A REDDITCH village hall has been given a makeover and gone online in a bid to secure its long-term future.
Work on Stock and Bradley Village Hall has seen new paintwork, signage and curtains and a hedge removed to increase visibility and it is now hoped more people from the area will use it and take advantage the space it has to offer.
The building boasts a kitchen, bar, disabled access and facilities and plenty of car parking.
The revamp was carried out as part of the fightback from the pandemic which proved a challenging two years for villages up and down the country.
Some 10,000 village halls are thought to exist across the UK and overnight income dried up for them as residents were forced to stay at home.
And while there were no attendances, costs kept on coming throughout the period, including insurance, maintenance, heating and more.
Although there was some government help, the challenges still remained and those outgoings have now increased further due to the the cost-of-living crisis.
To boost its chances further, Stock and Bradley Village Hall has launched a new website – sbvh.org.uk and social media presences, including Facebook and Instagram.
The current users range from Vicki Davies who runs dog-training classes to groups of Scottish dancers and of Morris dancers who appreciate the beechwood floor.
The winter program will feature talks by Dr Mike Jenkins on place names and their meanings (September 27), by
Rosemary Morris on her wildlife photography (October 25) and a quiz on November 12. More details are available on the website.
In the meantime, the committee is now hoping to attract more family events, including wedding receptions, to provide the village hall with a financially stable future so it can be used by many generations to come.
Email [email protected] for more information.
