Willersey Village Hall

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WILLERSEY VILLAGE HALL

Make a Booking for the Village Hall The Village Hall website.

The Parish Council Office in the corner of the Village Hall is open every Monday thereafter, from 10.00am to noon. Outside these office hours the clerk can now also be contacted by phone on 01386 853635 or email at clerk@willerseyparishcouncil.org.uk to advise on any issues residents may have.

Typical Village Hall Activities in 2023

Exercise class - Keep Fit and Active	WI - The Women's Institute
Yoga twice a week	Line Dancing
Probus - regular gatherings of retired or semi-retired business or professional people.
Monthly Open Meetings of the U3A- University of the Third Age.
Wine Tasting	Boxing
Bridge	School Events
Childrens parties	Craft fairs
Coffee mornings	Snooker
Ballet	Singers
Footlights Our Amateur Dramatics Group.
Horticultural Show and Village Fete.
Wednesday Club	Table Tennis

We now have a Community Garden at the Village Hall. Come and sit quietly.

Autumn seems to have come round very quickly this year. Everyone says time flies when you get older! Our chances to spruce up the Garden have been interrupted of late, mainly by the weather once by the rain and once by the incredible heat. That being said The Garden is looking good at the moment, surprising what a drop of water and drop in temperature can do, and a little help from the soil from the Potato Challenge. Thank you Bob and Maggie. When I do go into The Garden when I can make time I'm always amazed by its diversity. We have a little Robin that comes to say hello - I know he's hoping for worms, either way it's always nice to see him. There have been lots of frogs, insects and squirrels. I'm sure we have many more visitors to The Garden when we're not looking. It's nice to see the apples growing, the berries on the trees, the hedgerow is full of blackberries and most of the plants are abundant with flowers. I've never seen so many Love In The Mist, all self seeded. It was lovely to find a tribute to the Queen left in The Garden and a Birthday card left for a Granny.

It would be great if we could have a working party to cut back some plants, do some weeding and ageneral tidy up before Winter. Please come and join in on Saturday 15^th October 2022 2pm. Tools and enthusiasm would be a great help. Many thanks to all our volunteers, and indeed our visitors.

The old telephone box is now sited in the garden as a book exchange.

There is a full size snooker table in the Village Hall snooker room. If you are interested in playing snooker, are over 17 and a resident of Willersey or the surrounding area. Please contact Peter Taylor for a chat on 01386 852338.

Willersey Snooker Club's Annual General Meeting took place in the Snooker Room of the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14^th December 2021. All members were welcome, along with any guests interested in future membership. The meeting followed the traditional format to include the election of Club Officers and Committee.

WILLERSEY VILLAGE HALL GRAND RE-OPENING SATURDAY JULY 24^th 2021

After a speech by Nevill Jelfs, the Chairman of the Hall Committee, The Hall was opened by the “Queen of Willersey”, Mildred Powell.

Mildred opening Willersey Village Hall July 2021

Pictures from the Opening Day.









Behind the Scenes

The Village Hall Committee held a :- “Fun Photographic Competition ” for pictures of “Willersey and Parish” taken in 2020.
All winning photographs are enlarged and displayed in the “New Hall” on a permanent basis.
The closing date was 10^th September 2020. .
The winning entries were chosen by an independent judge and announced in November 2020.

Willersey Village Hall had a major upgrade in 2020.
The Hall's last booking was on Friday April 10^th 2020, with the intention of handing the Hall over to the builders on Tuesday 14^th April 2020.

The refurbishment programme got underway after a three week delay due to the Covid-19 virus. The Hall was immediately closed once the Government announced the lockdown in late March 2020 and we were contacted by Barnwood Construction informing us of a delay to the refurbishment programme which was due to begin on April 14^th 2020. The new start date was May 4^th which meant the hall was cleared of all furniture & fittings. With social distancing measures strictly in place the moving of items like the piano became a little difficult to overcome, so we must thank Nigel Foxall who kindly volunteered his sons to move the big stuff into the storage unit in the hall car park.

Volunteers then worked in pairs to move the chairs and tables into two nearby garages which have been kindly loaned by residents. The keys were eventually handed over to the builders on 4^th May 2020. Early work began with the removal of the stage, old sheds and the cedar boarding. Work then started on the new storage area extension at the rear corner of the hall and the roof will start shortly.

The refurbishments were completed by mid-October with the installation of the Audio Visual System, curtains, blinds & carpets. Fire audits and other minor works were then done by other companies in the following few weeks. The Hall committee had a provisional plan to re-open the hall in mid-November but Covid 19 has delayed that.
The Parish office was relocated during the upgrade.

2021 will mark 100 years since the hall was first built. Phil Bennett, the chair of Willersey Parish Council, said: “It has been a bittersweet year, we are so thrilled to have a super modern community building that will be used to enrich the lives of residents, from meetings to mums groups, dances to yoga.”

