£12,000 raised for village hall in just one month (From Gazette & Herald)

£12,000 raised for village hall in just one month

THE village of Welburn, near Castle Howard, which, for the past six years, has been raising funds to renew its 80-year-old asbestos-clad community hall, has been given £12,000 in donations in a month to help the scheme to become a reality.

"It's been a fantastic response," said treasurer Jill Waterson.

"We have raised as much in the past month as we have over the last six years as a result of an appeal we made to our residents."

It is likely to cost between £100,000 and £150,000 to build a new hall and attempts are now being made to seek funding from a wide range of organisations, as well as through local events.

The hall, in Church Lane, Welburn, also serves the communities of Bulmer, Crambeck, Coneysthorpe and Whitwell, but it is desperately in need of a replacement, says Mrs Waterson. "Its present condition doesn't encourage people to use it, although many organisations do, but with a smart new hall we are sure it will be in big demand."

The village is particularly anxious to see a new hall become a reality because it has seen the closure of its shop, post office and Methodist chapel - all in the last four years.

"We have a thriving village pub and primary school, but a good village hall is vital for the village because we don't have good public transport," said Mrs Smith, who ran the shop and post office for more than 30 years and is also a member of the village hall committee.

Many of the older people among Welburn's 203 households rely on activities such as domino drives for a night out, but despite its uninviting appearance, the hall has also been used for auctions of promises, race nights, barn dances, antique evenings and various sales, to raise money to fund the new building.

The original hall, built in 1928 at a cost of just under £576, was gifted to the local Women's Institute by Lady Carlisle of Castle Howard and later became the property of the village. Residents had raised £550 to build the hall, says Mrs Smith.

The village hall committee had looked at the possibility of converting the former chapel into a hall but the idea was scuppered because of the high price being sought for the purchase.

The hall is well-used for such activities as short mat bowls, children's parties and local history classes. It is also used by the WI, horticultural society, parish council, village management committee and as a polling station.

"If we were to lose the hall, we should lose the heart of the village," said Mrs Waterson.

With a new hall, there are hopes that it could be the home of a satellite post office for Welburn residents, who currently have to make a four-mile plus journey to the nearest sub post office.

"The Post Office is keen to use a new hall," said Mrs Smith.

The hall committee recently held a big supper in the hall to show residents the plans and a model which has been made by the architect, and their hopes of their dream becoming a reality have been boosted by DEFRA, which has said it will make up the shortfall on the funding.

"But time is against us because of the state of the hall," said Mrs Smith.

After receiving £12,000 in donations - worth nearly £16,000 in total as a result of being gift-aided, said Mrs Waterson - Welburn hopes to raise a total of £20,000 as the first step towards its goal and appeals are being made to trusts and other fundraising organisations to achieve the remainder.

Updated: 15:27 Wednesday, October 05, 2005