Village Hall Updates

VERY GOOD NEWS - the brand new, bigger and very lovely village hall kitchen is now complete, and the Main Hall and kitchen are available for hire to individuals and groups. The small committee room will also be available after the Official Opening Day on 23 April.

This work has been a huge step towards ensuring we have a community centre fit for the future. There are of course still (always) jobs to do elsewhere inside and outside the Hall, which we and the Parish Council are working towards completing as time, funds and volunteers are available.

Hirers please note: from 4 April an additional charge of 5% is being applied to the hire charges listed on the website to offset the expected rise in energy costs; a full review of running costs will be carried out later in the year.

The Village Hall Management Committee are really looking forward to welcoming both new and existing users back to the Hall – keep your eyes open for upcoming events – these will be advertised on noticeboards, on the website and Facebook page and in the Parish Magazine.

April 11th 2022

With the easing of the government lockdown restrictions, Eardisland Village Hall has taken advice from Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and studied relevant government websites.

Having considered all advice and studied all regulation, the management committee have decided that we cannot open the village hall before SEPTEMBER 1st 2020 and will review this date regularly as new government guidance becomes available.

In taking such a decision we have considered the resources we have at our disposal, the age and layout of the building, and our ability to provide safe premises in accordance with the required standards.

Precautions and actions we are taking currently are based upon government guidelines and include:

1. Monitoring government, ACRE and Public Health England advice to inform our management of the hall and planning for future developments, taking a risk-based approach.
2. Completing a Risk Analysis procedure.
3. Regular hirers have been contacted and kept informed of developments.
4. We are working hard to keep the hall and facilities clean and install the additional hygiene systems required. Currently sanitiser, handwash soap, paper towels etc are all available and working efficiently.
5. All Health and Safety/security systems are monitored regularly.
6. Anyone entering the hall to provide a service or monitor the facility for any reason will operate a one in, one out policy and use hand cleansing equipment. Personal use of protective gloves is advised.
7. Notices about general precautions, handwashing and “Catch it Kill it Bin it” are visible.
8. Heating is on a minimum temperature setting to allow it to come on in the unlikely event of frosts etc.
9. All external areas are kept clear as appropriate.

EVHMC COVID 19 Poster

June 30th 2020

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST PROGRESS REPORT?

Administration
The principle focus over the past couple of months has been “behind the scenes”, reviewing and updating some of the vital day-to-day administrative arrangements. This has included:
•    updating the Charity Commission website with the names of all Village Hall Management Committee members and requesting the inclusion of a revised version of the objectives for the Hall;
•    transferring the Management Committee’s insurance for the Hall to a new company which gives better and cheaper cover;
•    reviewing the key-collection/key-return procedures and paperwork in line with the advice of the new insurance company (Steph Griffiths remains the Bookings Co-ordinator on 07968 810137 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.);
•    initiating the process to obtain a 7-day premises licence which will enable the same use of the Hall on Sundays as on the other days of the week;
•    obtaining and updating 1/100 and 1/50 scale plans of the Hall as required by the 7-day premises licence application;
•    pursuing, with the support of the Clerk to the Parish Council, the complaint initiated by the previous Management Committee concerning the energy supplies to the Hall and opening a file with the Ombudsman;
•    arranging a switch to a new energy supplier which should save up to 50% in costs;
•    updating the fire appliances and, with the Parish Council, organising training for the weekly testing of the fire alarms and emergency lighting;
•    agreeing that all VH noticeboards should be for Hall business only, with no advertising except by user groups.

Cleaning and Maintenance
DIY/Inventory Session - The scheduled sort and tidy of the cupboards in the Hall, the initial compilation of an inventory and the completion of some of the necessary DIY jobs took place on Saturday 9th May. As this was after the Magazine copy deadline, details of the work completed will be provided in the next edition.
Purchases - A new first aid kit and 20 new catering-quality tea towels have been bought and the old tea-towels recycled.
E-Team Clear-Up - Many thanks are due to the E-Team for all their on-going work in tidying up the outside of the Hall.
Weekly Cleaning - This had been taking place on a trial basis for two hours in the early morning on three days a week. After a detailed review, it has been agreed with the cleaning company to reduce the cleaning to one and a half hours, twice a week, with additional one-off cleans as necessary after big events.

