News release from Action Hampshire: Thursday 26 Jan 2023
Village Halls Week 2023 is celebrating the many ways these volunteer-run rural community buildings support local residents, groups, and businesses, particularly during difficult times.
As the country endures a cost-of-living crisis, rural communities have come to rely on the humble village hall as a place to keep warm, access basic services, and socialise without the expense of travelling elsewhere.
Halls across Hampshire are taking part in the national campaign week, available via this link, showcasing what they are doing for their community and the opportunities they provide to people locally that would not otherwise exist.
Click this link for ACRE’s press release
Events
Activities beginning Monday 23 January will include open days at local halls and an engaging social media campaign that will include touching stories from users of community buildings.
At Everton Pavilion, near Lymington, the trustees are holding a pop-in session for local residents to see the Pavilion’s facilities, ask about hiring the venue, and find out what the committee are planning for the future.
Click this link for Everton Pavilion
Rowlands Castle Parish Hall, near Portsmouth, recently hosted an event showcasing the different activities, services, and community groups that take place in the Hall and the wider village. There was much positive feedback and many of the groups had new people sign up to join their sessions.
Click this link for Rowlands Castle Parish Hall
Selborne Village Hall, near Alton, has recently been refurbished and the floor restored. They host a wide range of events, including children’s parties (maybe with a bouncy castle!), meetings and conferences, the monthly village lunch, and even the village panto – which this year was Peter Pan.
Click this link for Selborne Village Hall
Oakhanger Village Hall, near Bordon, are also hosting drop-in sessions for people to view the facilities. The Hall has been recently extended and they look forward to inviting people in to show off their work and to show people what they can get when hiring the hall.
Click this link for Oakhanger Village Hall
Research conducted by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), who organise the annual campaign, found that in 60% of countryside areas, community buildings are the only place for local people to socialise.
Aside from hosting a wide range of social and recreational activities for residents, they also host vital services such as post offices, doctors’ surgeries and convenience shops, whilst supporting an estimated 50,000 people whose livelihoods depend on use of these buildings.
Kevin Sawers of Action Hampshire said,
“Village halls are at the heart of Hampshire’s rural communities, offering a space for people to gather for a huge range of different activities and events. Most of them are run by a group of volunteer trustees, who give their time and energy free of charge to manage and maintain these vital facilities. Village Halls Week gives us all a great opportunity to thank these community-spirited people and to support our local halls.”
Action Hampshire provides support and guidance to village halls across Hampshire, including training events and opportunities for hall committee members and staff to connect with each other, sharing ideas, opportunities, and challenges. During Village Halls Week 2023, the charity is shouting about all the great things that happen in Hampshire’s rural halls, from the smallest one-room facilities to the largest community hubs.
Action Hampshire has also run two free online sessions during the week, one on insurance for village halls (with a rep from Norris and Fisher, a Southampton-based specialist insurance broker) and the other on applying for grants. More details of these events and everything else we are doing through Village Halls Week are on Action Hampshire’s website:
More details of our Village Halls Week activities are on Action Hampshire’s website via this link
Hampshire County Councillor Russell Oppenheimer (Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services) said:
“Village Halls Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the important role that these fantastic hubs play in our communities across Hampshire and to thank all the people who volunteer their time to help them to operate. Hosting a wide range of activities from Parish Council meetings to yoga classes, village halls are a focal point and a welcoming space for everyone. Hampshire County Council is pleased to support community buildings with grants for energy efficiency and essential maintenance works so that village halls can thrive.”
Village Halls Week 2023 takes place from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 January.
ENDS
(See below for notes to editors)
NOTES TO EDITORS
Media contacts:
Kevin Sawers, 01962 857358, kevin.sawers@actionhampshire.org
Gina Starkie, 01962 857354, gina.starkie@actionhampshire.org
Jenny Denny, 01962 854971, jenny.denny@actionhampshire.org
Village Hall management committees are advised to visit Action Hampshire’s website for information about activities and events going on in Hampshire.
Click this link for support with community buildings
ACRE also provides guidance and resources to help village halls get involved in the campaign.
ACRE’s website, available via this link
Action Hampshire is a charity that works with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. We support these organisations to:
- Deliver great services to local people and communities
- Speak up for the changes they would like to see, and
- Shape the future of where they live and work
Action Hampshire is a member of the ACRE Network, available via this link, England’s largest rural grouping of community support charities which together reach over 35,000 community groups annually, and lever in over £34 million each year in support of initiatives that equip people with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to improve their local community.
We at Action Hampshire would like to thank Hampshire County Councillor Russell Oppenheimer (Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services) and Hilary Merrett (HCC Corporate Communications) for their support with this press release.
