Village Halls Week 2021 will recognise the contribution England’s 10,000+ halls have made to rural communities since the 1920s.
The national campaign week - now in its 4th year – takes place from 25 to 29 January and will feature online events, videos, podcasts, and blogs showcasing the history of village halls and the benefits they have derived for rural communities over the years.
In Devon there will be two opportunities for village halls to link up in two Zoom events (see below).
The initiative is being championed locally by Devon Communities Together, a charity that provides support and advice to in excess of four hundred village halls across the county.
Village Halls Advisor, Martin Rich said: “Though many halls are closed during the current lockdown, each has a story to tell about how they are the ‘glue’ that holds their community together. We are going to use Village Halls Week to bring together those who volunteer to run their halls for some much needed sharing of experiences and plans for the future.”
Managed by volunteers, England’s 10,000+ village and community halls support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.
In a survey undertaken by national charity Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) last year, it was found that 60% of village halls provide the only meeting space in the local community. An estimated 50,000 individuals too are reliant on the use of village halls to make a living.
Phillip Vincent, Public Affairs and Communications Manager for ACRE said, “The current national lockdown means we are having to doing things differently for Village Halls Week 2021. This will be an online affair but there’s still good opportunity for village halls to get involved and join us in celebrating all the work they do. We’ve published a programme that invites people to join online events, share stories on social media and sign a ‘doomsday book’ which will be a record of village halls in their centenary year.”
Further information about the national campaign is available from ACRE’s website acre.org.uk.
Zoom events for village hall commitees
As part of National village Halls week (25th – 29th January) we are holding a couple of virtual get-togethers for village hall committee members. No agenda (but we may bend-your-ear about a few things) just a chance to exchange experiences, have a chat and help each other.
We are running two sessions, an afternoon and an evening, so that everyone gets a chance to join in. (Sign up for both if you are a real village hall addict!) So, either make yourself a pot of tea with a big slice of cake; or, if your village hall meetings used to end up in the pub, pour yourself a pint and join in!
Tuesday 26th January 3pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88515280368?pwd=SThXb2E4UUczQThLcDR0WmNGTWpiQT09
Meeting ID: 885 1528 0368
Passcode: Please email info@devoncommunities.org.uk
Tuesday 26th January 7pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88146928844?pwd=cmxoS0VxVFlsUnBnb2x6ZWVyTXVyUT09
Meeting ID: 881 4692 8844
Passcode: info@devoncommunities.org.uk