Moving through the COVID19 pandemic and 3 complete lockdown periods has in itself had its challenges. However, the Committee has worked together to comply with all Government requirements to ensure Chinnor Village Hall is as COVID Compliant as it can be. Many regular classes are eager to return once it is saf to do so, and the Committee are confident that Chinnor Village Hall will continue to provide an amazing facilitiy for the community in years to come. (Registered charity Number 304285)
Chippenham Rotary Hall
Wiltshire
A community hall in the town centre of Chippenham, uniquely owned and managed by the local Rotary Club, providing a home for a wide variety of local community and faith groups. Profits from hiring fees after expenses are recycled to local and national Good Causes. Closed at first by the first Lockdown, the hall, now made Corvid secure, is currently let for an NHS training facility, and to a local charity working with disturbed youngsters. Looking forward to being able to welcome back our lovely usual hirers when normality returns.
Chitterne Village Hall
Wiltshire
Warm, welcoming and connected village hall in the beautiful Salisbury Plain village of Chitterne.
Cholsey Great Hall
Oxfordshire
The elegant Grade II listed and recently renovated Great Hall sits in the heart of Cholsey Meadows and serves the village of Cholsey. The challenges that Covid-19 has brought this year has accentuated and reconfirmed the community’s need of the hall and the important role we play within our community. We can’t wait to begin our events programme offering theatre, comedy, cinema and music, and reopen our doors to our regular users who provide such a crucial service especially at this time. Our efforts and hard work over the summer introducing Covid measures to keep our visitors safe meant that we were able to grow our weekly activities and entertain families at Halloween and Christmas. We are gearing up for a busy year ahead and can’t wait to get started.
Churt Village Hall
Surrey
Our Hall, situated in the centre of the village was built in 1928 funded by a local businessman on land bought by villagers as a memorial to the dead of the First World War. One of the Hall’s early trustees was the local resident and former Prime minister David Lloyd George. The Hall is currently closed due to Covid -19 restrictions, except for use by Churt Community Pre-School. In normal times it is also used regularly by our village amateur dramatic society (CADS), the horticultural & produce society (CHAPS), the local WI and as a Polling Station. It hosts dancing & fitness classes, quiz nights, birthday parties and much more. We have a continuous programme of maintenance and facility improvements to make the Hall an attractive and well equipped venue for both local organisations and other social & commercial bookings
Cleeve Village Hall
North Somerset
Cleeve Village Hall is (usually) in use virtually every day of the week with various craft and activity groups from local toddlers to the over 60s, Guides, Dog Training, and the local Table Tennis Club.
It is also a very popular venue for wedding receptions and parties and is the local Polling Station.
A few years ago we had solar panels fitted which has been very cost effective
In recent times, we have been hosting very successful Entertainment Evenings to raise money for the Hall’s Maintenance Fund (a new kitchen and flooring) and local charities. We’ve sourced some fantastic local talent from the Bristol and Bath area and twice have been lucky enough to present the Grammy Award Winner Amy Wadge, the international singer/songwriter, who has written many hit records including ‘Thinking Out Loud’ with Ed Sheeran.
We have made the hall Covid secure and can’t wait to open our doors to the public again.
Cleeve Village Hall
North Somerset
Our hall was built in circa 1936 and during the difficult Covid pandemic have used the time to visually enhance certain areas of the hall. It is usually well used by local groups and hired for a variety of functions including weddings, parties and entertainment,
Cleeve village hall.co.uk
Clyffe Pypard and Bushton Village Hall
Wiltshire
Sadly, we have began 2021 without any activities taking place in the hall due to Covid restrictions. This well appointed rural Village hall serves as the main socialising place for the 2 hamlets with a total population of around 300. Usually there would be regular various exercise classes, WI meetings, and Craft classes. Harvest Suppers, Plant Fairs and Christmas Fairs organised by the church, Big Breakfasts organised by the WI, Walks and Pot luck Lunches and quizzes by the Village Hall Committee and various other meetings have all been put on hold. During the various lockdowns have been able to use the car park for Jigsaw and Book swaps raising money for charity and for a very well attended Carol Singing Evening. And for the future, we just look forward to being able to open our doors to the public again, to see the hall being busy with folk being able to soialise with each other !
www. clyffepypard-bushton.com
Clyst St Mary Village Hall
Devon
We run a large modern (built 1990) hall in a village close to Exeter. During the lockdown we have taken the opportunity to carry out maintenance and repair work, including full internal redecoration. We are looking forward to welcoming our users back when lockdown is eased. Finances are in reasonable shape, thanks to government support.
Coal Aston Village Hall
Derbyshire
It’s been great to have the support and guidance from ACRE as we’ve become COVID Secure then closed then opened and now closed again. But the Hall is in good shape ready and waiting for our new normal just as soon as that might be possible.
Coddington Community Centre
Nottinghamshire
The centre was built in 2006 as an Eco Friendly facility by Newark and Sherwood District Council. The ownership was transferred to Coddington Parish Council in 2016. The centre is managed by “Coddington Community Association CIO”, a registered charity. The aim of the centre is to provide a place for local residents to get together for activities or celebrations. The term local residents is not confined just to Coddington, it includes people who live just over a mile away at the top of Beacon Hill. As an Eco Friendly public building there is a considerable amount of maintenance that takes place to keep everything in order and the certification up to date.
CODSALL VILLAGE HALL & PLAYING FIELDS CHARITY LTD
Staffordshire
Codsall Village Hall was conceived after World War 1, and in 1928 the first parcel of land was purchased.
The financial crash, another war and the shortage of materials thereafter meant that the building did not open until 1963, and fund-raising events to complete the payments went on for some years afterwards.
Several extensions have been added, not always sympathetically, and there are now the Pavilion and Lounge as well as a large Hall.
Twenty-two groups use the building, catering for babies of six months old and every other demographic including our nonagenarians.
Codsall Cricket Club and Codsall Dramatic Society are the main users, but Art and Craft, dancing, Yoga, the RSPB and History Society fill the Hall with their members.
Food Fairs, Pringo (Bingo with Prosecco), tribute bands, a Beer Festival and Christmas events bring in funds.
The building is hired for weddings, parties and meetings.
In 2021, taking advantage of the closure, we have redecorated, and we have the funding to replace our heating system.
Codsall is now a large village, but the Hall remains at the heart of it.
Colden Common Community Centre
Hampshire
Our hall is currently only open for a local pre-school and a before & after school club, so we are helping facilitate these services for the local community. We are trying to stay in touch with our followers and supporters using regular posts on social media and using our mailing lists. We are also passing on any information from other sources outside of the village, that we think may help or be of interest to people. For the future, we are hoping to be able to offer opportunities for people to get together again when circumstances allow, such as drop in afternoons for tea/coffee/chat, small sporting activities e.g. table tennis sessions, and inviting feedback from the community on what else they would like to be able to access.
Colnbrook Village Hall
Berkshire
We have mass testing this week, 8-10th February with a view to being available for mass inoculations. We also have the Colnbrook Cares group working from the hall who are distributing care packages to those that need them.
Colney Heath Village Hall
Hertfordshire
Our hall was established by a Deed of Trust in 1936 and built with volunteer labour. It was extended in 2000 to include a second small space, a new kitchen, store room and an office for the Parish Council. Prior to Covid-19 we were very busy with a wide range of activities and running a healthy surplus. We expect to return to this happy state by 2023. We are planning some new initiatives including measures to counteract the digital exclusion of vulnerable residents. We face some issues caused by external parties but we have a strong management team of trustees who will solve these problems.
Colwell Village Hall
Northumberland
We are taking the opportunity to upgrade our kitchen facility and carry out some much needed maintenance, repair and decoration in preparation for opening and hosting events later in the year.
Combe St Nicholas
Somerset
Very grateful for all the financial support we have received from the Council/Government BUT WE NEED PEOPLE! any village hall feels cold, empty and sad without people in it. We have all learned a lot from Covid not least how we all need interaction with others to keep us and our lives stable and meaningful. Roll on 2022!
Comberbach war memorial hall
Cheshire
Our village memorial hall hosts all sorts of activities from WI to karate, calligraphy to cheerleading, brownies to dog obedience classes, fencing to yoga, dancing to local and general elections. Also a very popular venue for children’s parties and the much anticipated annual scout jumble sale.
The memorial hall is an important part of rural village life and we are very proud to be part of ours.
Community, Learning and Resource Centre
Dorset
We have added more technology to the building so that we can be a Census Host Centre to support people fill in the online census form.
