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BARROWDEN VILLAGE HALL - 2022/23

REPORT TO THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING    MAY 2023

 

The village hall finances are sound. Bookings in 2022/23 have recovered back to pre pandemic levels.  From May 22 - May 23 there were 303 bookings. 

Many of these are our regular clubs, groups and societies, including:

 

  • Monthly Barrowden lunch, including the highly popular Christmas event

  • Cinema club

  • WI

  • Art group

  • Scottish country dancing

  • Keep fit

  • Ukulele group

  • Parish council meetings

  • A new Crochet and Knitting club on a Monday evening.

 

Unfortunately, the indoor bowls club has not restarted this year, but we still have the equipment should anyone wish to reform the group. 

There are still available slots should anyone want to hire the hall for an individual or regular booking. See www.barrowdenvh.co.uk for details.

 

We have also had many one-off hires for parties and a successful Christmas craft fair in November. The village hall is the site of the Christmas “Big Pick” for shop Christmas orders and we were pleased the hall was used for the funeral teas of much missed villagers, Kay Bagshaw and Les Wilkinson. The hall was also used recently as a polling station for the local council elections.

 

Several successful fundraising events have been held over the past year:

  • Two Ceilidhs with live band

  • Bridge day

  • Talks by Robert Wright and Mathew Morris

  • Art Sale

  • Table Top sale

  • Music concert

  • And our monthly Open mic nights

 

The fabric of the building continues to be a major problem. As our recent structural survey by Smithers Purslow reports, it is not cost effective to attempt expensive repairs, so we are maintaining the structure as much as possible by cosmetic repairs until such time as we have major progress in our attempts to secure funding to replace the building with a new one. 

 

Plans for a hall replacement which are ongoing, are managed by the Village Hall Development Group which is accountable to the Trustees. Progress will be reported on separately.

 

The Village Hall committee is responsible for the use, operation and maintenance of the hall itself comprises: Sara Barrett, Terry Curtis (secretary), Paul Diver, Brian Edwards, Valerie Fraser(Chair), John Haddon, Ann Hillier, Peter Jones (Parish

council representative) Steve Preston and Robert Wright.(Treasurer)

 

Robert joined our Trustee board during the past year and has taken over the role of treasurer from Gill Coleman, who has left the committee. Many thanks are owed to Gill for all her help with the Village hall finances, particularly during the difficult time of the pandemic. 

 

Kate Haddon also left the Trustee board at the last AGM. New trustees and committee members are always welcome, new insights and approaches to maintaining this important village facility are crucial to our survival. The Village Hall AGM will be held in the next few months where prospective new trustees can volunteer for appointment.

 

During the year, the Village Hall trustees undertook a major modernisation of their constitution and applied to the Charity Commission to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This was carried out successfully with the guidance of a solicitor from Chatterton’s who is experienced in Charity governance. We now have a new constitution fit for modern purposes but which still embodies the original intentions for the village hall which is to provide a place of physical and mental recreation without discrimination to anyone. 

 

Many thanks to Robert Wright, Village Hall Treasurer, for preparing the accounts

summarised below.

 

Financial Summary 2022/23

  • Income from hall hirings £1860

  • Income from  events £2817

  • Expenditure on utilities, maintenance etc £2380

  • Expenditure on development of new village hall £14053 ( includes Architect's Fees)

Current balance  of approx £15000

BARROWDEN ANNUAL PARISH MEETING May 2022
Report from Village Hall Development Group

A first step towards new Community Facilities


Over the past 6 years the Barrowden Village Hall Development Group have developed a plan to replace our ageing village facilities. Encouraged by availability of grant funding for Community hub buildings we envisioned a hub consisting of new community shop, hall and surgery. The plan to bring all community facilities together under one roof on The Kings Lane / Wakerley Road site was strongly supported by village residents and stakeholders. Planning permission for this building was granted in February 2021.


