St Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Prudhoe
Prudhoe Hall was built in 1903 by public subscription under the direction of the mining community in the then village of Prudhoe and the Foundation Stone was laid on 7th Sept. 1903 by the Lord Bishop of Newcastle - The Right Rev. Arthur Thomas Lloyd who was bishop from 1903 – 1907. Later during the 20 century the Hall was given to the local Anglican church of St Mary Magdalene to be used and maintained for the benefit of the community. During the 2nd World War it was used as a telephone exchange and had an extension built in 1970 building on a brand new kitchen area.
Very recently, we installed a free Wi Fi for the benefit of all users. Unfortunately this was just up and running when the Covid 19 pandemic arrived in 2020 and the hall was in complete lockdown. It subsequently reopened in tier 2 with very limited use and then another lockdown in tier 4 which is the current situation since December 2020. However, prior to 2020 we had plans in place to extend and revamp the whole kitchen area and were able to secure funding from a number of sources and, because of Covid regulations , were able to complete the kitchen refurbishment without inconveniencing any of the users. Now in 2021 we are ready to be a host to all the usual hall users and additionally able to offer, top of the range catering facilities, for those needing a venue for serving food after weddings, funerals and other celebrations. In the past we have been a community meeting place for lots of organisations, including Women’s Institute, guides and Brownies, Weight Watchers, U3A, Over 50’s Forum, Mother’s Union Tai Chi, Bravo drama for young children, Artventurs for very young babies and toddlers, Social Eyes for the hard of sight, Dog Training classes as well as our ongoing church activities – Young Church, Parents and Toddlers and the regular coffee mornings on Thursday, Saturdays and Sundays and even began cooking clases Even though we are regularly very busy we still have time to hire out for birthday parties and charity fundraising events. We are all looking forward to life returning to normal and this hall being the central hub in the community again. Joan Russell – Hall Secretary