Compton Bassett Benson Village Hall
Wiltshire
Our Hall is of the few remaining village assets in the small village of Compton Bassett along with St Swithins church and the White Horse pub. Compton Bassett is a Domesday book village and was a major Saxon settlement with a part Saxon church, 2 Saxon water mills and a Saxon princes palace just down the road. The Village Hall is used for Village fetes, barn dances, harvest festivals, Burns nights, quiz nights, talks, dog training, Little Fishes church school and even weddings and funerals. Sadly the Hall has been pretty much closed since March 2020 but we are looking forward to re-opening when we can.
Copmanthorpe WI Hall
Yorkshire
We rebuilt our hall in 2017 and will be celebrating our WI centenary in 2024. Our hall has been covid-ready since July 2020 and we’re looking forward to welcoming back our members and hirers in 2021.
Corbridge Parish Hall
Northumberland
Situation in the charming and historic village of Corbridge in Northumberland. Built in November 1922 by Edith Helen Straker-Smith in memory of her father Joseph Henry Straker. The Parish Hall’s boundary wall to the north and west incorporates the fabric from the lost medieval St Helen’s Church. Corbridge Parish Hall is proud to serve the local community and act as the focus for many community activities.
Corsley Reading Room
Wiltshire
Originally opened in 1892 the hall has continued to serve the community to the present day. We look forward to being a social centre again when covid lockdowns cease.
Corston Village Hall, Bath
Bath & NE Somerset
Built in 1910 by money raised by village people. We hope we will be able to 're open before long and show off the new lighting ceiling etc. Welcome back all our classes.
About to start a new website.
Cosy Hall
Shropshire
Cosy Hall was donated to the Cosy Hall Charity for the sum of £1. It was a derelict building having been a Music Hall called Cosy Hall) and prior to that a Gospel Hall but started life as a coach manufactory in 1852. Renovated and restored phase one opened in 1985. It was enlarged in 1998 and serves the market town of Newport in Shropshire. It is heavily used by fitness groups, choirs, art classes and hosts meetings and other gatherings including parties. Unfortunately it has been closed since the start of the pandemic but we have taken the opportunity to have a new boiler fitted and all the internal lights upgraded to LEDs. We are now proud to be serving the community in the Covid-19 fight as from 3rd February it will be used as a rapid test centre run by Telford and Wrekin Council.
Cotebrook Village Hall
Cheshire
Our village hall is used by numerous groups for many diverse recreational purposes from exercise classes, charity fund raising, hobby clubs, social events, etc, all of which are on hold due to the pandemic. We look forward to being able to open and continue to offer our facilities to the local community as soon as we are permitted.
Cottenham Village Hall
Cambridgeshire
New in 2021
Cottered Village Hall
Hertfordshire
Cottered Village Hall is an integral and vital part of the lsmall local community. Since being completely rebuilt in 2000 the facility has had an increasing influence on the inclusive nature of village activities. We are very fortunate that we have a great volunteer group of Trustees to run the hall. The Covid pandemic has obviously had a tremendous effect on our ability to use the building. All activities were curtailed at the start of the first ‘lockdown’. A decision was then made to reserve the premises for the exclusive use of one main client providing teaching services to young adults with special needs. Because of the vital service they provide to vulnerable young people we have continued with this arrangement. This has allowed the group to have effective social distancing and to work with us on maintaining strict cleansing controls. We look forwarding at some point to being able to return to whatever the new normality will be. In the meantime we shall continue to support the group.
Cottesmore Village Hall
Leicestershire & Rutland
Cottesmore’s Village Hall plays a very central role in the life of its community, being located in the heart of the village. It’s a spacious hall that provides generous facilities for a wide range of social, sporting and cultural activities, both indoor and outdoor. A wide variety of local groups use the facilities – indoor bowls, table tennis, Brownies, yoga, film shows….; there’s a well-equipped kitchen as well. What’s more, thanks to our central location in the country, we regularly welcome users from around the UK for such events as caravan rallies and dog shows.
Coulston Village Hall
Wiltshire
Coulston is a very small village on the edge of Salisbury Plain with a population of about 130 and, apart from the Church, the Village Hall is the only public meeting place as there is no shop or pub. The hall, which was built in 1854, started life as the local school before becoming a village amenity. Although currently closed due to the pandemic we would normally hold a variety of social activities ranging from Harvest events, Quiz Nights and Christmas Fairs through to very enthusiastic sing-a-long suppers. We look forward to being able to resume these just as soon as we are able as our funds are dwindling rapidly.
Cowling Village Hall
Yorkshire
Cowling Village Hall is owned by the village, held in trust by the charity commission, run by a committee of volunteers and is entirely self funding. We are at the edge of North Yorkshire with the borders of West Yorkshire and Lancashire only a few miles away.
The original building was the Cowling Liberal Club built c1885 which became the Cowling Village Institute in 1940 when donated to the Parish Council and a Management Committee. The name was changed to Cowling Village Hall in 1971. A new hall was built on the opposite side of the main street and was officially opened at the end of 2012.
The hall has a dedicated room and outside play area for Cowling Pre-School, and also provides office space to charity Homestart Craven, and is the site of a defibrillator for use in emergencies.
It has been a popular venue for childrens’ parties and groups using the hall have been Cowling Companions, WI, Weightwatchers, Little Learners and Toddlers Parent and Child groups, Ballroom Dancing, Trim & Tone, Short Mat Bowls & Social, Table Tennis, and Badminton. Other groups in the village hold AGM meetings too such as the Gun Club and Pigeon club. We are the polling station for the village.
We have hosted Wedding / Anniversary / Christening celebrations, Halloween Parties, Race Nights, Concerts, New Years Eve Parties, Christmas Lunches, Spring Fairs / Christmas Fairs, Business Meetings, Council Training, First Aid / First Responder Training, MP surgeries and an Art Gallery.
The committee also hold an annual Duck Race at a local stream and help with some events at the Village Fun Day.
Today like all other Village Halls we are constrained by COVID measures. We were able to do some internal decoration and then accommodate some training for Homestart Craven, hosted a Parent & Child group and some limited Table Tennis play in 2020. Cowling Preschool re-opened in September and during the current lockdown continues operation for keyworkers and vulnerable children.
Thankyou to ACRE, our local council and CommunityFirstYorkshire for support over this difficult period in our history. We will continue to work with groups in our community to return in a COVID secure way once restrictions are lifted.
Cowshill and Lanehead Village Hall
Durham
The building originally opened as a Mission Hall in 1909 to be used for Sunday services whilst the Parish Church was moved into Cowshill. Following extensive renovation the building was re opened a as a village hall in 2006. Situated at the head of Weardale at an altitude of 1400feet the building serves as a vital hub for the settlements at the head of the dale. The hall is run as a charity and is funded by a combination of fund raising events and grant donations from various authorities. The hall holds weekly Saturday morning coffee mornings and has a bring and buy shop both of which prove very popular with locals and also visitors to the dale. A number of clubs and societies use the hall regularly and the hall is also available for bookings for people and businesses to hold events. The hall is classed as Covid secure and everyone is looking forward to the day we are able to re open.
Coxwold Village Hall
Yorkshire
We are looking forward to opening up our hall again as soon as we can. We hold regular coffee mornings and soup and sandwich lunches and have bridge , art, craft and yoga groups which meet weekly in normal times. Our village hall really is the hub of our community and the hall is also used for many celebrations and a monthly market. We are grateful to ACRE for the many useful documents of useful guidance.
Cranage Village Hall
Cheshire
Cranage Village Hall is a unique and picturesque “Arts and Crafts” building , built in 1907 by William Carver of Cranage Hall for use by his family and the village (his employees). It incorporated a social room, a billiard room and a caretakers cottage. It is a lovely old Hall with interesting wooden internal panelling and exposed beams in the main room, probably unique in this part of the UK. It sits in large south facing grounds. During the war it was used by the Home Guard, Young Farmers and was the venue for local dances. In 1947 it was given to the residents of Cranage to be held in Trust. The picture shown was painted by a long standing member of our committee who is also a member of the local art club. We have many groups who in normal times regularly use our hall, from art clubs, whist, bridge, mums and toddlers, karate, to yoga and many more. Weekends bring in caravan rallies, weddings, cycle clubs, exhibitions and family parties. Our own events include quizzes and murder mystery evenings to name but a few. Our annual 3 day Beerfest with live music is growing from strength to strength with the whole village getting involved and helping. For a village that has no Church, Pub or Shop the Village hall is the only community building for the locals. Our mission statement “Unity in the Community “ says it all and our merry band of volunteers work hard to keep the hall active and in tip top condition. We are now looking forward to welcoming back all our regulars and many new people and we are positive for the future. We are looking forward to re-opening in 2021. The pandemic will still be around for quite a long time and our long term plans will include events that are COVID secure and will bring our community safely back together in our lovely hall and large grounds. We joined Acre in 2020 and cannot thank them enough for all the help and advice they have given us. It is a privilege to be included in the Doomsday book 2021 celebrating Acres 100th anniversary.
