Tessa Hall – Community First Oxfordshire’s halls advisor – held a series of meetings for community hall committees in November. It was a chance for hall trustees to get together, gain some funding tips, and hear about how different refurbishment projects were managed. Tessa  also gave a presentation on the recent changes in Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and how they affect halls. 

Our first meeting was held in North Moreton Village Hall in South Oxfordshire, where Jo Nickless, Chair of North Moreton Village Hall and Jeremy Howland one of the hall trustees, talked about their recent hall refurbishment and shared some tips about fundraising and managing their £57,000 project.  

Our second meeting was held in Uffington at the Thomas Hughes Village Hall. Stephen White from Blewbury Village Hall told us about the large half a million-improvement project that he managed there, and Hugh Reece from West Hendred Village Hall gave us an insight into the funding strategy used for their hall improvements. They gave themselves a good start with reserves from the Parish Council of £31, 489 and by securing a loan of £100,000 from the Public Works Loan Board- PWLB, they also had £11,515 from section 106 money.  Other money came from The ACRE Village Halls Improvement Grant Fund, the Vale of the White Horse District Council, trusts and foundations, the national lottery, public donations and fundraising from the community as well as some money from the Oxfordshire Bridge and Badminton associations who use the hall. Steve said that no offer is too small and every bit helps: funders really like to see that the community is backing the project.    

  West Hendred Village Hall   

Our last meeting was held in the lovely Sibford Village Hall in Cherwell. Community First Oxfordshire was joined by Jaime Hewett, Development Officer from OCVA, who gave a practical talk on how village halls and community organisations can navigate the world of grant fundraising. She gave tips on how to ensure your eligibility, define your project, prepare your submission and maintain a good relationship with your funder throughout your application and after submission.    

Thanks to all the trustees who offered your halls and support and to all those hardy folk who came along, the weather was very cold and it snowed!