Shalford Village Hall Management Committee
Chairman’s Report 2022
It has been 2 years since we have had a formal face to face AGM and a lot has happened in that time.
The refurbishment of the roof, clock tower and internal ceiling was completed early in 2020 and the new windows were installed at a combine cost of around £100k.
Then COVID hit us and the Hall had to close for about 18 months which meant no income but we still had running costs of electricity, insurance, water, heating etc.
Fortunately our financial policy of holding a year’s running costs in reserve along with some government “loss of oncome” grants meant we were able to meet our out goings otherwise the hall could have been effectively bankrupt.
During the period of lockdown and restricted use we made sure that the Hall was COVID safe and I would like to thank our Booking Clerk (Nicola Walton) for all the work she did to ensure that was the case. I would also like to thank Committee Members (Ian Butcher and Duggie Turner) who, when on furlough, gave up their time to ensure the recreation ground grass was cut and the field maintained which was essential so we could be up and running as soon as COVID restrictions were lifted.
As they started to be lifted we were able to get some more grants to help us prepare for opening up the Hall and Ian Butcher obtained a grant from the Football Foundation to help prepare the football pitch.
We spent some of the money on having the water systems in the Hall checked for Legionella disease. All was clear but recommendations were made for work to reduce the likelihood of contamination in the future and the remedial work was undertaken.
The work on the playing field paid dividends in 2021 in that the football pitch and cricket pitch won recognition from the Essex Playing Fields Association and the award was a contribution towards end of season renovation costs this year.
Also we have come to an agreement to hire the cricket pitch, this season, to Aztec Cricket Club which will bring in much needed funds to ensure we have a cricket ground to be proud of.
Unfortunately a casualty of Covid was the planned renovation work on the children’s playground where the post Covid cost exceeded the money available from BDC’s section 106 allocation but we haven’t given up on the project and it is our priority for the coming year.
Since the upgrade work on the hall, bookings are looking good but with escalating running costs, such as heating oil and electricity, we will have to look seriously at our hire charges.
On a brighter side we launched our own web site late last year with thanks to a grant from Essex County Council. It can be used for booking enquiries as well as publicising the Hall.
You can’t have missed all the publicity for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations to be held at the Hall. It is good that the only real asset that the village has is used for an occasion like this and let’s hope the weather is kind for the event.
We would not have a village asset like the hall and recreation ground if it was not for the hard work of my fellow Management Committee members and I thank every one of them.
On a final note we can always do with more help. I have mentioned the grants we have obtained for various projects, these are not easy to come by and take a lot of time and effort. Also Duggie has done a valiant job cutting the grass on the field but he can’t do it alone, we have all our own equipment we just need volunteers.
So if you want to keep the Hall as an asset then please help us.
Colin Golding
Colin Golding
Chairman