Cranage village hall.co.uk
Cranleigh Village Hall
Surrey
Opened in 1933 after fundraising by the local community, Cranleigh Village Hall is a prominent feature in Cranleigh High Street currently proudly serving the community as a COVID19 vaccination centre.
Creech St Michael Village Hall
Somerset
The hall, which is located in the centre of the village, was built in 1988 and it is hard to imagine the village now without this community asset. Looking back were so lucky to have a dedicated team who were determined to provide such a facility and they worked diligently to make sure it happened. A bright airy building, with disabled access to the ground floor, it offers a large main hall and two smaller meeting rooms (one upstairs) and parking for 30 cars. When times are normal the hall is used for many activities such as sequence dancing, short mat bowls, badminton, WI, art classes, martial arts, produce market, coffee mornings etc. It is also a popular venue for children’s parties, wedding receptions and for other celebrations. It is also used for blood donor sessions. As we were lucky enough to receive Section 106 money, the committee decided to use the enforced lockdown period to upgrade the hall. Works have included refurbishment of the main floor, new toilets, enlargement and revamping the kitchen, new carpeting fitted to the hallway and stairs and a new security and audio/visual system in place. Also new hearing loops have been fitted to the ground floor rooms. Once regulations permit, we are really looking forward to welcoming everybody back to our lovely hall.
Website under construction
Creighton Memorial Hall Embleton
Northumberland
Our Hall was built in 1901 thanks to a generous donation from the local vicar Mandell Creighton who went on to be Bishop of London. Over the decades the Hall has always provided a very active hub for the community and has seen many and varied uses during its lifetime. It has a purpose built snooker room which has functioned steadily during the hall’s long life the only difference being that the coal fire is no longer in use. At present time the hall is used on a regular basis by many different user groups as well as special village events including Embleton School’s Christmas performance. we are a popular venue for scout/ guide and visiting school sleep overs. Thanks to a great deal of help from our county Village Halls Association we have been able to access several grants which have been used to bring the Hall up to the high specification required by wedding and family party groups. These bookings provide the income that helps to keep regular user charges to a minimum.
Cricklade Town Hall
Wiltshire
Cricklade is the picturesque first town on the River Thames and southern gateway to the Cotswolds. Founded by the Anglo-Saxons during the ninth century, it is home to the Snakeshead Fritillaries and is hugely popular with walkers.
The Town Hall was built in 1933 as a memorial to local people who died during the First World War, and to provide much needed facilities for the town. It acts as the heart of the community, hosting a range of events including many public and private parties, civic functions, and weddings. Several of the town clubs and societies are also fortunate enough to call the building ‘home’, from the local Women’s Institute to the Cinema Club and the town’s band.
While the building has been closed due to Covid-19 national lockdown restrictions, the management team has taken the opportunity to improve the amenities, including relocated and re-fitted disabled facilities and extra storage for regular hirers.
Criftins Parish Hall & Palying Field
Shropshire
Criftins Parish Hall has been serving the community of Dudleston Heath for 60 years. A new forward-looking committee took over in Nov 2020, and despite the pandemic were able to host a Christmas Lunch for volunteers and local residents. In 2021 we look forward to re-opening and making the Hall a real village hub once again.
Crockenhill Village Hall
Kent
Money for the Village Hall was raised by the Victory Fund committee set up in the second World War and from generous donations from a number of villagers whose names can be seen embroidered on a cloth that has been framed and is currently on display in the village hall. It was not until 19th July 1958 that the Village Hall was completed and It was opened by Mrs Kathleen Herbert (Wood) who, with her mother, donated the land on which the hall was built.
The village hall is run by a charity registered Management Committee made up of trustees that over see the running of the charity and ensure that the hall is maintained and fit for purpose. The committee is further supported by a number of volunteers that are very active in organising fundraising events to support the village hall.
There have been several improvements and upgrades to the building since it was built. In the 1960’s a kitchen extension was added and in the 1970’s a Committee room and side entrance lobby. In the 1990’s a new roof to cover the whole building incorporating all the extensions and with better drainage for the rain water was raised. The kitchen has been redesigned and refurbished, a toilet for the disabled added and in 1993 an extension to the rear squared off the back of the building to give extra storage and space for the Parish Council office. in 2000 new curtains were provided and improvements to the bar area were made. in 2013 the ceiling of the main hall was insulated and the entire heating system upgraded.
The Village Hall Committee work very hard on behalf of the village. The committee have had and still have some very dedicated members and the Village Hall is a much prized facility of which the village people should be proud.
Crookham Village Hall
Northumberland
Crookham Village Hall is sadly closed at the moment because of Covid. We look forward to a grand re-opening and the resumption of our activities as soon as circumstances allow. The good side of the closure is that it allows our builder free access to the hall so that he can get on with the rebuilding of our derelict small hall. When we return, we should be bigger and better.
Cropredy Village Hall
Oxfordshire
The village hall at Cropredy was opened in 1966, replacing a wooden hut which was originally the meeting place of the Ex-Servicemen’s Club from the 1920s, but was also rented out for other bookings. Although it is now showing signs of its age, the village hall is used regularly by the following local organisations: Short Mat Bowls, Cropredy Women’s Institute, Harlequins Drama Group, the Canoe Club, Cropredy Painting Group, the lunch club, Cropredy Film Society, judo, Pilates and yoga classes, Friends In Retirement Society, Cropredy Jazz Club, and there are several private bookings for parties, receptions, polling stations, workshops and wakes. Full English breakfasts - and all other options - are provided for the thousands of visitors from all over the UK and Europe who come to the village for the Fairport Convention music festival in August. The facilities include a well-equipped kitchen and bar, storage areas for groups’ equipment, lavatories, (including one for disabled users and an area for changing babies), a hearing loop, WiFi and a small cloakroom.
Croydon Reading Room
Cambridgeshire
On 10th August 1910 amid festive celebrations attended by over 200 people the foundation stone of the Croydon Reading Room, erected in memory of Rev. Henry Stone , was laid by Professor Marsh the Master of Downing College.
Over 100 years later the Reading Room remains at the centre of village life; coffee mornings, presentations, Quiz Nights, Bazaars and all sorts of other interesting and exciting events still take place in our Reading Room.
In the mid seventies, to enlarge the available space and improve the facilities , an extension containing a kitchen and toilets was added to the side of the building. This has served us well but now almost 50 years later the building is showing its age and repairs and further improvements are desperately needed. Exciting plans are afoot to bring our Reading Room into the 21st century but of course these are all dependent on fund raising and grants and we are a small community: we may be a small community but we are a committed community – watch this space!!!
Cruckton Village Hall
Shropshire
This was the village school for Cruckmeole and the surrounding area until 1969. When the school closed, it was bought as a memorial to the Cruckton Home Guard to be the village hall. The WI and local Art Group meet here, as well as being the venue for lively dance classes.
Cuddington and Sandiway Village Hall
Cheshire
Cuddington and Sandiway Village Hall is an attractive modern hall opened in October 2009. It replaces an old pavilion which stood on the same site and is the result of many years of hard work and fund raising by volunteers, local residents and community groups supported by the Trustees and greatly helped by a major grant from Vale Royal’s Rural Delivery Programme. Today the Hall hosts activities for all ages provided by individuals and organisations ranging from Bridge, Brownies and Blue Dragon Taekwon-do through the alphabet to the WI, Yoga and Zumba. Village Hall volunteers hold monthly Afternoon Teas, Film Nights and Rural Touring Arts events and the Hall is often hired for social events and family celebrations. Trustees and the Village Hall Committee continue to be grateful for the support, advice and information provided by Cheshire Community Action and ACRE.
Cullingworth Village Hall
Yorkshire
The new village hall on Lodge Street was opened in April 2019 following a £1m construction and fit-out. This building replaced the orginal village hall on Station Road which opened in 1973. Both halls were the result of massive effort and fundraising by the local community and continue to be run entirely by volunteers. The new village hall has two halls for hire and dedicated space for two tenants - the OFSTED Outstanding Cullingworth Preschool and danchinos, an Italian cafe. Regular users of the halls enjoy a variety of leisure and social activities ranging from yoga to art activities for the very young. The halls were closed to users for much of 2020 and into 2021 due to Covid-19 but we look forward to re-opening later this year with plans for weddings, parties and other functions, the Youth Cafe, music, bands and other performances, plus the start of the Pop-Up Cinema events. The village hall is central to the buzz of local community life in the heart of our village.
