What a year 2025/26 has been for our village hall. Eventful, busy, challenging, uplifting and sometimes all in the same week. There has been so much to be proud of and so much that has kept the team firmly on their toes. I don’t think we had a single quiet month, and in many ways, that’s exactly what makes this place so special.
This year has reminded me why our hall matters so deeply to so many people. It has also reminded me how difficult it can be to run a community space when the external noise gets loud. I’m not going to sugar-coat it: some people in the village have chosen to step back from supporting the hall, and that has been disappointing. It doesn’t knock the team’s spirit, but it does affect the charity and the funds we rely onto keep the hall going.
We’ve also felt, at times, a strain in our relationship with our landlords, the Parish Council. That’s something we are working hard to improve. But I’ll be honest it was tough to hear the PC Chair’s report this year, where the hall wasn’t mentioned at all, despite being the biggest community asset in the village. No thanks were given to the volunteers who keep this place alive. That was a hard moment for the team.
But and this is important — that is not the story of our year.
Because alongside that, we have received countless messages, comments, and emails from people who use the hall. People who tell us how much they value it, how much they enjoy being here, and how much it means to them. And that is what keeps us going.
If you ever want to see the hall at its very best, come to one of our bingo nights. You’ll see the young, the old, the new, the familiar all laughing, chatting and teasing each other, and simply enjoying being together. That is community. That is why we do what we do.
Late last year, we reshuffled roles. I stepped into the Chair position, and Lynne took on the Treasurer role to ease the pressure on Brian. And what a six months it has been. We’ve been tested in ways none of us expected, but every storm is followed by sunshine. And in the toughest moments, we pulled together and reminded ourselves why this hall is worth every ounce of effort.
Events & Activities
This year we hosted numerous private parties, with volunteers giving many hours to run the bar. We delivered more community events from the Christmas crafts to Bingo, The Craft Fair to the Christmas Lunch — and our regular groups continue to thrive, dog training, lunches for locals, art club, gardening club, knit and natter, and many more.
We introduced bingo, which has been a roaring success, and our food van nights continue to be one of our most profitable and successful evenings.
Building & Maintenance
Thanks to several successful grant applications, we’ve been able to make some fantastic improvements:
A new oven and dishwasher
A new canopy, an extended patio, and brand-new outdoor furniture
Bird boxes and planters to encourage wildlife
New tables
New bin storage
Improved signage
Playpark improvements
Community subsidised events
And a new till system to help us manage stock more effectively
These upgrades have made a real difference to the experience of everyone who uses the hall.
Finances
Rising utility costs continue to be a challenge, but careful budgeting and increased usage have kept us stable. We did have to increase bar prices to reflect rising supplier costs, and we continue to shop around for the best deals.
Oil prices remain a concern, and we’re monitoring them closely. We’ve also made changes to reduce waste. Our fridges and heating can now be switched on remotely, and we’ve installed energy saving plugs throughout the hall.
We’re also trialling a new finance system to help us manage our accounts more effectively.
Volunteers & Thanks
Now, I want to take a moment to talk about the people who make all of this possible our volunteers.
Running this hall legally, responsibly, and effectively takes a huge number of hours and a huge amount of passion, commitment, energy, and responsiveness. Whether you’ve tidied up after an event, filled in forms, shopped, gardened, done DIY, written policies, or tackled any of the countless unseen jobs… you have played a vital role. And you deserve recognition.
And I must give a special mention to Brian. For around ten years, you have been a constant source of knowledge, humour, and positivity. Your lists, your dedication, your reliability, they’ve shaped this team. We will miss you enormously. But you will always, always be welcome back.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the year ahead, our focus will be on securing further grants and funding to cover rent, running costs, and future improvements. We’ll be working to strengthen our relationship with the Parish Council. We’ll be installing a new fire panel system. We’ll be reviewing our biodiversity and environmental responsibilities. We’ll be exploring grants for hand dryers, air source heat pumps, and other sustainability upgrades. We’ve approached the Parish Council about replacing the road within the grounds to improve accessibility. We’ll continue working closely with RCAN. We’ll be reviewing new systems for tracking volunteer hours and managing bookings. And we’ll be promoting the hall to attract new regular users.