HAWKSHEAD MARKET HALL TRUST:
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 01/03/2024 to 28/02/2025
This year we have continued to see a varied use of the Market Hall with the main commercial users being: CJJ Events Arts and Crafts throughout the year; the Himalayan Bazaar were with us for the summer months; and the December Christmas Fair was fully booked. All these remain very important for our revenue stream and have allowed the Trustees to avoid making any increase in charges over the last 11 years.
There have been a number of social events including the church-organised coffee mornings on Wednesdays. On the third Wednesday of the month we have seen the launch of the Hawkshead Repair Café in response to a circulated questionnaire to local residents as to future use of the Market Hall. The repair café is a group of volunteers from the community with skills to repair small electrical items, books, toys, and other small household items. The Market Hall Trustees kindly paid for the Public Indemnity Insurance for the year of £117.33, the future renewal will be met by funds raised through the Repair Café. The Repair Café also served soup to the visitors and provided a meeting space for the local community. The variety of mended items included a cassock, 70 year old doll, vacuum cleaner, table lamps, clothing and bags. The aim of the Repair Cafe is to prevent household items being thrown into landfill and providing the next generation with these skills.
There is a weekly Table Tennis Club for both ladies and gentlemen, also with a series of sessions for Hawkshead School children. There has also been a regular booking for Scottish Country Dancing, and exercise classes and the Hawkshead Wind Band.
The accounts show that our rental income at £20002 was up £8955 from the previous year with rental from the cottage adding a further £7272. We have yet to drawdown the Blackrock Dividends. After expenditure of £12,526 we had a surplus of £15714.
The Market Hall played a significant role again over the Christmas Fair on the 7[th] of December 2024, when the village was faced with heavy wind and rain forcing stall holders to seek shelter inside the hall, school and Park House. The Christmas Fair was a success and brought many visitors to the village.
The Trustees appointed a local caretaker Mr Tod Coates, a Lengthsman for the parish of Hawkshead, who undertakes roles in the village clearing gutters and street furniture. He is self-employed and we have agreed a maintenance contract for about 10 hours a month with an understanding that if further work is required this is to be agreed and sanctioned by the Trustees. Tod has completed a number of minor repairs both internally and externally. His attention to detail and professionalism has proved a real benefit as he recognizes issues and deals with them directly thereby preventing escalation of problems. He is able to complete a number of different types of repairs and has installed key safes outside the two doors providing access to users of the hall without needing to issue keys to them. He completes a Maintenance Log documenting all work and recording compliance with health and safety requirements.
We also appointed a self-employed cleaner Miss Emma Lightfoot who completes 10 hours a month, with an understanding that if further work is required this is to be agreed by the Trustees. The cleanliness and condition of the Market Hall has improved and positive feedback has been received by users of the facilities.
We look forward to another year of the Market Hall being a focal community hub, with a multitude of functions and facilities. In July 2024 the primary school presented their end of year performance, Oliver the Musical that was well attended. There were also a couple of bingo nights raising money for local community groups.
Mary Alston, 9[th] June 2025
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