2020 saw the publication of our latest 10-yearly Village Halls survey. You can glance through the executive highligts below and follow the link to read the full report.
2020 Executive Summary Highlights
2020 saw the publication of our latest 10-yearly Village Halls survey. You can glance through the executive highlights below and follow the link to read the full report.
BROWSE all of the reports from this survey in our online library.
1998 – The Full Report
Click the image to read the 1998 report in full.
1988 The First Ten-Yearly Survey
It has been over 40 years since the National Village Halls Ten-Yearly Survey commenced. Click the image to see the very first survey report from 1988 in full.
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Abthorpe Old School
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.
http://www.abthorpeoldschool.com
5/5
Barrow upon Humber
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.
https://www.barrowvillagehall.co.uk
5/5
Beaford Village Hall
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.
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.
http://www.BVHonline.co.uk
5/5
Braughing Community Hall
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.
http://bpfat.weebly.com/
4/5
Bulphan
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.
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.
Cassington Village Hall
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.
http://cassingtonvillagehall.org.uk
5/5
Chalfont St. Peter Community Centre
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.
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.
https://www.chewmagnaoldschoolroom.org.uk
5/5
Croydon 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!!!
Our hall is at the hub of our community. We have lots of regular users from WI, History Society, Parish Council, lots of different classes and a toddler group. We are also home to the Doctors Surgery and Inspire Library Service.
http://gothammemorialhall.com
5/5
Greenacres Memorial Hall
Our hall was built after the Crimean War to recognise the men that we lost at Sebastopol
3/5
Hambledon Village Hall
Hambledon Village Hall was built in 1902 as the Hambledon Institute and has been serving our small community in the Surrey Hills ever since. It provides the village with social activities such as the flower and produce show, the village quiz, the Christmas dance, fashion shows and more. Arts activities include regular performances from touring theatre groups (some through NRTF) and regular cinema evenings and in 2019 we held our first professional art fair. The hall is a social hub and support for children and parents through the toddler group and Cubs and it keeps the village active with Bowls and Pilates. We had to close during the first lockdown and activities such as Parish Council meetings and last year’s art fair, went online. With ACRE’s advice and support (and the hard work of our caretaker) we put Covid-secure measures in place and were able to re-open in September for most of our regular groups. We used the quiet time for repairs to the roof and some redecorating and we will soon be replacing the windows with double glazed ones to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the comfort of the hall. We have been completely closed since Christmas but with our active, enthusiastic and supportive village, we are looking to the future with optimism and are keen to resume our usual activities when we can.
http://hambledonsurrey.co.uk
5/5
Headcorn
Our new modern Village Hall was opened in 2006 which also incorporated into the design the original Church School (built 1870). This has provided us with a very versatile complex to meet the needs of all our residents from the very young to the elderly, with a wide range of clubs, societies and support groups available on a daily basis.
https://www.headcornvillagehall.com/
5/5
Horham and Athelington Village Hall (The Old School)
Horham and Athelington Village Hall (known as The Old School), hosts coffee mornings, yoga, art and craft activities, exhibitions and talks, parties and quizzes, provides free computer tuition and has a licensed bar. We miss all of this and are looking forward to more normal times.
Marsden Mechanics
In 2020, we obtained funding to refurbish our lift, and we are currently working to obtain funding to secure the fabric of the building for the future. We are definitely looking forward to welcoming people back into our building and library, and we will be introducing some new social sessions, and taking over the organisation of others where the organising groups have stepped back. We have already started taking bookings for our pantomime for Christmas 2021-22.
Our photo shows us lit up in red to show support for the performing arts organisations.
http://marsdenmechanics.co.uk
5/5
New Biggin Village Hall
Situated on the edge of the Lake District we opened in 1956 and were rebuilt in 2010. Since then we have gone from strength to strength and have taken the opportunity of the Covid-enforced closure of 2020 to add an additional function room to meet increasing demand.