The hall is available for regular bookings and functions at reasonable rates.
It has a good sized, well equipped kitchen.
It is well signposted when driving along Main Street and is opposite to the Petrol Station.

To. ALL WILLERSEY VILLAGE ORGANISATIONS AND SOCIETIES

As you are probably aware the Village Hall Committee have put together plans to refurbish the fabric and interior of the Hall. This is a large scale refurbishment which will include a new insulated roof, external cladding and insulation, windows, new entrance doors, new disabled ramps and handrails, low voltage lighting, new portable stage system, a new storage room on the rear of hall and the levelling and resurfacing of the rear car park.

The work is expected to cost up to £200k of which we already have the promise of £100k courtesy of the government's S106 contributions scheme from the two developers currently building on the Broadway Road and Collin lane sites. We will be making grant applications very shortly but in order that we put a good case forward we need to show that there is a need to spend money on this much used and loved facility.

This support can most easily be demonstrated in the form of a letter to the hall committee explaining how much the hall means to our community, so we would be very grateful if your organisation could let us have a letter stating why we should receive funding for this much needed refurbishment. Letters from individuals would also be most welcome; as grant-funding authorities have to be convinced that any financial support reaches as many people as possible.

We launched a fundraising year on Sunday May 6^th, which happens to be exactly 50 years since the existing hall was opened on that day in 1968. This event explained more about our refurbishment programme together with a display showing the history of our Village Hall, which was originally opened in 1921. Also on display was a fascinating recollection of the Village History put together by the late Maurice Andrews. This display depicts life in the village over the last 100 years with many photographs including the opening of the original hall and some of the many events, which have taken, place over that time.

Picture of the village Hall before the upgrade.

Our Village Hall is busy and well used by many clubs and organisations including the following:-

Willersey School	WI - The Women's Institute
Yoga twice a week	Keep Fit and Active
Probus - regular gatherings of retired or semi-retired business or professional people.
Various groups from U3A- University of the Third Age.
Wednesday Club	Table Tennis

The Parish Council has an attached office which is open once a week usually on Monday mornings
between 9:30 and 12:00. At election times, the polling station is set up in the Village Hall.
We also have WiFi and a Snooker Club with a full size table which has been recently refurbished.

The hall is available for regular bookings and functions at reasonable rates.
It has a good sized, well equipped kitchen and also free car parking.
It is well signposted when driving along Main Street and is opposite to the Petrol Station.

To book the Hall please contact Bill & Annie Payne on 01386 858368.
You can also enquire by email at
Find out more about the hall here.

22^nd March 2017
Cotswold District Council announced that 65 village and community halls, village shops were exempted from rates until at least 31^st March 2020. This saved them collectively a further £20,100 on top of the mandatory relief which has already been granted previously. The Leader of CDC, Cllr Lynden Stowe has determined 65 renewal applications for discretionary rate relief for village halls across many parts of the Cotswolds:
Commenting on the decision, Cllr Stowe said:
“It's very important that the Council continues to provide rate relief to non-profit making assets such as village halls. These premises contribute to the rich tapestry of life in our District by providing a vast range of activities for young and old, and are essential for maintaining thriving communities.”
If any person responsible for a village hall has not applied for this discretionary rate relief so far, please call the Council on 01285 623000 as soon as possible.

HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE HALL and Willersey Parish Room

The first move to build a “Village Room” was made by the Committee of Willersey Football Club on 22^nd November 1920. A meeting was held at the New Inn to consider the question of raising funds to provide a Village Room.
The Committee elected was
    Chairman Mr J. Payne

Secretary Mr R. Kilby

Treasurer Mr J. Payne

J. Jelfs     J. Ingles     T.P. Ingle T. Hartwell

R. Byrd F. Byrd A.W. Ingles     T. Jordan

    J. Leadbetter         A. Ingles     T. Proctor

Between November 1920 and January 1921 several whist drives were held and the proceeds added to donations received and transfer of funds from the Coronation Fund. On 7^th February 1921, Messrs Payne, Proctor and Kilby reported “That they had interviewed Mr Jordan in respect to the price of land which the Committee wished to purchase for a site to erect the Hall upon.” £35 being the price asked. It was agreed that the Secretary purchase the site for £35.
On 28^th February 1921 the Committee agreed “That two members be appointed to view the hut at Cambridge with power to buy it if suitable and in good order up to the figure of £70 or thereabout.” Major Roderick and Mr Payne were appointed to attend the sale. On 10^th March 1921, Messrs Payne and Kilby reported that they had bought a hut for £150 and fittings for £4.3s.6d. and it was agreed that a Loan of £120 be taken up with the Bank. In the same month the Committee considered this account:-
Lodging Expenses for fortnight £8. 0s 0d