Unfortunately, in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic a number of key grants have simply disappeared, also costs have escalated and at present the Group cannot see a way to raise the £1.6m budget estimate for a hub. In the meanwhile, the 1927 Village Hall building is deteriorating rapidly and has now become uneconomic to repair or refurbish. The Group therefore urgently need to take the first steps in what we hope could be a phased development of new facilities using the footprint of our current planning permission.


We have researched several realistic and affordable options for a replacement village hall building as Phase 1 of our aspirations and have been in consultation with a number of potential suppliers. Our business plan has been updated and we have had successful discussions with Burghley Estates and Uppingham Surgery about enabling the additional parking capacity that will be required. Our research into grant funding is bearing fruit and we have been able to identify a funding opportunity, The Community Ownership Fund which will launch in June. This fund is managed by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Department. We have approached our MP Alicia Kearns to ask for her assistance and support to apply for £250,000 from this fund and have received a very positive response. This grant when match funded by other grant awarding bodies, and together with local fundraising, would enable a key asset to be replaced for the benefit of the whole Barrowden community.


We look forward to holding an Open Event in the very near future so that we can inform and consult village residents about our plans.


Sara Barrett, Paul Diver, Brian Edwards, Valerie Fraser, Steve Preston.

BARROWDEN VILLAGE HALL - 2021/22

REPORT TO THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING  MAY 2022

​

The village hall finances are sound. Bookings in 2021 were well below 2019 again due to COVID restrictions.

No bookings could be taken until mid May 2021 and even then, veryfew groups were keen to meet. It was not until September 2021 that most social groups and clubs felt ready to recommence. and then we

saw the return of the Barrowden lunch,Cinema club, a new Tai Chi class, Scottish country dancing, Keep fit, Ukulele group, WI, Art group, Open Mic nights and an indoor bowls club. This latter was made

possible by the kind bequest of Mr Colin Frost, who donated £250allowing us to purchase the mats and bowls necessary. This club will run in the winter months and is open to anyone who would like to come

along and try the sport. Contact David Lovering for details.

​

We were again able to provide the premises for a highly successful andenjoyable Christmas Craft fair in November 2021 organised by Hilary Moralee, who arranges the Art group on a Wednesday and we were

very happy to welcome back the Barrowden Christmas lunch, which hadbeen very much missed in 2020 and was enjoyed by all the diners.

The long term concerns about the fabric of the building persist.

Heavy rains caused considerable damage to the flat roof over the kitchen, and this was repaired by Ronnie Fraser. Water has been leaking into the main hall through various holes in the tiled roof which is a more serious problem as the tiles are an asbestos concrete mix.

Again this has been repaired by Ronnie Fraser, many thanks to him for his help.

A surveyor’s report by Smithers Purslow was undertaken in February 2022 which

showed considerable deterioration since the last surveyor’s report, and concluded that any substantial repairs will not be cost effective in the long run.

 

Plans for a hall replacement are well underway now and will be reported on separately.

 

During the year, the village hall committee saw some trustee changes.

At our AGM in 2021, we were pleased to welcome Terry Curtis as our secretary, and Terry has also volunteered to organise the village hall Open Mic nights which areproving a great success bringing live music to the village every month with free admission. The Open Mic night in March 2022 was held in aid of the DEC Ukraine emergency appeal, and £400 was raised for this worthy cause from bar profits and a

bucket collection.

Broadband is also now available in the village hall free of charge, but should be requested when booking so that demand for usage can be assessed.

The village hall committee which is responsible for the use, operation and  maintenance of the hall itself now comprises: Sara Barratt, Gill Coleman (treasurer), Terry Curtis (secretary), Paul Diver, Brian Edwards, Valerie Fraser(Chair), Kate Haddon, John Haddon, Ann Hillier, Peter Jones (Parishcouncil representative) and Steve Preston.

 

Many thanks to Gill Coleman, Village Hall Treasurer, for preparing the accounts

summarised below.

Financial Summary 2021/22

● Income from hall hirings £1725

● Lockdown grant from RCC £19032

● Donation from Mr Frost £250 used to buy Bowls equipment

● There were no fund raising events possible in 2021 due to the effects of the

pandemic

 

Balance at end of 2021 was £27,000

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