Our Hall is located in a small, rural village in South West Northumberland in the heart of the North Pennines and was built in 1934. A local farmer donated a piece of land to extend the Reading Room that had been built in the 1800s for the lead miners. The building was funded by local people with subscriptions and fundraising events including whist drives, bring and buys, barn dances and sports days. The Hall is where all the local events happen: bingo nights, ceilidhs, harvest suppers, keep fit classes and social evenings to mention a few. It is the venue for birthday parties and wakes, the polling station and a public meeting place. In addition to the main hall, the building has a kitchen and small meeting room that we are hoping to refurbish in the near future to bring the kitchen facilities into the 21st Century and to make the meeting room a warm and cosy place for people to get together. We are being guided and supported in this project by CAN (Community Action Northumberland). We are looking forward to re-opening after the pandemic, re-starting activities and to meeting friends and neighbours again.
5/5
Oakley village hall
Annual events include the well-supported Oakley Show, with displays of produce, baking and art from village residents. The biennial Oakley Carnival brings excitement to the Hall and its surrounding land, and, of course, we are the local polling station. Our regular hirers include classes for ballet, Pilates, bowls and other activities; children’s groups; lace-making; and the WI. The Hall is also a popular venue for quizzes, events and parties. It is run as a Charity by a volunteer team of Oakley residents.
The Hall opened in 1926, is run by volunteers and still occupies the original building which is a challenge in itself. Currently closed like so many we look forward to being a focus for the community again particularly with our very popular monthly pub night.
2/5
Pomeroy War Memorial Hall
We are celebrating 100 years of Pomeroy War Memorial Hall in 2021. This was a successful village hall until the 1980’s but, as you can see from the photo, the building has fallen into disrepair. For the last 30 years the hall has been used for storage. Our group, The Pomeroy Trust, is determined to bring the hall back into community use. We have been working on the project for a little under two years, and we reinstated Trustees and a Committee exactly one year ago. The global pandemic has undoubtedly slowed down the progress we have made, but we have still managed to come a very long way in a relatively short time! We are in the middle of a feasibility study which is looking into the facilities we already have in the local area, what we are lacking and what there is demand for so that we can decide on the future use of the hall. If you would like to take part in our survey, please click this link: SURVEY (photo credit: John Kingsland, Buxton Local History Society).
Here for the community, in the sun and the snow
5/5
Shotteswell Village Hall
The Village Hall is the centre of our small community acting as the hub for numerous functions and events. The committee have worked tirelessly over the last ten months to support village residents. In December we became the Warwickshire launch venue of “Warm Hub”, further demonstrating the willingness of our trustees to do as much as possible for the local community during these times.
https://www.shotteswellvillagehall.co.uk/
4/5
Sixpenny Handley Vilage Hall
We have recently completed a fantastic refurbishment of our hall thanks to funding from Dorset Council, The Talbot trust and our community. We are supporting our community groups enabling them to operate, when permitted, in these uncertain times and we are desperately looking forward to hosting Artsreach and other live events to consolidate and develop our wonderful community togetherness. Feeling = Positive and optimistic.
Our hall is a former WW1 hut which has been at the heart of the village since 1922. It is used for Stay and Play group, Pilates sessions, teas, a painting group, dance lessons and theatre performances along with holding regular fundraising events for the hall and the village church. We are using the current closure to our advantage and carrying out an extensive renovation project which means we can reopen in style and once again become the vital focal point for our small community.
https://www.facebook.com/South-Luffenham-Village-Hall-2145377608873638
5/5
St. John's Hall Meadowfield
New build opened 2019 after five years of fundraising.
5
St. Mary Magdalene-Baunton
Our ancient Church is the only meeting place in the community. The PCC are working hard to create a multi-use space supported by the PC. We hope monthly and festival worship will resume soon in this beautiful building. Signs of Spring are appearing already!