Culworth Village Hall
Northamptonshire
Built in 1938, Culworth Village Hall has served the local community since then, providing a valuable space for people to meet, socialise and take part in a variety of activities. During the Second World War it was commissioned by the Army as a regimental depot. In the past it has hosted billiards, WI meetings, Mothers Union meetings, indoor bowls, whist drive, games evenings and plays – a folk group used to practice there too. Now activities include Pilates and Tai Chi classes, coffee mornings, charity lunches, Snappers photography club, Harvest suppers, film nights and circle dancing, all providing support and friendship. The Hall is also hired out for parties, weddings and funeral wakes.
The lockdown in March 2020 was the first time the Village Hall has closed its doors and none of the normal activities could take place. The Hall is a cold and sad place now without the buzz of human activity but the Trustees are looking forward to the day when we can open up again; we are Covid secure thanks to ACRE’s help and advice.
As for the future - we plan to build a new Community Centre in Culworth to expand our horizons and incorporate the Culworth Cricket Club. Planning was granted in December 2019 but Covid has curtailed the funding process. We look forward to the future and to being able to complete our plan.
Dallington Old School Village Hall
Sussex
Our hall was originally the Victorian village school. After a new school was built in 1913, the building was used as a Billiards Room, Reading and Club-room and Sunday School, and is now run as a registered charity. The hall is usually a venue for all kinds of community activities and clubs as well as fund raising events such as quiz nights. We had recently installed a new kitchen and fast fibre broadband. Until lockdown, our weekly community library café had become a popular place for residents to drop in, exchange books and enjoy a friendly chat over a cup of tea. During the summer, parents and children from the primary school also sell the produce from their school garden. We are looking forward to reopening as soon as possible to provide a hub for village life for another hundred years.
Danby Wiske Village Hall
Yorkshire
DOMESDAY BOOK
DANBY WISKE VILLAGE HALL
NORTH YORKSHIRE
After the First World War, the old comrades raised enough money to purchase and transport from Rotherham, a redundant wooden Canadian Army hut which in 1922 was erected on the site of the present Village Hall. The ‘Old Institute’ was the focus of social life in Danby Wiske.
In 1978 the Institute was replaced with a new Village Hall which still provides a place for social activities for the community. An enthusiastic Committee organise Beer Festivals, Breakfasts, Quizes, Plays and a Bonfire Night event. Also, classes, meetings, strawberry teas, lunches and coffee mornings are held in the Hall.
In 2017, the Village Hall Committee purchased a piece of land which enables them to run outside activities as well.
Darnhall Village Hall
Cheshire
Darnhall Village Hall was built at the turn of the 20th century for a working men’s institute and has since been the home of the Parish Council, Women’s Institute, Brownies, Guides, Darnhall Dancers, Family parties and much more.
Following a major refurbishment in 2019 we have had many exciting new groups involved including Baby Sensory and Keep fit.
We are now ready to reopen and look forward to welcoming back our regular and new users.
Delamere Community Centre
Cheshire
We have been as open as we are able to be since this kicked off last March, which currently means the Outreach Post Office is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings. We stay in touch with all of our users via email and Facebook and look forward to seeing everyone back when rules allow.
Denmead War Memorial Hall
Hampshire
Denmead War Memorial Hall was built in 1920 by public subscription to honour the local people killed and wounded in the First World War. The hall is a busy hub for local community groups, activities, education and events. Sadly due to the pandemic our only users at the moment are the local pre-school but we hope we are able to welcome our other users back soon. We had planned a big 100 year celebration in Summer 2020 with a centenary community picnic and parade unfortunately the plans have had to be put on hold due to Covid 19.
Derrington Village Hall
Staffordshire
Our Hall is the hub of the village, prior to the lockdown we supported our community with many events from Brownies to a coffee shop for the retired and those on their own, with many user groups offering a diverse range of activities. Loads of social events proved extremely popular. During the lockdowns we set up a community shop as we don’t have one in the village anymore. We supported the ‘Helping Derrington’ group who provided assistance to the vulnerable and those who were shielding. We have so many plans for the future as soon as we are able to get back in the swing!
Desford Village Hall
Leicestershire & Rutland
The Hall is situated on the edge of the village and during its long history has been used as a Weslyan Methodist Chapel, an Adult School and a Christian reading room. The original building dates from 1867 when it was "a Mission House with Hall attached".
At times it fell into disrepair until in 1931 the Desford Colliery agent, Sam Brooks, purchased the building for use as the local Miners’ Institute. It is now leased by the Coal Industry Welfare Organisation to the village in perpetuity.
It is regularly used for children’s parties, family celebrations, arts and craft fairs, musical evenings, village quizzes, and a variety of classes.
Digby War Memorial Hall
Lincolnshire
We were built in the 1960s and are coming to the end of an extensive refurbishment to ensure that the hall can serve the community for another 50 years.
Doddington Village Hall
Cambridgeshire
The current village hall was built in 2001. Previously on the site was a village hall, before this was a British Legion Hall.
Dodleston Village Hall
Cheshire
We opened up in June & July to provide extra classroom space for the village Primary School to enable socially distanced teaching and learning for one year class. Currently we are providing a Covid-compliant teaching and learning space for the local Pre-School Group, although on a reduced weekly timetable. All other groups who would normally use the village hall during the day, in the evenings and at weekends have been absent since the start of the March 2020 lockdown. The hall (originally constructed in 1896 with an extension added in 1990) is owned and maintained by the Dodleston Village Foundation, a registered charity. All the charity’s trustees and co-opted members are volunteers who generously give their time and skills to running the hall. The charity also owns and maintains a recreational field a short distance from the hall, providing a variety of play facilities for a broad age range of children from the village and surrounding area.
No website yet but we’re working on it!
Donyatt Village Hall
Somerset
Opened in 1925 the hall supports both the local and nearby needs of the community. Easily accessed with good parking and a safe children’s area, it’s ideal for all gatherings and well suited to wedding receptions. With our centenary year fast approaching we hope to get back to supporting the community as soon as possible. Our thanks to ACRE for their support in these difficult times.
Draycott Memorial Hall
Somerset
Our memorial hall offers excellent facilities for all types of activities from health and wellbeing (pilates, tai chi, chair yoga), indoor sports (short mat bowls, whist), amateur dramatics (Mendip Players) to larger functions of weddings, meetings, seminars and film nights etc. We are at present closed due to the coronavirus epidemic but have used the time to refurbish an upstairs room to a very high standard which will be available for hire by April. The hall is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) with views to the Mendip Hills and Somerset levels.
Duffield Parish Hall
Derbyshire
Built in 1992 in Duffield Parish Churchyard, the new Hall is an asset to the Church and Village Community
Dulverton Town Hall
Somerset
Our Grade 2 listed hall, at the centre of our Exmoor town, offers great facilities and a whole host of activities.
Dummer Village Hall
Hampshire
Originally, all meetings (Parish Council, Church Council, School Governors) meetings took place in Dummer Junior School. A wooden building, known as the Reading Rooms, was built a short distance away, probably in the Edwardian era. In 1974 both the School and the Reading Rooms (which had served as a central hub for the village since the 1940’s) were pulled down and the “new” Village Hall was built on the same land as the Reading Rooms. It has had two small extensions to the side, put there in the late 80’s, early 90’s. It has been the epicentre of the village for many years, encompassing activity classes (yoga, pilates etc) Pre-schools, Badminton, Social Groups, Talks, Parties, cinema evenings, travelling theatre and various bands and groups. It is well used and very often fully booked.
Dunham Massey Village Hall
Cheshire
Dunham Massey Village School and Schoolhouse, which dares back to 1759, were left for the benefit of the Community as a Village Hall by the late Lord Stamford in 1958 just before the Estate was taken over by the National Trust. Since that time it has served the purpose well and accommodated all the local Organisations, The Women’s Institute, The Friendship Club, The Parish Council, The Rose Queen Committee and The Dunham Thespians. Sitting in a generous plot of land it offers excellent facilities for Village events and private celebrations from within and outside the community. Regular features in our calendar are The Rose Queen Crowning in June and Car Boot sales on May and August Bank Holidays. We are responsible for all maintenance and improvements at the property and of course hiring and fund raising activities are all important for our continued livelihood. Fortunately we are blessed with a dedicated and hard working Management Committee, and a first class resident Caretaker, and in normal circumstances our facilities are well utilised. During the recent restricted conditions however, we have been able to take advantage of the fact that the premises were free to carry out extensive floor renovation and improvement works without any inconvenience to our regular clients, and as a result we look forward to offering much improved and more attractive facilities once we re-open for business. Our Village Hall has been and remains at the hub of our Community, providing a fitting adaptation of its historic school background, and it is an institution of which we are extremely proud. We relish the prospect of the sight and sounds of healthy Village life and activities returning to our threshold just as soon as circumstances allow.
