Nether Heyford Village Hall Fete – 8th June 2024
Category: Village Hall
Something new at the Village Hall
Many of you may recall seeing a large photographic display in the foyer of the village hall, created in April last year to support our entry into the ACRE Village Awards Scheme. The judge was so impressed she immediately took photographs, and we believe that this helped us to win one of our two Gold Awards. (The other one being for the creative use of our communal space by the allotments association)
The display was the result of Mick Parker going around the village and taking photographs of as many of our community and group activities as he could, and it received many compliments. When it was time for it to be dismantled, it was felt that it would be a great shame for all these pictures of our village life to disappear completely. So, Mick and Tom Dodd got together and selected one photograph from each set of group pictures. The remaining photographs were then passed to all the relevant groups for their own records.
Since then, Tom has created an amazing montage, which has just been installed in the village hall foyer underneath our Welcome Sign – as a permanent ‘snapshot’ of our village life in 2022. You are recommended to go and see if you can find yourselves and your group in action. We are pleased to say that the cost of this undertaking has been fully covered: first, with £100 awarded to us by ACRE as Gold Award winners; plus a grant of £100 from our parish council; and with the balance coming from proceeds of a sponsored skydive by the then, village hall chairman.
Like Mick, Tom most generously gave his time free. One of the many aspects of our village, which helped to win our Gold Award, was the evidence of so many gifted members in our community.
Tom and Mick – we salute you!
Alwyne Wilson
Nether Heyford Village Hall Garage Sale 2023
Nether Heyford Village Hall – Village Garage Sale
Sunday 21st May 2023 : 10am – 4pm
BUYERS: The Village Hall is the place for buyers to start at 10am, when doors open and the map of all the registered garages is available. Refreshments & maps available throughout the day from 10am to 4pm.
SELLERS: Apply to register your garage/drive/verge/space – It costs only £7.50 to register your garage on the map. Please book before the closing date of Saturday 13th May.
By Email and pay via Bank Transfer:
1. Send email to nhvhevents@gmail.com including the following:
> Name
> Garage Address
> Telephone Number
> Email Address
2. Send bank transfer of £7.50 to:
> Account Name: Nether Heyford Village Hall
> Sort Code: 23-05-80
> Account No: 44704080
> Reference: Garage<Surname> (e.g. GarageWilson)
OR
By Post and pay via Cheque or Cash:
1. Print booking form or write a note including the following:
> Name
> Garage Address
> Telephone Number
> Email Address
Nether Heyford Village Hall Garage Sale Form
2. Post Cheque or Cash for £7.50 (with form or note):
> Post via letter box of 1a Watery Lane, Nether Heyford, NN7 3LN
> Cheques payable to: Nether Heyford Village Hall
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Website: www.netherheyfordvillagehall.org
Email: nhvhevents@gmail.com
Events Secretary: Pat Paterson 07802 210440
Registered Charity No. 304256
Location: Google Maps
Village Hall – News – February 2021
Although the village hall is not being used again, during this third lock-down, the management committee is still working hard at managing and maintaining the building. In addition to a complete redecoration, the hall is now undergoing its annual checks for Gas Appliances, Electrical Safety and Fire Extinguishers. When, at last, a new normality is restored, the hall will be ready and waiting to welcome back its regular user groups.
In the meantime, we are grateful for all the dedicated voluntary work going on behind the scenes.
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Chairman, Village Hall Management Committee
Village Hall – News – November 2020
With the redecoration of the main hall completed, the next project is to improve the rear wall of the stage. We have planned the work for minimal impact on users, but for a short while there may be rather more dirt and dust around the stage area than is usual. However, when this is finished, we shall once again have a village hall to be proud of – such a pity that so few people can enjoy it at present.
However, the re-opening of the hall as Covid-19 Secure in September has allowed Pilates, Yoga, Cha Cha Chimps, Martial Arts and craft groups to return to their regular meetings. We are grateful to them all for following the Covid-19 Secure procedures.
Our website www.netherheyfordvillagehall.org has been in use for several months now. Website traffic has increased again and several new enquiries for hire of the hall are in discussion – potentially, good news for the future.
Light at the end of the tunnel – although the tunnel keeps getting longer – for us all.
Just keep smiling…
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Chairman, Village Hall Management Committee
Village Hall – News – October 2020
New Vice-Chairman
More great news – the Management Committee has a new Vice-Chairman: Joan Kirkbride.
Joan has lived in the village since 1965 and has enjoyed playing a part in village life in various capacities. She has spent many years in public service, having served on the Parish Council, District Council and County Council. She has also a been a trustee of the Bliss Charity School. Although presently engaged in other Community Trusts, she has missed being part of the village organisations. She feels she will be honoured to serve on the Village Hall Committee as Vice-Chairman, and is happy to serve in any capacity needed. We are delighted to welcome Joan to our team and are looking forward to working with her.