4/5
Staining
Currently closed but looking forward to when we can host the full schedule of community and beyond events we did previously
https://www.facebook.com/groups/149458229199554
4/5
Stainton Memorial Hall
Built in 1844, Stainton Memorial Hall is the hub of the village and we can’t wait to see everyone again once we’re allowed to re-open following lockdown.
http://www.staintonmemorialhall.org.uk
5/5
The Fieldgate Centre
The Fieldgate Centre is a community centre run by the Kingsclere Community Association (KCA), as a charity, for the benefit of all who live in Kingsclere and the surrounding area. KCA trustees and its volunteers rely heavily on the support of many people to ensure that the centre remains a thriving hub of community activity. Replacing the ageing infrastructure is a key objective for the association to ensure that this valued community asset remains for many years to come. Recent works include a new roof, new boiler system, an upgrade to the electrical system, redecoration and refurbishment. A great range of activities take place at the Fieldgate Centre and the number of people visiting continues to grow. In the year to March 2020 over 43,000 visited due to a combination of regular hirers who run classes, one-off hires for events and celebrations, and a series of entertainment events put on by the KCA, often in collaboration with other groups. The centre is also the home of local sports clubs: rugby, football and cricket, who use the playing fields for training and matches, and the bar/hospitality area for socialising with teams and spectators. We look forward to welcoming new visitors and the return of our regular users when restrictions are removed and it is safe for us to gather together.
http://www.thefieldgatecentre.co.uk/
5/5
Tilehurst Village Hall
Tilehurst Village Hall was built in 1893. During the 1st National Lockdown we had the main hall decorated and a few other repairs. On 23rd March we will be lighting up the village hall blue for the anniversary of the 1st lockdown residents and local businesses will also be taking part. We decorate the hall during November for Remembrance Sunday this is also something the local community take part in. We have been open since June for Pre-school which are still operating. Hope to get back to some normality soon.
5
Tutbury Village hall
The building was officially opened on 25th July 1987 as a Community Centre and became the Village Hall in 2000.
Our Background
To precis the history of the building, when houses in Castle Street owned by the Parish Charity were demolished in the early 1970s, it was hoped that the money would be available for a community building, but the Charities were not allowed to do this. For the time being, the Old Cock Inn in Lower High Street was bought by the trustees as an interim measure and this was well used for a Luncheon Club etc. and general meeting place.
Ultimately villagers raised the sum of £10,000 over the years till 1980, by organising a variety of events and also starting the 200 Club (which is still running today). In 1979 a grant was obtained from Staffordshire County Council, with the condition being that the building would have to commence within 18 months of the grant being won. The Monk Street site had been purchased from Tutbury Rural District Council by the trustees for £1. In October 1983 the project was accepted by the Manpower Services Commission and a team of builders, organised and paid for by the County would build the Village Hall provided the committee could provide all the materials. The grant from SCC, which had been expected to be £32,000 turned out to be £12,500, which was a considerable shortfall. More fundraising happened and eventually the building we have today was born. So as you can see, this really is a community building where the local community worked tirelessly to raise funds to make it happen.
Our Present and Future
Located at the heart of our vibrant village, the Hall is a well used building with many classes and events being held on a regular basis …. Art class, Tai Chi, Badminton, Pilates, Yoga, fitness classes for all ages, Scottish dancing, children’s dance, Weight Watchers and Parish Council, WI and Civic Society meetings and also Tutbury Band practice every Saturday morning. We also occasionally have a Pop Up Restaurant in the small room. We have our local Pantomime annually and another local group who put on a play in the summer, and Live and Local bring us regular professional shows, usually four a season from September to May. All these are much enjoyed by both local residents and people from further afield. We also host the annual Farmers’ Market Christmas Lunch …. As well as many children’s parties, family parties and wedding receptions!! The venue is also used as a polling station for elections …… So you can see that we are very busy. As a group of volunteers we are constantly looking at ways we can utilise the valuable space we have to offer our community and welcome the innovative ideas for its use. Having the small and large rooms means that we can accommodate virtually all requests so as to ensure it offers maximum benefit and enjoyment for everyone. In doing so, we are conscious that the Village Hall offers the only large space for our residents to freely come together without the restrictions and high costs other privately run venues in the area may charge.
We carry out regular maintenance and painting in the building and also purchase new equipment as and when needed. Over the years we have received grants for various things but have always contributed 50% of the cost ourselves from hiring fees, which are our only income apart from the 200 Club which has about 150 members and pays out prizes every month and raises approx. £1,800 per year with over 50% of this being paid in prizes.