Dunster Memorial Hall
Somerset
Dunster Memorial Hall was originally a malt house which was rebuilt in 1921 as a gift from Alexander Luttrell as a memorial to those in the local community who had served and died in World War 1. It has served as a village hall until the present day.
Since 1971 the Hall has housed the
Dunster Doll Collection
which consists of over 2,500 dolls of which up to 1,000 are on display to the public seven days a week and since 2012 after some structural alterations a local museum has been added which covers the history of Dunster since medieval times.
As part of the museum project the Hall is a home for the
TimeTeam
group who conduct archaeological digs in the local area, and this has unearthed evidence of the original 13th century priory and evidence of a Roman settlement. These finds and future finds can be found on display in the local museum.
Other facilities provided in the Hall for the local community are a meeting room, a snooker room and a small cinema showing current film shows.
Dunster Memorial Hall is run as a Charity, overseen by the Charity Commission, by a group of Trustees.
Duxford Community Centre
Cambridgeshire
Opened in August 2020, Duxford Community Centre is an exceptional, multi-functional local venue catering for a range of community groups, events and functions.
, available for one off or regular bookings, offer:
• the two halls can combine to make one large area
This fully accessible facility is managed by the DCC, a charity formed in 2014 with the aim of raising funds to build an economical and sustainable community hub where different age groups and social groups can meet, hold events, have fun, socialise, run clubs, host sports, hobbies, gatherings and celebrations.
Fundraising has been a whole community effort through a variety of events from village shows, sale of knitted items, quiz nights, sponsoring pavers and football marathons. It has taken a village to build the community centre and we thank all those who have helped along the way.
East Harlsey Village Hall
Yorkshire
Situated in the middle of the main street, the Village Hall is a fantastic building to see. It was built in 1938 and is the centre of village life, used extensively by the local community. It is also hired by the general public or by business organisations. It is ideal for business meetings, social and charity functions, private parties, children’s entertainment and drama performances. Private hires also include wedding receptions, birthdays, retirements and a host of other activities. With three halls, a bar and a large outside area, the Village Hall offers many opportunities. It is run by a Management Committee who organise regular activities for social and fundraising purposes.
East Harptree Village Hall
Bath & NE Somerset
The Hall dates back to the 1890s and provides facilities for a Preschool, the Village Community Shop and a small hairdressing salon, Solo aswell as a Hall which is used by the Preschool, the Village School and a number of other community based organisations through out the year. All of these organisations make valuable services available to the whole of the local community.
East Hendred - Snells Hall
Oxfordshire
Snells Hall was built in 1856 as the Church of England village school. After a new school was built nearby, the building was converted to village hall use in 1974. A purpose build extension to house the village pre-school was added in 2000. The hall is usually a busy place, opening for over 400 bookings a year, but in these Covid times it is very quiet, apart from the pre-school! Generous grants from the district council have been an enormous help, and we look forward in hope to a more normal world later this year.
East Horsley Village Hall
Surrey
The hall was built in 1988 and extended in 2000. It caters for all ages and hosts a Church Service on Sundays and a Nursery School
East Preston & Kingston Village Hall
Sussex
Covid shutdown is a frustrating time for everyone. Village Halls struggle to work out what to do for the best for their community.
East Ruston Village Hall
Norfolk
Opened in 1925 our hall was gifted to the parish and surrounding areas by Sir James Roll, who grew up in the village and became Lord Mayor of London in 1920. To celebrate its up coming centenary it is undergoing refurbishment works including a new roof, entrance doors and internal improvements. The hall provides a cost effective venue for popular local events such as table tennis, arts events and community occasions such as Seedy Sunday, The Christmas Bazaar and also caters for private functions such as children’s parties and wedding receptions.
Eastrington Village Hall Association
Yorkshire
We provide a village pre school and out of school club as well as lots of classes and social activities.
Ebberston Village Hall
Yorkshire
Our village hall is located on Main Street in Ebberston, North Yorkshire. Just a single room with a newly decorated kitchen some storage at the rear, it used to be the village school. The pandemic has halted all our events and activities yet we can’t wait to restart.
Ebchester Community Centre
Durham
Formerly the Village school dating from 1876, the Community Centre was set up in 1972. In normal times, the Centre hosts a number of popular village activities including Toddlers, WI, St Ebbas Church events, Carpet bowls, Fitness groups, Karate and JuJitsu. It is a popular venue for children’s parties and other family celebrations. Extensively refurbished internally during the first COVID 19 Lockdown in 2020, it became a Covid Secure venue thanks to Risk assessment guidance from ACRE. We re-opened in August 2020, only to close again with further Government restrictions. We are looking forward to the time when we are allowed by Government to re-open, by which time we will have had Broadband and WiFi installed thanks to a People’s Postcode Lottery grant. Funding information is regularly provided by Durham Community Action.
Edington Parish Hall
Wiltshire
Edington Parish Hall is a character 19th Century building that was built in 1885 for use as the Sunday School for the Priory Church and it has now become a valuable village amenity. In 2019, the existing toilets were upgraded to provide a disabled toilet and baby changing facility, a store area was refurbished to provide additional kitchen facilities and a small extension was built to give additional storage. Over £60,000 was raised through generous donations from a village appeal, the wider local community, local businesses and successful grant applications to provide these much needed improvements.
Before the first ‘lockdown’ in March 2020, the hall provided a meeting place for the Parish Council, the WI, the Gardening Club, The Under 5‘s and a monthly luncheon group. It also hosted the annual Gardening Club Flower and Produce show, Pumpkin Day, Charity Christmas Card Sale, Quiz nights, Big Breakfast and smaller village events as well as private bookings for family parties and funeral wakes. Each August, when the Edington Music festival takes place, the Parish Hall is where the choristers and adult choirs rehearse and it is also their meals venue; sadly in 2020 the Festival was cancelled. Choirs that perform as part of the Edington Arts programme also use the hall.
Throughout 2020, we received invaluable advice and guidance from ACRE and Helen at Wiltshire Community First on the ever changing Covid-19 restrictions and this enabled us to set up the hall in a Covid secure way so that in September, the Under 5’s group and a small Brass Band group were able to meet as exempt activities. Sadly, the hall is now closed due to the third lockdown.
Like many, our finances are dwindling and because the hall is a Church building, we pay no rates so were not eligible for the £10,000 grant that many other halls received but having applied to Wiltshire County Council, we did receive a small Discretionary Covid grant. Support from the Village Volunteer group has ensured that the grass and banks have been maintained and decorating needs met. Our current financial situation means that our plans for further improvements such as updating the heating system and renovating the main kitchen will now take longer to achieve.
We look forward to more normal times when the hall can reopen, everyone can again meet and socialise and the sound of chatter and laughter will once again fill Edington Parish Hall
Edington Village Hall
Somerset
The original village hall was formerly the Women's Institute and was handed over to the village in 1962. It was a wooden construction on a small site in upper Holywell Road. By the early 1970 's it became clear that there was a need for a new hall. After much fund-raising and applications for grants the village hall committee together with the local doctors purchased the present site on Quarry Ground to provide a hall and surgery. 1980 saw the official opening of what was to be named: The Village Hall Edington, as it was to be used by all the central Polden Villages in recognition of the help received from Catcott and Chilton Polden villagers. Since then there have been a number of extensions to the hall, with the latest being a new Entrance, Foyer, Lounge Bar area and Scene Doc. Normally the hall is used on a regular basis with Pilates, Line Dancing, Keep fit, Brownies, Upholstery Class, Dance class, Boogie bears, Young Farmers Club Yoga and Zumba. The Management Committee also run Film Nights, a Community Choir, Bingo, Drama group and Pop Up Sport.We look forward to being able to re-commence all those activities, once the COVID restrictions are lifted.
Edstaston Village Hall
Shropshire
We are very excited to have begun a long awaited community-led extension project at Edstaston Village Hall on land donated by a member of our community. We are extending and updating the hall, providing disabled access and facilities, a new kitchen, storage and extra outside space for social events - so important in these uncertain times…you can follow progress on our website
. Edstaston Village Hall belongs to the community and dates back to 1922 when an old WW1 hut was bought and moved to land donated by the Chomondoley family. In 1977 after 3 years of fundraising and with local government grants, the current brick building was opened. There are few families who haven’t celebrated an event in Edstaston Village Hall and the new renovations will ensure this continues for many years to come.
and Facebook Edstaston Village Hall
Edwinstowe Village Hall
Nottinghamshire
Our Village Hall used to be a school in our village. Our Hall is a thrive of activity in usual times, we have 18 regular groups. we age between 0-100! We also offer a venue for Coffee mornings and Parties etc. we cant wait to reopen and become a hub of the community again
Eggborough Village Hall
Yorkshire
Eggborough Village Hall is central to the village, it also acts as a poling station and is an emergency refuge point for the locality. The Scout group has proudly run for over 50 years ever since the hall was opened, which encourages boys and girls to join from the age of 5. There is also a pre school group who meet weekly. The hall is in constant use with various social groups and private functions.