Membership of the Village Hall Management Committee
Albert Sheffield did not stand for election for the new Parish Council and so is no longer the PC representative on the Village Hall Management Committee. Albert has also decided to stand down from the Hall Committee in order to focus on his role as Chair of the Community Shop Committee and Chair of the Dovecote Trust. Albert will be very much missed and the Hall Committee has expressed warm thanks for his invaluable contributions.

 
WHAT IS PLANNED?

Social and Fund-Raising Events
Open Gardens - A small team of members of the Village Hall Management Committee, H-Team and friends has accepted the PCC’s invitation to provide and serve the refreshments from 2.00pm to 5.00pm on Saturday 13th June at the Church’s Open Gardens weekend. Monies raised from the refreshments served on this day will go towards the fund for upgrading the toilets in the Village Hall.
60s and 70s Night: Saturday 11th July 2015 - Please see page xx for further details of this event which is also in aid of upgrading the Hall toilets.
Puddings Evening: Saturday 15th August 2015 - Details of this event, again in aid of the fund for upgrading the toilets, will be found in the July edition of the Parish Magazine. In the meantime – please save the date.

Planned Purchases
In order to maximise the space available in the Hall, detailed costings have been obtained for new folding tables. New entrance mats have also been costed. It is hoped to find funds for both these items in the near future.

Review of the Future of the Hall
A joint meeting between representatives of the new Parish Council and of the Village Hall Management Committee is to be held after the Annual Parish Meeting on 21st May.

YOUR VIEWS
Please read the full minutes of the Village Hall Management Committee Meetings (available in a reference file in the shop and on http://www.eardisland.org.uk/vh-minutes-2015) and come along to a meeting (dates are listed in the Village Diary) and give your views. Or, if you prefer, please contact any committee member. Your ideas are those that count – the Hall is here for us all. Thank you.

Ruth Brinton-Bivand
Chair, Eardisland Village Hall Management Committee

This progress report outlines the work of the Village Hall Management Committee and the H-Team over the last couple of months.

Bookings
Steph Griffiths is the Bookings Co-ordinator for the Village Hall – please contact her on 01544 387621 or 07968 810137 or on the new e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. On the Village Hall section of the community website you are also now able to check the availability of the Hall on a new web diary managed directly by Steph. (Community events are referred onto Ben Woodcock for insertion into the overall website calendar.) Many thanks are owed to Ben for the new email address and web diary.

Finance
The Village Hall has to be run on a viable and sustainable basis. On our current predictions expenditure would outstrip income on an annual basis. We therefore need to increase revenue while controlling costs where we can. More detail of measures planned and taken is explained further in this update.

End-of-Year Accounts
In the end-of-year accounts for the Hall for the period 1st February 2014 to 31st January 2015, you will note that there is a deficit of £1503.00 – which is largely accounted for by the one-off deep clean (details below) and by an exceptionally large electricity bill (which is currently under investigation). There is, though, also a need to increase the usage of the hall in order to generate additional income. This is a major aim of the Management Committee and we are therefore delighted that since January two new regular hirers have booked the Hall, along with several new one-off private hires.

Review of Hire Fees
The Management Committee has conducted considerable research into the structure of hiring costs and the rates charged at a number of local halls. With these as a background, we have completed a detailed review of our own hire fees. We recognise that at the moment our Hall does not have the full range of facilities of some other venues and we have taken this into account in the review process. The outcome of our review has resulted in the following fee structure to be applied to the hire of the Hall from 1st April 2015:
Main Hall (to include use of the kitchen - on a shared basis if the Committee Room is booked by another hirer)
1 hour - £10.00
2 hours - £20.00
3 hours - £25.00
up to 4 hours - £30.00
over 4 up to 8 hours - (any two periods from morning/afternoon or afternoon/evening) - £40.00
whole day - £50.00
Committee Room (to include use of the kitchen - on a shared basis if the Main Hall is booked by another hirer)
1 hour - £5.00
2 hours - £10.00
3 hours - £12.00
up to 4 hours - £15.00
over 4 up to 8 hours - (any two periods from morning/afternoon or afternoon/evening) - £22.00
whole day - £30.00
Entire Hall (sole use of all facilities, including the kitchen)
1 hour - £12.00
2 hours - £24.00
3 hours - £30.00
up to 4 hours - £35.00
over 4 up to 8 hours - (any two sessions from morning/afternoon or afternoon/ evening) - £45.00
whole day - £55.00

