A New Village Hall for Husthwaite?
It's just short of 100 years ago since men from Husthwaite went to Ripon with a horse and cart, to collect the village hall from the army barracks. The huts were surplus after the First World War. Hundreds had been quickly made, to house the men on their way to the front. Now, they were dismantled and up for sale.
Ours has done well since then. Lots of families have really good memories of going to events there; good for a building that was meant just to see the 1914 war out.
But it's not going to last forever. We have to think about its future. The village has put a lot of energy into keeping it going, giving it a brick skin, making it safer and improving its equipment over the years. But there are problems with its structure, with the energy it uses and it's not the prettiest building in the village. There have been attempts to replace it before, with lots of effort put into good designs and fund raising.
Now a new chance has come up, possibly the last for a bit. In December, the Big Lottery Fund invited bids for money to rebuild community buildings. Only certain postcodes can bid and Husthwaite is in one of them. So, after much discussion, the village hall committee decided to have a go. The Parish Council supports the idea too.
It's a hard process to go through. We're halfway through the first stage. Every house received a letter asking whether we should bid for the funds to rebuild the village hall on its present site. So far, with forms still coming in, the vast majority are in favour,(2 said "no" and 5 were undecided). So, we shall put in the very best outline bid we can. Thanks to all the people who've had their say.
At this stage, we have to decide what the village hall is for. (The design comes much later).
What do you and your family think we can do in a new hall? The committee has lots of ideas about new developments but it's your hall and it's your ideas we need. What can we do for older people or for young people? Other village halls around the country have post offices in them, doctors' surgeries, film societies, lunch clubs, adult education courses. The limit is our imagination and what villagers will take the time to organise.
The Village Hall Committee
What YOU think:
| MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE - We currently have an excellent team running the village hall. Suggested uses:- Drama productions both home made and imported: Pantomimes: Musical concerts: Dancing - including Scottish Country and Barn Dancing: Bridge Drives and other card games: Dominoes: Gardening Club & Annual sale: How about a Library? Especially if we lose our library in Easingwold: A Post Office would be fantastic but would it pay its way? Also security considerations apply; special safes would be needed and who would run it and for what reward? Youth meetings for all ages (Difficulty in getting volunteers)Fund raising functions (such as Harvest Ho-Down: There must be many more activities for those with sppecialist interests. |
| close neighbour to village hall |
| 1. Squash and/or basketball and/or indoor tennis and/or badminton court please 2. Film society 3. Theatre |
| Ian Harper |
| Very positively supportive of any move to replace the hall if we can raise the money Uses : Playgroups / Young Mums meeting opportunity Dance classes (would love to learn Salsa, or Ballroom) Evening classes Some sports (Karate etc) Make it good enough to use for weddings, anniversaries and parties Permanent photograph gallery ? Plus all the existing uses |
| Brian & Elaine Watt |
| Just throwing ideas out, some may not be practical and we do have a lot already going on in the village that uses the hall. But here goes. Receptions - Birthdays, weddings and funerals. Link up with Hambleton adult learning as a venue for art classes,computer language, cooking, music lessons etc. Youth club Puppy training Venue for St Johns first aid courses Senior Citizens club (Help the Aged)maybe weeekly/monthly lunches. Info/help desk Keep fit and health check up centre. All I can think of at the moment. Debbie |
| Debbie Lewis-Green |
| I have to put my hand up and say i hardly ever use the village hall. However i believe that if it was modernised and provided useful services to the village, by that i mean used as a Post Office or a library for example, i and many other 'non-users' would use the hall. I also think that comedy nights, shows, film nights, dance classes and perhaps a games room would interest and benefit many people especially the younger members of the village. Possibly a bar that could be run/licensed and financed by the owners of the Balmoral as and when it is needed?? Barney Smith |
| Barney Smith-Baxby Manor |
| I wish you well with the proposal to rebuild the Village Hall. I would remind you that some of us spent three years on a similar project 10 years ago and it came to nothing. Dealing with the Lottery grant system was tedious and towards the end they altered their criteria in favour of urban projects. Also at the end of the attempt we were told by several prominent villagers they had not wanted the new hall in the first place! I believe a similar attempt some years previously failed because of lack of village support. In examining other village halls we realised the need for a dedicated person or persons to run an extended new facility when built - no such person emerged at that time. However, I agree the present Hall is well past its sell by date. Best wishes. |
| David Wilkinson |
| As we are in the outlying areas we might use the hall less than some. But as a centrefugal point the village hall is essential particulary at this moment in time when so many local services are retreating. So an attractive new multi functional village hall might stop the introverted homebased trend as it has done in Crayke and other villages providing the sorts of youth clubs, sports etc mentioned by Brian and others. I would simply add the comment that it's running costs will have to be very much self suppoting (don't count on subsidies) and the committee should be tasked also to look at to what extent a new hall can attract business users in small office units as other functions mentioned such as post office or shop may well be the sorts of activities that need subsidising or otherwise be reliant on being manned by volunteers great ideas though they may be. Having a business centre or even a profitable sports centre might assist the long term sustainability of the project as well as ensuring that the hall is active and humming during the working week as well a helping pay the bills, being Green and perhaps manning the non profit making things at the same time - multitasking is in! Advice on business rate relief for vilage halls will I am sure be obtained. |
| Anthony and Lucy Glaister |
| i would love a new village hall and really hope this time it actually comes to something, i was quite small last time it was discussed but the reason it lacked the villagers support was due to the fact that it was also to change location to where the M.U.G.A. is now situated. I will back the new plans all the way though and hope it comes to something. :) |
| kerry barker |
| A good way to raise money, could be to bring back the village 'sponsored walk'. I really enjoyed that and I don't see why it smouldered. Perhaps every 3 litres of water you consume, you could donate £1 to the charity. Anyway I fully back this idea, and think it would be great to see this change taking place within the next 3 years. |
| Chris Gambles |
Let us know what you think! (use a pseudonym if need be but be respectful in what you say...)
