Village Hall News – aren’t we lucky?
We are so fortunate in Nether Heyford to have such a splendid village hall which is
comfortable, warm, safe, in good condition and adaptable at the heart of our
community. However, we’ve realised recently that, whilst the village hall is used
both regularly and occasionally by a wide range of groups, few people actually
know of its background or how it is managed and maintained.
It’s now almost 60 years since our village hall was built, mainly by volunteers –
since when it has been managed and maintained by volunteers. This is done by a
management committee composed of representatives of the groups who regularly
use the hall. As the hall is a registered charity, members are trustees – as is
normal. Some people feel a little hesitant about becoming a trustee but, as both
our financial and legal affairs are stringently managed and monitored, there is no
reason for anxiety. In addition, our vice-chair is also vice-chair of the Parish
Council and presents regular reports.
In addition to the user group representatives, our committee also includes a
chairman, vice-chair, treasurer and secretary – plus three ‘parishioners’ who,
whilst not directly benefiting from any regular activities, share our keenness to
keep the hall in good order for our community to enjoy. We are a lively and
proactive group who enjoy working together for what we see as a worthwhile
cause. We meet one evening a month, excluding August, and do our best to keep
our meetings fairly short, aiming to finish by 8:30 pm or 8:45 pm. It’s not obligatory
to attend every meeting – we do have other lives too. Some members also help to
organise our fundraising efforts to ensure that we have enough money to cover
essential repairs and renewals. We did the pantomime at Christmas which was
greatly enjoyed, and now we’re planning this year’s Village Hall Fete on 8th June.
Together, we gain both satisfaction and enjoyment from our teamwork.
We are supported by another group – the Friends of the Village Hall. These are
people from the village who don’t want to be involved in a regular commitment but
are happy to help out occasionally with jobs such as putting up and taking down
our Christmas decorations and helping to clear the surrounding grounds of weeds.
We hope that they will also be helping to set up and clear up on Fete day. These
are enjoyable occasions where refreshments – and chocolate biscuits – are freely
available. Anyone can be a ‘Friend’ so if you want to join, call me.
Finally, we are able to look forward to our next ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on
THURSDAY 23rd MAY, 7.30 PM, at the VILLAGE HALL.
It would be a great encouragement to us all if our fellow-villagers could show their
appreciation and support by joining us – and maybe giving us some new ideas to
help make our hall even better. We hope that we may see you there.
Alywne Wilson
01327 340803
The Nether Heyford Prattler 