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Are village halls fulfilling their potential? Village Halls in communities right across our area are hugely valuable assets, a real focus for local village life.
But are they all fulfilling their potential? Are they adapting to changing times and changing local needs? Are we making the most of them?
People who manage our Village Halls on a day-to-day basis do a tremendous job, often unpaid, making them well-run, clean and properly maintained. Others work hard to ensure events and activities are well supported.
Although traditionally Village Halls have been used for things like Scouts, fetes and flower shows, in some areas they now host a broader range of things. Mobile health facilities, lunch clubs, farmers’ markets, ‘outreach’ Council services and computer training, for example.
Many of the North East Somerset people I’m proud to represent have clear views about how our local Village Halls should develop in future. Some of those with the strongest opinions rarely use their own local facility - perhaps because it doesn’t provide services they find useful. And sometimes they just don’t know how to get involved to influence things.
To keep residents using them – and to attract new users – people who run many UK Village Halls are rightly reviewing the type of services provided - expanding or changing what they offer.
There are various sources of funding for capital projects (the ‘bricks and mortar’), but finding money to run the activities themselves can be a challenge. Local authorities tend to be a major funder. A constituent at Pensford Memorial Hall told me recently he felt the old district authority, Wansdyke Council, made it a priority to support Village Halls, but B&NES does not. It was mentioned that B&NES focuses its effort and money in Bath, rather than on our village communities.
Working together we can keep our Village Halls thriving for generations to come. But their future development must be shaped by local opinion. That doesn’t just mean a few people– some of whom are already heavily involved. It means reaching out to everyone, bar none. Often it’s those without their own transport who find Village Halls most useful: older people, families with young children, and people with disabilities, for example.
So I have begun a local consultation to ensure views from all sections of our communities right across our area are properly considered and acted upon. I’ll be pulling together the findings to share them with parish and town councils, B&NES and other key decision-makers and service providers.
I’d really welcome views please – online at www.dannorris.org.uk/villagehalls or by getting in touch for a paper copy. I look forward to hearing from you. Written for the Chew Valley Gazette August 2009
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