5/5
Upton
In 1995 a questionnaire was sent out to the village to see whether there was support for the funding and building of a new village hall Our old Church Institute affectionately known as "The Tute" which had served the village well for many years was now unfit for purpose. With the support of the village behind them a volunteer Committee was set up and a stall raising £25 at a village event in August 1995 began the journey. It was decided to apply for funding from the lottery under the Millennium grant system whereby you had to match the sum requested and the Hall had to be up and running by the beginning of the year 2000 We requested £53,000, a sum we hoped we could match. The Parish Council negotiated a very suitable plot of land adjacent to the fairly new children's playground in Cargate Lane which would be rented to the Village Hall Group for a peppercorn rent. The lottery money was awarded so fund raising began in earnest alongside plans being drawn up and then building work commencing. Every type of fund raising event we could think of took place from selling a brick , fetes, flower festivals, plant sales, jumble sales and raffles. Unfortunately our only meeting place "The Tute" was sold by the Church in 1997 and suddenly we had no building to put on any such events. Luckily the Methodist Church in Upton came to our rescue and allowed us to use their premises for all of our fund raising efforts. With lots of help finishing off the interior from residents and much generosity a very basic new hall opened up in November 1999. At the time of the opening the Hall only had one booking and that was the Upton Horticultural Society that had continued to meet at the Chapel whilst the Hall was being built. Since then the Hall has added many items to complete and improve it. With financial help from the Parish Council a large asphalted car park was completed. Then from our own funding a mezzanine was built adding more storage space, a large patio laid to compliment the three patio doors, the heating was updated and solar panels added to the roof which brings in some income as well as helping with electricity costs. Just recently the main hall has been completely redecorated together with a new floor and curtains and a new kitchen has been installed. The Hall has several regular groups and hosts many parties and family get togethers as well as fund raising events put on by the Village Hall Group themselves. Our next fund raiser if the pandemic allows will be hosting The Taverham Brass Band, a very well known local entertainment whom we last invited to play for our WW1 celebrations and we hope can return in September 2021. The Hall is an excellent setting with a large green space adjoining it as well as a children's play area and an adult exercise equipment nearby. Over the last 20 years Upton Village Hall has grown in popularity and serves not only Upton but the surrounding area. A good motto would be "We did it together"
5/5
Wannock Village Hall
The original Wannock Village Hall was built in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. It was replaced with the current village hall in January 1974.
The hall offers a wide variety of classes and events. A monthly coffee morning is run and enjoyed by local people.
http://Wannockvillagehall.wordpress.com
Whitecross Village Hall
Whitecross Village Hall is an historic building dating back to 1896. It was originally the local village school, but when the school closed in 1948, the Village Hall Committee acquired the building. Whitecross Village Hall is a focal point for the local community. Whilst retaining its historic character, it now offers modern facilities with a large hall and stage, a well equipped kitchen and parking. It is an ideal venue for meetings, exhibitions, wedding receptions, parties and other functions and events.
Our Memorial Hall was constructed and opened in 1949 , in memory of sixteen Wistonians who perished in WW2. We have been fully supported by ACRE who supply top class advice and support.
Usually Worton and Marston Village Hall provides a meeting space for groups and indivduals of all ages, primarily from either village, though it is open for hire to people and groups from further afield as well. We regualrly host a toddler group, Brownies pack, Ladies Group. WI, Pilates group and Gardening Club, as well providing a venue for monthly Parish Council meetings and a Polling Station. Villagers also use it for celebrations of important events in their lives or national landmarks and Trustees endeavour to ensure that there is at least one community event each month. It is also used by a couple of local businesses. Use in 2020 was sporadic and although the Trustees worked hard to ensure that the Hall was available and ‘Covid-19 Secure’ during times we were permitted to open, most hirers did not feel confident in resuming activities. Trustees therefore used the time to refresh the decor and review our policies (both ongoing) and we have explored improvements to make the Hall more accessible once we can open again e.g. a sound system and hearing loop. We are indebted to Community First, Wiltshire Village Halls Association and ACRE for advice and support and to Wiltshire Council for financial support during what has been a challenging time and we look forward positively to when we can use the hall fully again.
http://www.wortonmarstonvillagehall.btck.co.uk/
5/5
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