Egglescliffe Parish Hall
Tees Valley
Our parish hall opened as a school in 1839. It serves a wide range of community groups currently such as Girlguiding, WI, gardening club and playgroup. In the future, we hope the community continues to use the parish hall and support with the ongoing renovation plans.
Ellerdine Village Hall
Shropshire
Even though our hall is currently closed we are staying connected with the community and we have plenty of volunteers locally to support anyone who needs help to collect shopping, go for a walk, or a friendly chat. We delivered 80 festive afternoon teas before Christmas and 80 selection boxes to children in the local villages. Our hope for the future is to offer our refurbished hall for lots of uses and to encourage people to meet again for much needed community activity.
Elloughton Village Hall
Humber & Wolds
Our village hall which was built in 1938 which is on land owned by a local foundation, is situated in Brough and is the link between the two villages of Elloughton and Brough. Normally it is in constant use by many different groups both for learning and for pleasure. We have Dance, Yoga, Pilates, Indoor Bowls, Zumba on a regular basis. The local Muslim group runs a teaching class for young students and once a month a Church Group hold their services in the village hall. The local amateur dramatic group, The Petuaria Players, stage performances three times a year and have done so since 1961 when their first production was Sabrina Fair. Birthday parties are held on a regular basis by different groups of people from the local community. The hall is managed by a small group of trustees who ensure that maintenance for the hall is constantly managed so that the building is kept in a safe and secure state for the benefit of all the users. Over the years we have been lucky to secure grants from various sources to enable extensions and repairs to be completed.
Elston Village Hall
Nottinghamshire
Elston has a strong connection to the Darwins – Erasmus Darwin once lived in Elston Hall – and has continued links with the family to this day. The land on which the village hall stands was given to the village by the Darwin family and in 1959
Elston Village Hall
was built by the community at a cost of around £3000. Since then there have been a number of improvements made to the building culminating in a major refurbishment in 2011/12
For one-off hirers -as well as regular users - the hall offers excellent facilities including a large, brightly lit hall, a well-equipped kitchen with a commercial dishwasher/sanitizer, air conditioning, free WIFI, a bar, tables (including 5 that are circular) and chairs to seat 100, wheelchair access to all areas and a toilet for disabled people, a small terrace overlooking the recreation ground and children’s play area and a car park. It is an ideal venue for meetings, business away days, birthday parties for young and old, wakes, wedding receptions and christenings.
Prior to the Corvid pandemic the hall was in regular use for coffee mornings, exercise classes, art classes, dance lessons and meetings by various clubs and organisations. It was also a popular venue for children’s and adults’ parties and weddings etc. And, while the only local pub was closed, it hosted a successful temporary bar – called The Hub - two nights a week for three years. The hope is that, once lockdown ends, most of the users will resume their activities and new hirers will be encouraged to make use of this valuable local resource.
Embsay With Eastby Village Institute
Yorkshire
Looking forward to opening again fully. Our village hall is a busy centre, catering for a wide variety of activities and all ages. We have managed as a Secure Covid 19 venue and supported several groups. Hopefully our Village panto will take place again!
Eridge Village Hall
Sussex
Eridge Village Hall was built in 1884 by the 1st Marquess of Abergavenny to serve as a reading room and place of study for the inhabitants of Eridge ecclesiastical parish. It was refurbished 20 years ago and is an attractive and popular venue for wedding receptions and parties as well as for the annual harvest supper. During the day it is well used for yoga and other classes. Since the start of the current pandemic, however, the Hall has remained closed and will reopen only when the Trustees consider it is safe to do so.
Etal Village Hall
Northumberland
The Etal Peace Commemoration Hall was officially opened in January 1926 by Lt. Col. Rt. Hon. Hugh Joicey DSO of Etal Manor (later 3rd Baron Joicey). Colonel Joicey gifted the hall to the local community to commemorate peace, and to encourage learning, study and “rational recreation” after the devastation of the First World War. The hall underwent extensive renovation in 2005 and normally plays host to a wide range of events, groups, and activities. In 2020 it was closed for several months but was successfully made into a Covid-secure venue for when restrictions were eased. We hope that in 2021 it will soon re-open, and that again it will be able to offer all sorts of recreation, support and entertainment to the local community and beyond.
Eversholt Hall
Bedfordshire
Eversholt Hall, completed in 1989, is a barn-conversion style building replacing an old hall given in 1913 by the then Duke of Bedford as a reading room. It now forms part of this small village’s group of amenities along with a recreation ground, out-door heated swimming pool, cricket and and tennis clubs and the church of St John the Baptist (11th cent) The Hall is run by a charity and is funded by leasing to a catering co. for large events such as weddings and parties etc. This provides income to allow residents to use the Hall at minimal cost. It is used by a number of village organisations and residents, e.g. a lunch club, keep fit classes, yoga, Young Farmers and Parish Council meetings as well as childrens parties and residents bookings. The pandemic resulted in only 4 weddings being booked for 2020 but with the help of grant aid, the committee hope to resume more normal business in future.
Eversley Village Hall
Hampshire
Eversley Village hall was originally built back in 1959, the land was donated to the community.Eversley Village Hall was built by the generosity of a resident and gifted to the community for the sole purpose of providing a site for recreational use within our Village.
Many community groups access the village hall including the WI, Parish Council, pilates , dance classes and host social events for the community.
We are very lucky to have a local amenity like this right in the centre of our village
We look forward to opening up again and welcoming our residents and groups back.
Everton Village Hall
Bedfordshire
Our village hall was built in 1905, enlarged and renovated in 1982, and it provides the only public indoor space for the community. Throughout its 115 year history the hall has provided community activities for our village for all ages. In more recent times, activities include exercise classes, additional space for the local Primary School, ample indoor and outdoor space for children’s parties, coffee mornings, film shows, and much more. Within the main hall we have a memorial to the WW1 and WW2 fallen soldiers of the village, and items relating to the SOE personnel who served at the local Tempsford Airfield.
Exwick Parish Hall
Devon
Our hall is used by many different groups including, a Baptist Church, Messy Church, Friday Friendship, Dog Training, Ball room dancing, Fit Steps, Twirly Tots, Baby Yoga, Forest School, Bingo, Hindu temple,
Eye & Dunsden Village Hall
Oxfordshire
Our historic hall was once the village school. The famous WW1 poet Wilfred Wilfred Owen helped run it. Today after a £400,000 renewal programme supported by amongst others Dame Judi Dench it is a bright and vibrant community hub. Two halls, a field and garden host wonderful weddings, yoga and other exercise and art classes and a whole range of social events. We always need new trustees to help ensure a bright future for our lovely hall, so do get in touch!
Fairfield Community Hall
Bedfordshire
We’re based in the heart of Fairfield, ideally located for local residents.
The community is our business – the venue where everyone, whatever their age, can come together. It is a fantastic place that we share with the community.
There are two halls – Oak and Chestnut – that are both light and bright with lovely feature windows based on the style of the former Three Counties Hospital – now the Fairfield Hall apartments. They are used for all events, from fitness classes and wine clubs to birthday parties and meetings of the various management companies, and of course, the Fairfield Parish Council who meet here monthly.
Both halls have sliding walls – one is adorned with a mural by a local artist that traces the history of Fairfield from its beginning in the 1850s’ as an asylum to the present day village.
The walls can be pushed back to reveal additional space provided by the Birch Room. And there’s a handy kitchen right alongside.
Our venue also includes the
, a spot that can be used for small meetings and interviews, or as short-term office space.
Outside, we’re lucky to be close to Fairfield’s Victorian Apple Orchards – which provide us with a bountiful supply of fruit for the community, especially for Apple Day that is hosted here each year.
Fairwarp Village Hall
Sussex
We’re looking forward to all that we’re able to do in the year ahead. Nestled in the heart of the Ashdown Forest, we’ve made improvements and upgrades in the last 12 months and we’re ready to host and support those village events that we’ve sadly missed over the last year. We’re excited!!
Farndale Village Hall
Yorkshire
Situated in heart of North York Moors National Park our new hall was completed and opened in May 2019. Alas like most other halls currently closed due to Covid Pandemic, but looking forward until we can reopen.
