From Monday 24 to Sunday 30 January, we’re celebrating the impact of village and community halls across Hampshire. Together with our national partners ACRE, available via this link, and the other rural development charities that comprise the ACRE Network, we want to highlight the impact that community buildings have in our villages and small towns. Read on to see how you can get involved!
The trustees and staff that keep these community venues running play a key role in making Hampshire’s villages and towns great places to live. We want to celebrate this and help you with some fresh ideas. We’ll be on social media throughout Village Halls Week to tell our contacts about all the wonderful things you do, and we’re organising some events you can join in with.
How you can get involved
- Tell us about what’s happening at your hall or centre – check out our social media via this link or contact us by email via this link
- Spread the word among your local contacts
- Hit social media if that’s your thing – feel free to share the national Village Halls Week information available via this link
- Come along to our briefing events – see below
Here’s what we are doing
- Tues 25 Jan: a briefing on safeguarding – which simply means doing what you can to keep everyone who uses your building safe from harm and abuse
- Weds 26 Jan: a demonstration of the Hallmaster online bookings management system
- Weds 26 Jan: a ‘Doing Things Differently’ session to give you some ideas for generating new income and attracting a wider variety of hirers to your venue
- Fri 28 Jan: how to use and offer Wi-Fi safely in your hall / centre – with the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East via this link
Please email Kevin Sawers via this link for more info about any of these sessions and to book your place.
Doing Things Differently
This session is about: giving you some creative ideas for generating income and increasing the variety of hirers that use your venue. We’ll be joined by Jamie Robinson, Action Hampshire’s enterprise project lead. Jamie will share his ideas with us, including from his time as manager of the Unit 12 community venue in Winchester, available via this link.
Date and time: Wednesday 26 January, 10:30-12:00 on Zoom
Hallmaster bookings system demonstration
This session is about: showing you how the Hallmaster bookings system works. Using an online system should allow you to manage bookings more efficiently and advertise when your building is available for hire
Date and time: Wednesday 26 January, 1.00-2.00pm on Zoom
Safeguarding for community halls
This session is about: increasing your knowledge and confidence around fulfilling your safeguarding duties towards everyone who uses your hall.
Date and time: Tuesday 25 January, 10.30-11.30 on Zoom
This session is intended for halls where the actual activities involving adults at risk of abuse or children are mainly organised by the people / groups hiring the building. It’s part of a national project to promote good practice among community halls across England. For community associations and similar organisations that actually run activities like pre-schools, youth clubs, memory cafes and so on, this event might not tell you anything you don’t already know! Check out ACRE’s projects via this link.
How to use and offer Wi-Fi safely
This session is about: how to offer Wi-Fi safely and securely in your building. It is being run by the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East. If you intend to take part, please follow this link.
Date and time: Friday 28 January, 10.00-12.00 on Zoom
Remember – for all these events, please email us to book your place or if you have any queries. We hope to see you at one or more of the sessions!
