Tag: Village Hall

After almost 5 years of planning and fundraising the Village Hall Committee are very pleased to announce that Building work will commence on the 17^th of February on our Improvement project. Following the installation of acoustic panels in the main Hall building work will commence on a much-needed extension to the dated and tiny Kitchen, we are also enlarging the storeroom and hallway and creating a new main entrance.

As a bonus a new 1^st floor amenity room will be created which will be ideal for family parties, larger meetings and will suit some of the smaller groups that regularly hire the main hall.

We are always looking for new Committee members to assist in the management of the Hall and in September we will be looking for a chairman who will have a gradual handover from the current chairman. We usually meet about 8 times a year and are also Trustees being responsible for the day-to-day management and maintenance also ensuring we meet current legislation. It can be very rewarding working alongside a small group of local people and sharing responsibilities.

For either position contact any committee member details are on the hall website www.stinchcombehall.org.uk

Phase 1 – Complete

It was November 2022 that the Village Hall Committee held 2 public consultations at the Hall to present some draft plans for a proposed improvement project for the Hall. Following some changes that were made as a result of feedback Full Planning Permission was granted in February 2023. Phase 1 was completed in February of this year with the fitting of acoustic panels in the main hall. This was as a result of feedback from our public meetings which changed the low priority to the highest and anyone visiting the Hall will certainly have noticed the benefit.

Phase 2 – Fundraising

Since then very little has been said about it. The Committee and a few volunteers have been busy with fundraising projects and we have applied for a large number of Grants, of which many have been turned down. However we have had some success and we have also been keeping our spend to a minimum to build up funds towards this ambitious project. We now have around 50% of the funds needed with 2 grants pledged on the condition that we raise the balance. This will take us to around 75% of our target but only if we can raise the remaining 25%.

A Recap

As a reminder, briefly, we are planning on doubling the size of the kitchen and altering the current serving hatch to allow for more people in the Kitchen and much faster serving of large parties. The hallway next to the Kitchen will be much larger and will become a new reception area making the front entrance the main entrance. Stairs will lead off from Hall/reception to a new 1st floor room which will be smaller than the main hall but larger than the Committee room. This should be a cosier room and attractive to small groups, suitable for family parties and some of the existing Dance groups and exercise classes.  The current store room will be about 40% larger allowing for more tables to be stored on the ground floor rather than having to constantly lift them up and down from the side of the Stage.

The Hall was built 70 years ago in June and has had no major upgrades in that time. The Trustees believe this project will enhance the hall and allow it to cater for our current needs and well into the future as it is one of the busiest Halls in the area. Proposed elevations are shown below. (CLICK on the image to see the larger picture!)

At the public consultations held at the Village Hall in November 2022 a small number of concerns were raised about the proposed improvement project. One concern was how poor the acoustics are and they were not part of the proposed improvements.

The Trustees had, prior to the meetings been discussing and prioritising the Hall needs. There were originally 6 needs identified. Due to potential costs and increasing an already large expensive project it was decided to make the other 5 needs our main priority and incorporate them into One project. The acoustics was therefore dropped from this improvement project.

Having listened to the concerns changes were made and the Trustees made “The acoustics” the highest priority and it became ‘phase 1’. We are very pleased to say that ‘The Acoustics’ was completed today and anyone who visits the main Hall will certainly notice a huge improvement.

We are still fundraising with the Ladies Fashion Show coming up shortly and Two further events planned.

All the money raised will be split with other Village organisations. This I believe is a great idea to be working with other needy organisations. We are discussing a possible Summer event making use of our much improved amenity area with enlarged patio.

The recent Comedy Evening fundraiser was a great success with over 100 attending and some great feedback, as a result the Committee are considering repeating it next February with a few minor ‘tweaks’ any suggestions gladly received.

If you have any suggestions for fundraising please contact any of the Committee who’s details are on the website https://stinchcombehall.org.uk/resources/ 

We still need to raise a very large amount to be able to finish the whole project and this is likely to take many years. Don’t forget the Tesco Blue Disc scheme which runs until the end of March. 

The Hall belongs to the residents of Stinchcombe held in Trust by the Parish Council and managed by a Committee of dedicated Trustees, all you support is valued and very much appreciated.

Finally the Hall is 70 years old next month and we aim to keep it in good order and improved for future generations to enjoy so please support us in any way you can.

Charlie Oakhill
(Chairman Stinchcombe Village Hall)

Tesco Community Grant Scheme and the Village Hall

The Village Hall Committee are pleased to announce that we have been approved for the Tesco ‘Blue Disc’ Community Grant scheme.

From from mid January until the end of March, The two Tesco stores taking part are:

• Cam
• Wootton-under-Edge

How it works

When customers receive a a blue token. You can vote for your favourite Community scheme out of 3 choices. They will all receive a grant. There are 3 grants available. The lowest number of discs will get £500, the next will receive £1,000, and the highest £1,500.

Please support your Village Hall

When you are Shopping in Tesco, Please ask for Blue discs if you are not given any. Don’t forget to help support our Village Hall project by putting them in the appropriate receptacle.

About Tesco Community Grants

The Tesco Community Grants scheme supports thousands of local community projects and good causes across the UK every year. The scheme is open to applications from community groups, charities, and not-for-profit organizations wanting to make a difference in their local area.

Since the program launched in 2016, Tesco Community Grants has awarded £101,881,339 in grant funding to 50,880 community projects, with grant awards decided by 738,402,011 votes cast by Tesco customers in stores across the UK.

AGM and Vacancies

This years Village Hall AGM will be on Tuesday 14th November from 7:30pm, all residents from Stinchcombe and surrounding Parishes are very welcome to attend.

If you would like to join the Committee this is a good first meeting to ask questions.

We also require a Treasurer too as our long-standing Treasurer, Sarah Tweed is standing down to spend more time travelling. If you are good with spreadsheets (not too many) you should contact any of the Committee, contact details are here or email stinchcombehall@hotmail.com

Improvement Project and Fundraising

It is an exciting time with the improvement project gathering momentum. There are also some great new and different fundraising events planned. Remember the Hall belongs to the residents of Stinchcombe and as a committee member you will have a say in its management and its future. It would be even better if some of the younger newer residents were to step up as you are the future in Stinchcombe and we want you to have your say! We meet about 8 times a year in the evening for around 90 minutes.

Volunteers needed

We have a few people who volunteer to help from time to time, but we could do with a couple more, this is to help set up events (putting out tables and Chairs, helping with the Bar and catering, erecting the Marquee etc…) As above please get in contact .

Charlie Oakhill (Chairman)

Save the Date for our Coronation Party

Following the success and great feedback of the Jubilee Party, on the Bank Holiday Monday the 8th May there will be a Stinchcombe Coronation Party at the Village Hall, including a Hog Roast and Bar. Full details in due course watch this space.

Charlie Oakhill
07958 474807

New Planning Application submitted

A Planning Application for the two storey, three metre extension into the Village Hall Car Park has been submitted to Stroud District Council. You can read more and submit comments at the link below. Deadline 10th March. 

To see the revised plan on the Village Hall Website use this link