Re-opening of the Hall
The hall was re-opened on 1st September as a “Covid-19 Secure” venue but, after just a few days, the Government announced drastic changes to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Regulations which would limit gatherings to 6 people. Or did they?
At the outset it appeared that the hall would again be closed to users, but behind the sound-bites and headlines in the guidance documents on the gov.uk website, was detail that has allowed us to continue to make the hall available to users. The pages of “Covid-19: Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities”, issued by the government, includes a section on permitted activities including leisure and social gatherings.
“We recognise the importance of social clubs for some individuals and recommend that these can proceed with caution in venues that have been made Covid-19 Secure. Clubs or groups that use community facilities can begin to meet again and facility managers should follow these Covid-19 Secure guidelines to facilities that. Premises or locations following Covid-19 Secure guidelines will be able to hold more than 30 people, subject to their own capacity limits. It is important for people to maintain social distancing and good hand hygiene when visiting these spaces. People using community facilities should continue to limit their interactions with those they do not live with outside of any formal activities they are participating in to help control the virus. People meeting in a club or group context at a community centre should be encouraged to socially distance from anyone they do not live with or who is not in their support bubble.”
The hall therefore remains open for those who wish to use it, albeit with obligations on everyone to participate in maintaining the Covid-19 Secure condition. Please remember, however, that entrance to the hall remains unchanged, there is a one way system to access the washrooms, and to avoid people passing each other in the front lobby, exit will be via the front fire escape door. The Management Committee is committed to doing everything necessary to keep the hall as safe and Covid-19 Secure as possible, but if you see something that needs to be added, or could be done better, please let Peter Squire (01327 342167) know about it.
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Chairman, Village Hall Management Committee
Village Hall – News – September 2020
Great news – the village hall is returning to life! Under the current Government guidance, we are planning to open the hall again on 1st September.
To bring us to this stage, a great deal of work has been done, thanks mainly to the tremendous efforts of two of our Management Committee members – Peter Squire and Pat Paterson – who have spent countless hours over several weeks to interpret the many directives issued by the Government.
To re-open the hall, we must demonstrate through Risk Assessment that the building can be ‘Covid-19 Secure’. This risk assessment highlights the mitigation’s required to exclude the virus from the hall. Some of these will be actions by the Management Committee to provide equipment etc., and others will be actions required by the users. The latter are set out in a Special Conditions of Hire
documents that will be supplied to all users.
Significant changes in the use of the hall will be to restrict the number of people in the hall to a maximum of 30, close the kitchen for the preparation of food and drink, and create a one-way system to access the washrooms from the main hall via the kitchen and back to the hall by the entrance lobby.
Entrance to the hall will remain unchanged but, to avoid people passing each other in the front lobby, exit will be via the front fire escape door.
Users and event organisers will be asked to hold a contact list of their members / guests, and to make that available if required by the Government’s Track & Trace system.
The Risk Assessment and the Special Conditions of Hire will be supplied to all regular users, in both the bookings and documents sections and are also on the website: www.netherheyfordvillagehall.org
If, as a non-regular user, you might consider hiring the hall but would like to know more first, contact Peter Squire on 01327 342167.
The Management Committee is committed to doing everything necessary to keep the hall as safe and Covid-19 Secure as possible but, if you see something that needs to be added, or could be done better, please let us know about it – on Peter’s number above.
And finally, when you return you will be welcomed to a newly decorated hall, in a fresh new colour scheme. We hope you like it.
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Chairman, Village Hall Management Committee
Village Hall – Vacancy for new Vice-Chair
Village Hall – News – July & August 2020
Saturday 20th June – should have been our Village Hall Fete – with the same strong winds and heavy rain as last year – seems to be becoming a tradition. However, thanks to C-you-know-what, it had to be cancelled.
That’s not the only sad news for the Village Hall, as our Vice-Chair, Eve Matthews, has had to stand down. We want to record our thanks to Eve, not only for her enthusiastic and valuable contributions to our management committee meetings, but also for her willingness to help with our fundraising events. With our Events Secretary Pat Paterson, Eve worked hard at the beginning of the year, not only to help organise the village hall fete but the April garage sale too, also cancelled.
Throughout the village hall’s 60-year history, volunteers have been joining and leaving the management committee – each member bringing in fresh ideas and energy – to help ensure the hall’s continual maintenance and development into the splendid community facility that we still enjoy. As we are keen to continue this tradition by finding a successor for Eve, we have issued an invitation to Nether Heyford people to join us – please see our advertisement in this issue.
This should have been a special year for the village hall – with lots of planned events to celebrate its 60th anniversary – now on hold. However, next year we will celebrate ‘60+1’ so come and join us and help us make 2021 special instead.
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Chairman, Village Hall Management Committee
Village Hall – Vacancy for new Vice-Chair
The Nether Heyford Prattler 