Ashreigney Village Hall CIO Chairman’s Annual Report
It has been an extremely busy year for both the Trustees and the Renovation Steering Group.
The Steering group was set up in 2017 to research and investigate ways to refurbish our village hall. The group now consists of 4 regular contributors: Chris Paterson-Deacon, Richard Quinn, Kasia Gdaniec and myself. Since our last AGM the group have met on numerous occasions, looking at how best to insulate and heat the hall for the future. We have visited countless other village halls to see what facilities they have and how they operate.
We have been researching all funding opportunities. Funding for the major part of our requirements is hopefully coming from the Community Ownership Fund. This Governmentbacked scheme forms part of its Levelling-Up policy.
Special thanks to Chris PD who has undertaken the enormous task of writing our application. It was submitted in January for half a million pounds of funding. We should have a decision by early April. If successful, as part of the conditions, we have to find 20% of match-funding. And, to facilitate this, we are in the process of applying for Lottery funding. In January 2024 an application was made for £100,000. We heard at the end of February that we had successfully passed Stage 2 of the process. 80% of applicants fail to get past Stage 2.
Stage 3 requires more information about our project and what the money will be spent on. This part of the application is being put together as we speak.
The Quantity Surveyor has already sent out quotation packs to 6 local building companies who have shown interest. As soon as the funding is forthcoming, we will arrange interviews and select a principal contractor for the work.
The Village Hall Trustees have also been busy since the last AGM, meeting regularly once a month. They have had to make decisions for the refurbishment...on windows, doors, solar panels and methods of heating. Trustees visited Beaford Village Hall to look at their system.
The School House has had a lot of work done on it in the second half of 2023. We have finally replaced the slates on the roof and, while the scaffolding was in place, we took the opportunity to repaint the outside walls.
We also had to fit a new boiler as the old one broke down.
Our Pop-Up-Pub, the Hare, is proving very popular and successful since it has a regular date of the second Saturday of each month. I wish to thank Mick Mitchell and his team for making this possible.
Friday Morning Coffee sessions are also proving very popular, running alongside our Outreach Post Office. Once again, I would like to thank our regular helpers for hosting the event.
Although the Trustees no longer run the Saturday Market, it is good to see it continuing under the guidance of the Parish Council.
As you will be aware, Devon County Council no longer provides the mobile library. With the help of Kim Melhuish, we obtained a £300 grant towards a bookcase for the hall to provide a library for the village. It is hoped that any books requested from DCC library can be delivered to and collected from the Hall.
Andrew Greenwood has stepped down as a Trustee and has given up running the 200 Club. We are fortunate that Cher Maddison has volunteered to take over the reins of the 200 Club.
Georgia Ayling also stepped down during the year after giving the Village Hall a great deal of time and effort, for which we thank her.
We welcome Elizabeth Basey-Fisher as a new Trustee and VH Bookings Secretary.
We need people to replace Denise and Melvyn Oarton who are retiring from the Board of Trustees.
Sue Tillyer is standing down as a Trustee, and a letter of thanks will be sent to her for her efforts over the few months she has been in office.
We are in the process of organising alternative facilities and venues for when building work on the hall is in progress. It is hoped that a portacabin will be sited in the VH car park for our Post Office and small meetings. The PCC have made the Church available for Friday coffee mornings and the monthly Saturday markets. We are open to suggestions for the Hare and larger events.
I would like to thank all our Trustees for their hard work and support over the last year, in particular, Mary, our VH secretary, who has kept me on the straight and narrow with all the paperwork, which is not my forté!
Reed Partridge
Chairman
ASHREIGNEY VILLAGE HALL- CIO RECEIPTS AND PAYMEKtS ACCOU FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 RECEIPTS PAYMEIITS 1765. 27.83 Lrtilrts IrNirance Pert. Rhts &xty ststioneryand p05ta8e R1r$ & Impvovements (aretsker PAT Te5tin8 Mermbefshipfws ndry 8•nk Charges 4626.28 751.21 154.80 87.37 1480.34 1430.( 55.CIJ azon Smile Grants for Vlllay H•ll Électncity Mrfer Sundry ill.1 224.C•) IOS.S7 574.IX) 9538.57 19)3A3 2C4) Oub 2ts)0 Rental Incomt 5875.Ql Rep•irs & Imprty4we Irbwr•rKt 14673.03 355.97 15029. 5875.t)) onatlons Garden show Events Popup pub 170.74 260.11 141043 2168.28 995.40 9)4.32 21X)9.35 Popup wb¢osts AthertS Donatlons JZ5.Lll s55.) statnery1 PrfThJr 970.1 9701 Wayleave n* Interest 14.01 81?.32 831.33
Jb Tthl LotteryGrant Renovaiion donatbn Rertvatkin Fund Rai¥ 10298.42 2666 64 Fund raism 609.59 Tot•1 rcelptsforth• ¥1 ¥J451J• Yatsl paymtyitsl•rthtye Eice55 patrints r¥er Receipis D8nated Renovation Fund Exces5 PaInts1)Ver Rece .13697.70 4812.37 1015136 2045L
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