Fearby & Healey Village Hall
Yorkshire
Built in 1927 the Village Hall was gifted to the villagers of Fearby & Healey, near Masham, North Yorkshire, by Lady Elizabeth Alice Masham in memory of her late husband John Cunliffe, 3rd Lord Masham. Originally for use as a reading room for the purpose of recreation “with the sincere wish that it may prove to be a benefit and source of many hours of pleasure and enjoyment to them”. Almost 100 years later, Fearby & Healey Village Hall continues to thrive. In pre-war times it served, amongst other things, as the local bath house and for many years was the venue for the Fearby Annual Sports and Dance - in 1937 staging events such as “The Slow Bicycle Race” and races for “Married” and Single Ladies” offering prize money of 7/6 (seven shillings and six pence - old money) for the winner. Updated and extended over the years with a new roof in 2016 (thanks to a grant from the National Lottery) the Hall continues to offer a blend of some of the old established Village traditions - Old Thyme Dances, Dominoes, Quoits - alongside newer activities such as a very popular and professional annual Pantomime, Speaker Lunches, Concerts, Music Hall, Dance Nights as well as hosting numerous cycling events which have grown out of the popularity of the Tour de Yorkshire and Tour de France for which Fearby & Healey Village Hall is on the main route. Looking forward the Village Hall will be celebrating its Centenary in 2027 and plans are afoot to mark this very special occasion both looking back over its first 100 years and looking forward to new opportunities to keep the Hall a very valued community asset for future generations.
Felpham Community Hall
Sussex
Work started on the new community centre in Felpham in Summer 2015. A ground-breaking ceremony took place as the facility began to take shape.
It is located amongst the new Blake’s Mead Estate, on Meaden Way, Felpham. The large development formerly known as site six and which has now become a series of differently named schemes.
The new centre boasts covered play and activity areas, meeting rooms, changing rooms and hospitality provisions.
The impressive facilities are provided by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes as part of their planning permission from Arun District Council for the housing. Councillors from Arun and other representatives, and Felpham Parish Council members, gathered with Barrett to mark the start of the centre’s building work. Barratt technical project manager Robert Barber said: “These new facilities have been an integral part of our plans since we first considered building new homes here in Felpham. “And this was an important milestone in ensuring the area has excellent facilities for residents of all ages. “We’re delighted our plans are now coming to fruition.
This new community centre will benefit everyone in the area - and we look forward to seeing the facilities being enjoyed by everyone.” He said providing the centre added to the pride his team felt for their work on the extensive and popular scheme in Felpham.
The Hall finally opened in September 2017 and has quickly been put to great use. Already there is a resident Pre School, regular classes ranging from Jive dancing to Yoga and from Karate to Jiggy Wrigglers and Baby Sensory sessions with a host of various fitness classes for all ages to enjoy.
Felpham Parish Council’s members are also settling in to the building, which one member previously described as worth about £1.2m.
Cllr Dave Smart, said the centre has represented a fresh start for the council. “The opening of the centre is a new episode for us. It’s a fantastic new building,” he said. “It’s an exciting time for the council and the community because it’s such a really, really nice building. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for the community of Felpham. It’s not just for use of Blake’s Mead only. It’s for all of Felpham – and we want the people of Felpham to use it as their centre.”
Arun remains responsible for the football pitch, multi-use games area and play area which surround the building. The district council also has control of the changing rooms inside the centre “ Our role is to manage what goes on inside the walls,” said Cllr Smart.
The parish council moved into the new centre from late August 2017. The relocation from its previous base in St Mary’s Centre in Grassmere Close. The council was founded in 1985 and has met at the centre since it became the previous community building to open in July, 1995
Book Felpham Community Hall
Bookings can be made with the Hall Manager, Doug Millen on 07927 032444 or email him on
Main Hall prices range from just £15 per hour (concessionary rate), with smaller rooms from only £7.50 per hour. Suitable for all sorts of events or occasions from corporate training to weddings and birthdays.
Felton Village Hall
North Somerset
Gifted to the villages of Felton and Downside in 1931, extended and refurbished in 2000, thanks to a National lottery Charities Board grant, the hall serves the community with a wide variety of regular users. Lockdown has given us the opportunity to execute many internal improvements, so we are ready to go when we’re able. Complete gallery of images on www.Felton village hall.com
Fencott and Murcott Village Hall
Oxfordshire
Our hall was originally built and opened in the mid 1900’s and has been a fantastic facility for the community over the years. With support from Acre, the Lottery Fund, the District Council, and our local fundraising efforts we have high hopes, following the most recent improvements, for continuing to be a valuable hub for our local residents for many years to come.
Fernham Village Hall
Oxfordshire
A tastefully converted 1860s church which serves all the needs of our rural community
Fernwood Village Hall
Nottinghamshire
Fernwood Village Hall opened in 2008. It is a wonderful community hub. At the moment, it is quiet due to the National Lockdown caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. But we cannot wait to reopen and have all our activities back up and running including Fernwood Community Church, dance and exercise groups, toddler groups, slimming groups and Parish Council meetings...not to mention all the parties!!!
Ferring Village Hall
Sussex
Ferring Village Hall was built in 1924, made possible by the generosity of Mrs Georgiana Alma Henrietta Henty, a local landowning, brewing and banking family member. A surviving photograph of the time suggest the hall was built in a field, with no evident buildings nearby, and a fairly rough track (presumably a precursor to Ferring Street) running in front of the hall. It would have made a striking impression on all observers. The hall was built by a company of local builders - the Tourle family, and subsequent members of the Tourle family attended Ferring Primary School with one current trustee in the 1960’s! The hall was extended in 1929 with a “Club Room”, and a stage to the main hall added in 1939. There may even have been an orchestra pit by the stage at one point. The early management team had a large number of military personnel involved, including a Rear Admiral, `Colonel and Brigadier General. Ferring Village Hall is today managed by elected trustees only one of whom has military connections. The Village Hall has always been a hub for inclusive community activity, and continues to this day to be so, providing an excellent facility for a vast range of clubs, including ballet, dancing, yoga, film, horticulture, history, amateur dramatics, food markets the Women’s Institute and much else. Funds to continuously improve and maintain the hall are generated from a range of sources - individual donations, donations from some user groups, charges levied to current hirers of the hall, fundraising events, and more recently because of lockdown from grants from Government and Local Councils. As Ferring Village Hall approaches 100 years of service to the local community, appetite to both make available this facility and to also make use of this facility, continues.
Fifield Parish Hall
Oxfordshire
Fifield Parish Hall began life as a Methodist Chapel in the 1850s and later became the Parish Reading Room. In 1961 a Registered Charity was formed and the building was gifted by a local family to Fifield as the Parish Hall. In 2009 the building was modernised and restored paid for by village fund raising, gifts and grants. It was officially re-opened in February 2010 by the Rt Hon David Cameron - in the year in which he became Prime Minister. Today the Hall is a great asset at the heart of village life. It is used for seasonal and annual events such as the Harvest Supper, the Christmas Party, Parish meetings and local and national elections. It is also home to the weekly Post Office, the Fifield Art Group, a small library of books and popular Pilates classes. It is used for coffee mornings, charity events, private parties, lectures and an occasional touring theatre group. The Hall houses Fifield’s 2012 Jubilee needlepoint, beautifully designed and stitched by residents, and a collection of royal event commemorative plates.
Filleigh Village Hall
Devon
Our parish is in the heart of rural North Devon, with a scattered population of approx 250 people. There is no ‘village’ as such but the hall, school and church are within a few hundred yards of each other, most dwellings being further away
Before Covid the hall was used by our primary school plus activities such as badminton, U3A and WI as well as being training centre for DCC and NHS. It is a popular wedding venue.
Pandemic struck during the building of an extension, which was finished during the summer of 2020.
When able to by the varying Tier Regulations we have held individual skittles, small suppers, and Chat & Coffee for 6, which worked well (with face masks etc) in the new room.
Currently, we are generally on full Lockdown, although the blood donation sessions are exempt and continuing on schedule. Our school is not able to use the hall, but another organisation which looks after children that cannot be educated in mainstream schooling is, and their fees help cover necessary running costs. We look forward to wide open doors again
Fillingham Village Hall
Lincolnshire
We are a small rural village and our village hall is at the centre of all our community events. Our village hall started it’s life as the village school c1850, before becoming the village hall in the 1960’s. It is a listed building with ogee headed windows along one side.
Findern Village Hall
Derbyshire
Our hall is in the heart of Findern Village, set in a good sized area with a nice car park and is in daily use. Rebuilt from a small "institute hall" in the mid 1970's after extensive community fund raising. We have started to refurbish within the hall, beginning with the toilets, heating system, more comfy seating and most recently the kitchen, with the help of a Lottery grant, which was most welcome.
Findern village now finds itself greatly enlarged in size from 750 houses, due to a large housing estate with 1200 houses recently established on the outskirts of the parish.
We look forward to the future in continuing to provide a welcome place for preschool children and also offering a range of community activities for a wider spectrum of people. We are also hoping we may encourage more trustees to come on board and help with the management of this lovely hall.