Medium-Term and Longer-Term Planning
As noted in the last report, in the medium and longer term we wish to consult with professionals and to seek grants to develop a viable and achievable plan to refurbish, update and improve the existing facilities. With this in mind, we aim to keep as much as possible of the accumulated £11,969.00 raised through the hard work of the previous committee as a source of match-funding for future grant applications.
Social and Fund-Raising Events
To complement the monies raised through hiring fees, and to enable the bulk of the accumulated fund to be retained as a source of match-funding for future grant applications, we consequently need to raise additional funds. These would enable the purchase, for example, of new equipment or furniture. It is hoped that this fund-raising would be enjoyable and would also help build new friendships and strengthen a sense of community spirit.
Bingo – Following the success of the November Bingo, it is planned to hold another bingo evening on Wednesday 22nd April at 7.30pm in the Hall. Please support this by coming along on the night and/or by donating a prize.
“100 Club” – Some support has been expressed within the Parish for a monthly draw in aid of our Village Hall along the lines of a “100 Club”. What do you think? Please let me or any of the Management Committee members know if you would be interested in supporting the Hall in this way. (Names of all twelve committee members are in the last magazine and are on the community website.)
Open Gardens – As per the advert for the Church’s Open Gardens event on 13th and 14th June in the March edition of the Parish Magazine, the PCC has invited the Village Hall Management Committee, H-Team and friends to provide the refreshments on the Saturday. Monies raised from the refreshments provided on this day would go to Village Hall funds. If you would be interested in helping to serve refreshments in the Hall on Saturday 13th June and/or to bake or cook in advance, please contact one of the members of the Village Hall Management Committee.

Cleaning and Maintenance
Deep Clean - During the first week of January, the first three days of the professional deep clean took place, involving a total of five people (not all always working at the same time). Throughout the Hall: all windows were cleaned both inside and out; all blinds were removed and cleaned; all light fittings were cleaned. In the Main Hall: all wall and painted surfaces were dusted and washed; the floor was hoovered overall and in between each individual block, before being washed by hand by three of the team; two scaffolding towers were used to allow the dusting and polishing of the ceiling and beams. In the Committee Room: all wall, floor and ceiling surfaces were dusted and washed; pictures and ornaments were dusted; the carpet was steam-cleaned. In the Kitchen: all cupboards were emptied and cleaned inside and out; all wall, floor and high surfaces were dusted and washed; the fridge, freezer, both microwaves and stove were deep-cleaned. In both Entrance Halls and Corridors; mats were removed and cleaned; all wall, floor and ceiling surfaces were dusted and washed; all storage cupboards emptied and cleaned. In the Toilets: the floors and toilets were left to soak in bleach overnight before being scrubbed and cleaned; all ceilings, walls and attachments were washed and disinfected.
Carpet and Upholstered Seat Pads – These items did not clean up sufficiently well after a steam clean, and so were “carpet cleaned” in February as a separate job. Revised Weekly Cleaning Schedule – Since the deep clean, the same company has been employed to complete the weekly cleaning. Currently, this is taking place on three days a week in the early mornings (before 09.00am). This is on a trial basis to the end of March when the arrangements will be reviewed.
Wheeled General Waste Black Bin – This was delivered by Herefordshire Council in mid-February and is being emptied on the usual fortnightly basis. (There is a charge for this as the Hall is not a private household.)
Paper Hand Towel Dispensers – These have been installed in all toilet areas and in the kitchen.
Portable Electrical Appliances – These have been tested by a professional electrician and plugs changed where necessary.
Inventory Listing and DIY Jobs – It is hoped to complete the sort and tidy of all cupboards in the Hall, to compile an inventory and to undertake some DIY jobs from 10.00am on either Saturday April 11th or Saturday April 18th. Please contact any of the committee members listed in the previous magazine and on the website if you would be interested in helping.

Your Views
I would like to reiterate that our Village Hall is a vital community building which is here for us all. Please come along to a Village Hall Management Committee meeting and give your views (dates are included in the Community Diary – and are usually at 7.30pm on the third Wednesday of the month) or, if you prefer, please contact any committee member. We really do want to hear from you and look forward to your feedback. Finally, please consider using our Village Hall if you are thinking of organising a function yourself. Thank you.

Ruth Brinton-Bivand
Chair, Eardisland Village Hall Management Committee

As a follow-up to the article in the November magazine (p. 13), this progress report outlines the work of the Village Hall Management Committee and the H-Team over the last couple of months.