Fares etc £3. 3s 0d

1 man 43½ hrs £3.16s 1d

    Wages (Harry Byrd and Frank Sadler)     £9. 4s 0d

Total     £24. 3s 1d

(Before UK decimalisation in February 1971, there were 12 pence(d) in a shilling(s) and 20 shillings, or 240 pence, in a pound)

It was agreed that Harry Byrd be paid an extra £2 and Frank Sadler £1.10.0. for taking down the Hut and further agreed that the Hall be put up the full length if the extra ground can be procured. Messr Jordan later agreed to sell the extra ground for £2.10.0. and Mr Proctor said he would pay for re-building the wall. (The Hut measured 105‘ x 22‘ and the land purchased was 115‘ x 60‘). The Room was opened in May 1921. By a Deed dated 20^th July 1923 Mr Walter Jordan conveyed to Willersey Village Hall Committee a piece of land containing 18 perches or thereabouts for Thirty-two Pounds Ten Shillings.

By a Deed dated 7^th June 1946 Walter Barron conveyed to the Committee further land for the sum of £78.10.0d.
(As a unit of area, a square perch is equal to a square with sides of 16½ feet, or 5½ yards).
In 1965 the Committee started an appeal to raise funds for a New Building. A Planning Application for the New Building was submitted in December 1966 and in 1967 the Parish Council agreed to accept Trusteeship of the Hall. Work was started on the New Building in January 1968. In May 1968 the Parish Council was informed that the Opening Ceremony of the New Village Hall would take place on 6^th May 1968 at 8pm. The Hall, costing £9000, was officially opened on Monday 6^th May 1968 by Mr Harold Andrews and it had taken only ten weeks to erect.
In addition to Mr Andrews there were present:- Revd. Simpson, Rector and Chairman Cdr R.W. Anstice, Secretary/Treasurer Mr Harry Taylor, Contractor Mr B.E. Ingles, Parish Council Chairman Other Councillors and Villagers
“...The Villagers raised £3000. The Department of Education and Science gave a Grant of £5000, and the County Education Authority £1000.” In March 1969 the Reverend Simpson reported the Hall had now been paid for and thanked all residents for giving so generously to the Fund.

The Hall is now regulated under the Charity Commissioners, by a Deed dated 4^th April 1968. The Parish Council is the Custodian Trustee and the Hall is administered by the Village Hall Committee.

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE HALL AS I REMEMBER IT!

First of all, whoever put this photo in the mag of the ‘first’? Carnival I can remember in the village, ‘thank you’. But then I only came in 1963!
The Village Hall then was an old Nissan hut; Welfare, WI, snooker, all took place there but there would have been other gatherings that, as a newcomer, I wouldn't have known. The village hall was getting to the end of its life and how were we going to replace it? In the end of spring, 1965, bossy newcomer, Penny Ingles, went to see Mrs Arkwright at her home, Willersey House. I can't remember why it was me. A group of us got together. Jane Lampit was certainly one of the others. She knew everyone so she stood by me we were a force to be reckoned with!
Mrs Arkwright was very kind when we told her we were trying to raise money for the hall and agreed to open the event. It was to be a carnival starting on the top green (outside Hill Farm) with a judging of the Fancy Dress and procession down the village to the rec where prizes would be given out and various attractions would be happening, including tea. I remember buying a dark green plate from Mrs Frampton, Pat Hemming's grandmother, sold on the jumble sale stall. I think we raised around £200 - which in those days was very good.
We held a Christmas Fair in the old hall, I think that following Christmas. We raised more money with raffle tickets (printed by Lowes of Broadway for free), and I had to add to the list of prizes saying ‘and many more’ prizes; which caused trouble because in the end there was only one more prize!
I got told off by Mrs Bird and Mrs Smith (Dinner Lady). Mr Kilby gave us a big box of apples for it and others were very generous and more money was raised.
I can see a few more people in the photo 1) The child on the truck was Jane Ingles (not Janet) she was elected by the First Class (Miss Beak's ) from the School. David, her Dad was her horse. Clarice Ingles organised and herded the fancy dressed children, her daughter, Hilary, has her back to the camera and holds a lamb. You can't see him but one of the youngest entries was Simon Lampitt (son of Jane & John; and they lived at that time with Jane's parents at Sycamore House). Simon is just months older than our Chris. He went as ‘Bill the Milkman’ and had a tiny truck with 2 bottles in it, wore a cap and had a sweet cigarette in his mouth. Bill Hall was the milkman for years and kept his float in the front barn.
The new village hall was built and finished in 1967, when Uncle Bert opened the hall - and I was in bed having just had Peter. You had to stay in bed in those days! P.I.

Letter from the builders working on the Village Hall Redevelopment.
Meeting on Friday 17^th January 2020 at 7.30pm (in the Village Hall!) about our Village Hall Redevelopment. (This document is six pages long.)

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