Findon Village Hall
Sussex
Well, we may be “closed for covid” at the moment but we are working with the Parish Council to get the extension finished, converting from a trust structure to a CIO, taking the opportunity to sort out some maintenance issues while we have the opportunity without interfering with normal operation and making sure we ready to resume serving our local community just as soon as we can!
Finedon Community Centre
Northamptonshire
Finedon Community Centre is a unique building being a former Methodist Church built in 1905 and acquired on behalf of the Community in 1985. After much development the doors opened in 1988 as Finedon Community Sports & Leisure Centre. It is situated in the heart of this popular Town and is a completely self-funding registered charity run by a small team of volunteers.
After many years of wanting a new heating system we were extremely pleased to be awarded grants enabling us to have Heat Pump Air conditioning installed in both the halls at the end of 2019.
With two floors served by a lift and complete with original stained glass windows, it has a large hall on the First Floor with high wooden vaulted ceiling, servery, toilets and a seating capacity of 200 people for wedding receptions, engagement, anniversary and retirement parties. Also ideal for one off productions and events, concerts, indoor markets, badminton and bowls.
The Ground Floor hall with smaller capacity has serving hatches from the kitchen on two sides. Ideal for meetings, conferences, funeral wakes, keep fit exercising, pilates and yoga. It is also very popular for the under 10s birthday and christening parties.
More information: 01933 398377 or website: http://www.finedoncc.co.uk
Finmere Village Hall
Buckinghamshire
The present village hall was funded and built by the villagers of Finmere and opened in 1985.
Since then it has been the recipient of a number of grants and has undergone some modernisation.
It is positioned close to the centre of the village, sharing a field with both cricket and football pitches, and is regularly used by a variety of clubs and groups.
There is also a recently installed children's play area alongside the hall.
Fitzhead Tithe Barn
Somerset
The medieval Fitzhead Tithe Barn has been our village hall since 1910 when it was made available to the village for use by the local community. We are a very small rural farming village in Somerset and the Tithe Barn is now the only remaining community hub left in the village where we can meet and socialise, and this helps us to maintain a strong and healthy community. The Tithe Barn is used for various activities such as the craft group, exercise groups, lunch club, coffee mornings, village social events & functions and village meetings etc, and it is available for private hire by the community for parties, weddings, funerals & other functions.
Five Ashes
Sussex
Jayne Torvill was the guest of honour at the official
opening of the refurbished and extended village hall in Five Ashes on
Saturday 28 March 2015. Jayne, best known for her gold medal winning performance
with her partner Christopher Dean in the 1984 Olympics, cut the ribbon to mark
the beginning of a new era in village life for the residents where village amenities are seriously restricted.
The village hall was awarded a Big Lottery award towards the
cost of the improvements in December 2013 and work started in March 2014. A
second grant award from Wealden District council ensured that the completed
building was finished to the highest specification. The completion and handover
took place in October 2014.The work included the complete rebuilding of the
Southern end of the hall to provide a much needed second hall along with new
toilet facilities. The building features state of the art air source heating,
LED lighting and photovoltaic cells as well as being built to the latest
regulations for insulation purposes and compliance to disabled user
requirements. We miss all the regular users which include the East Sussex school of dance,rifle club,Short mat bowls,Adult education,Table tennis,Children's parties,Dog trainers,Mayfacs,Creative writers,Weight watchers,Belly dancers,Yoga group ,Stool ball players,Cricketers and Horticultural society and look forward to welcoming everyone back later in the year.
Flamstead Village Hall
Hertfordshire
The Flamstead School Room was built in 1861. Although it lacked running water and had outside chemical closets, it was used as a school until 1962. There are families in the village whose parents and grandparents remember going to school there. In 1964 the hall was taken on a lease to provide a meeting place for many village organisations, and in succeeding years improvements were made – including adding toilets, a kitchen and a committee room. In 1969 it was bought with the aid of numerous small loans from villagers, and Flamstead Village Hall was established as an independent charitable trust. Over the years there has been further improvement and modernisation on a regular basis, making the Village Hall a bright, well-lit and warm space which can host a variety of activities.
Although Covid stopped most activities throughout the past year, Preschool was able to run safely there, five days per week in term time, giving very young children a positive time playing and learning. We look forward to the return of more users when restrictions are lifted in the coming months: including Cubs, Beavers, Brownies, table tennis, WI, Yoga, the annual Village Show and the Scarecrow Festival, as well as family celebrations and children’s parties.
Fleetville Community Centre
Hertfordshire
As you’ll see from the picture we’ve a old prefabricated building. We hope to replace this with a new centre within the next couple of years, building on the same site and offering a modern, energy efficient building with more user space.
Flitton & Greenfield Village Hall
Bedfordshire
Opened in 1969,our village hall has been at the heart of the community ever since and improved facilities recently have encouraged greater use by everyone of all ages. Currently having to be closed, we are taking the opportunity to refurbish the bar facilities.
htpps://flittongreenfieldvillagehall.com
Folksworth Village Hall
Cambridgeshire
Folksworth Village Hall has just finished a major refurbishment and extension project, which has taken many years to bring to fruition. We were so very disappointed when the hall had to close to the majority of groups, but we made ourselves COVID-Secure (thanks to all the guidance from ACRE) and are very pleased that Preschool is still able to use the village hall during these difficult times, ensuring young families get local support. Our hall is a significant, historic, local building and a vital rural community asset that provides a central link between people of all ages. It will be wonderful when we are fully open again for the village social events, and to welcome all the community groups back through the doors.
Fontmell Magna Village Hall
Dorset
During all three lockdowns the Village Hall trustees made every effort to make improvements to the hall in readiness for reopening. The hall was redecorated and ultra fast fibre broadband installed. We are offering our hall as a covid-19 secure venue for those needing access to broadband and work has started on a joint venture with our neighbouring doctors surgery to create a cut flower garden as part of the social prescribing initiative. We know that our regular hirers will be keen to resume their activities as soon as they are permitted. Creating a website is our next challenge.
Fortrey Heap Village Hall
Suffolk
Built in The Street in 1850 originally as a School. In 1895 the school was condemned and a School Board formed to build Barnby & North Cove Primary School in 1897/8. Little is known of the Hall’s history between the closure of the school and 1927 when Captain Fortrey Heap of North Cove Hall, after whom it is named gave the “School House” to the villagers as s social club and reading rooms. Over the years many alterations have been undertaken with the last major modernisation in early 1996. Most of the labour undertaken by volunteers with the help of fund raising and grants over four years by the villagers. The village hall is still in constant use by the villagers of North Cove, Barnby and surrounding areas, and is a great meeting place for all ages and hopefully will continue to be so for many years to come.
Fovant
Wiltshire
Our village hall is very small and fairly old but is much loved and used by many groups in the village. We have refurbished the kitchen and are now aiming to put in insulation and upgrade the heating system
Fradswell Village Hall
Staffordshire
We are a vibrant community hub
at the heart of our tiny village of Fradswell (approx 170 residents).
We provide local opportunities
to meet, socialise,
learn, share
and shop.
Our village has no amenities other than our hall. We run regular coffee mornings, a monthly lunch club, a monthly community shop, cafe and repair shop, as well as a regular Pop-Up Bar night and various events.
We now have a number of what have become annual local ‘traditions’ which our community looks forward to every year.
Our annual Apple festival, ‘Frapfest’, at which we chop and press local apples, supplied by our community, using the extracted juice to make Fradswell cider, with the apple pulp going to local compost heaps and local pig food!
Our annual ‘Wassail’ event. A spectacular family evening of flaming torches, singing, banging of instruments and saucepans, all to Wassail and ‘wake up’ our community apple trees and encourage a good crop of apples later in the year for our cider!
Our free summer barbeque is always a popular evening, celebrating Fradswell community and our lovely village hall.
Throughout the 2020/21 pandemic, we have had a team of volunteers ready to help anyone needing shopping, prescriptions etc, or even just a chat. Our free weekly exercise class has continued to run online, via Zoom, keeping community together and healthy! We’ve also distributed Boredom Buster bags to many in our community struggling with isolation.
Our hope for the future is to keep our wonderful community engaged, welcoming, caring, sustainable and forward-looking -and as special a place to be, as it is now.
Frank Wickham Hall
Derbyshire
The Frank Wickham Hall in Etwall consists of a main hall and a smaller room to the rear which overlooks the village bowling green. The main hall is used by Etwall Pre-school and local societies most weekdays but is available for hire for parties etc at other times. The small room is also available for hire when not in use by Etwall crown green bowls club. The hall has recently been refurbished with further improvements in the pipeline.
The booking clerk can be contacted via the Parish council website.