Committee Members
The committee members, elected officers and user group representatives are as follows:
•    Bob Aldred – representing the Village Band
•    Richard Bartholemew - representing the Art Group
•    Ruth Brinton-Bivand - Chair
•    Jo Edwards - representing the W.I.
•    Steph Griffiths – Treasurer and Bookings Co-ordinator (see below)
•    Caroline Marsden - Secretary
•    Anne Mitchell - representing the Pilates classes
•    Tracie Preece
•    Julie-Ann Richards
•    Albert Sheffield - Vice-Chair and Parish Council Liaison
•    Kate Thompson – representing the Village Show Committee
•    Chris Watson - representing the E-Team
George Alderson is also retaining his role as “Book-keeper” to the Committee to assist the Treasurer.

Not every community group using the Village Hall is yet represented. If this is the case for your group, please consult with your members and elect a representative to attend the next meeting.

Structure and Responsibilities of the Committee
Most of the November committee meeting was given over to a presentation from Richard Timney of Community First and to a discussion on the most appropriate format for the Management Committee. Further to Richard’s advice, it was agreed that all members of the Management Committee would become Managing Trustees, with the Charity Commission being the Holding Custodian Trustee. (More detail of the structure and responsibilities is included in the minutes of the November meeting.) The Parish Council will remain the owners of the Village Hall on behalf of the community.
H-Team
Working alongside the Management Committee, the H-(Hall) Team is helping out with events and jobs in the hall.  There are currently over a dozen individuals, couples and families who are helping out in this way. Anyone else wishing to join the H-Team would be most welcome – please contact Wendy Cross (388725) for more details.
 
Meetings
The Management Committee Meetings will normally be held in the Village Hall on the third Wednesday of the month.  Exceptionally, the February meeting will be one day earlier. The next two meetings are therefore on Wednesday 21st January and Tuesday 17th February at 7.30pm. All future dates will be published in the Parish Magazine and on the Parish Website (www.eardisland.org.uk).
Agendas and Minutes
The agenda of each meeting will be published in advance on the Parish Website and in a file to be kept on the window shelf in the Dovecote. After apologies have been received and the minutes of the previous meeting agreed, the first item at each meeting will be a timed “Open Forum”. Any parishioner or user of the hall is warmly encouraged to table items in advance for inclusion on the agenda and also to present questions or statements during the “Open Forum”. After the forum, the meeting will then continue in closed session to work on the rest of the agenda. The minutes of each meeting will be submitted for approval at the subsequent meeting, prior to publication on the website and in the file. Draft minutes will also be available.

Social and Fund-Raising Events
The bingo evening on 19th November was very well supported – both by players on the night and by generous gifts of prizes. Many thanks are owed to Tracie for leading on the organisation of the event. It was great fun and also an excellent fund-raiser, with almost £200.00 being added to the funds of the Village Hall.

Cleaning and Maintenance
Cath Dyer has decided to stand down as the cleaner of the hall after a long period of service and the Committee would like to thank her for all her work over the years. At the time of writing, the Committee is receiving quotations for a one-off professional “deep clean” of the hall and for an on-going contract with a cleaning company. The latter will initially be for a three-month trial period and will probably entail cleaning the hall three times a week in the very early morning. (Hirers will still be expected, please, to leave the Hall in a clean and tidy state.)
A group of Committee and H-Team members has begun to undertake some small, but urgent, maintenance work in the hall. To date, all light bulbs have been checked and replaced as needed, the fan in the Gents has been renewed and the old blind removed, the external notice board lock repaired and measurements taken to put up shelving in the two large storage cupboards. An initial sort and tidy of the kitchen and Art cupboards has also been completed.

Medium-Term and Longer-Term Planning
In the medium and longer term we wish to consult with professionals and to seek grants to develop a viable and achievable plan to refurbish, update and improve the existing facilities.
 
Bookings
Steph Griffiths has taken over from 1st January as Bookings Co-ordinator for the Village Hall – please contact her on 01544 387621 or 07968 810137 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Steph will be able to pass you/ email to you a booking form which will include details of where to collect/return and sign for the keys. The Committee will be reviewing the current hiring fees for the Village Hall at the January meeting.
Your Views
Our Village Hall is a vital community building which is here for us all. Please come along to a meeting and give your views or, if you prefer, please contact any of the committee members listed above. We really want to hear from you and look forward to your feedback. Thank you.

Ruth Brinton-Bivand