by Phillip Vincent, Action with Communities in Rural England

Follow up to the 2020 Village Halls Survey will focus on what’s changed.

When CCB’s national bocy Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) conducted a survey of England’s 10,000+ village halls last February, little was known about Coronavirus. And yet, within a month of the research being undertaken, the world had changed. Almost all of the halls surveyed closed their doors for the first time in a century – and many remain closed due to national lockdown restrictions.

One year on, there is a sense of optimism and hope that things can return to normal. But there is an urgent need to understand how the pandemic has impacted halls and the support needed by volunteers to help them reopen these rural community buildings.

There is an urgent need to understand how the pandemic has impacted halls and the support needed by volunteers to help them reopen these rural community buildings
Deborah Clarke, ACRE’s Rural Evidence and Village Halls Manager explained, “We have lots of anecdotal evidence to believe many village halls have shown great resilience in response to Covid-19. By conducting a follow up survey of halls who participated in the 2020 research, we can track changes to their income, services delivered, governance arrangements and support needs.”

The follow up research will be undertaken by researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

Over 2,000 halls responded to the 2020 Village Halls Survey, providing an important snapshot in time. These halls will be contacted to answer some follow up questions in the next few weeks.

Evidence captured from the follow-up survey will help ACRE make proposals to government for developing the national village halls support service operated by 38 county-based member charities.

Village halls are valuable buildings that support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some also host community shops and post offices.

Further information

Read more about the original National Village Hall Survey Report 2020 here.

If you completed the survey in 2020 and don’t receive information or a link from ACRE to complete the follow-on survey, please email d.clarke@acre.org.uk

by Phillip Vincent, Action with Communites in Rural England

Village halls in England are being encouraged to sign the online record to mark 100 years of rural community action.

The online record has been set up by national charity, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) as part of a week-long celebration of the contribution community and village halls make to rural communities which begins Monday 25 January.

David Emerson CBE, the charity’s Chair said, “We’re delighted to announce details of our Village Halls Domesday Book published today. It is a unique opportunity for village halls up and down the country to help us create a public record of the good things they have been doing, and the difference they make to local people as we celebrate a centenary of rural community action.

We very much hope the Domesday Book will serve as a reminder of how valuable these buildings are at a time when many have been forced to close their doors due to the national lockdown.”

It is a unique opportunity for village halls up and down the country to help us create a public record of the good things they have been doing, and the difference they make to local people as we celebrate a centenary of rural community action

There are over 10,000 village and community halls to be found across England. Many were established in the 1920s when there was a national drive to improve social and educational provision in rural areas.

Today, village 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.

The Domesday Book is prefaced by a forward from Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs who is a long-time supporter of village halls.

ACRE intends to use the record to help make the case for sustained funding and support for village halls as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday 25 January – Friday 29 January 2021

This year the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Network will be Celebrating 100 Years Together and Village Halls Week 2021 will take place from Monday 25th January through to Friday 29th January 2021. 

ACRE has planned sessions for each day during the week which management committee members can book to join, we are sharing the information below. 

These sessions look really interesting and Kate our Community Buildings Adviser, hopes to see you at some of them, you can register by going to the ACRE website which is https://acre.org.uk/our-work/village-halls-week. 

CCB is not planning to do any specific training sessions for trustees during village halls week but we are running a Wellbeing in 2021 webinar which we will hope will be of benefit to EVERYONE: For further information please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/131463126751

If any of your halls would like to organise a virtual meet up be it a chat, quiz or a game of bingo for your community please let Kate or Gemma know and CCB will advertise it for you – admin@ccberks.org.uk

Acres National Village Hall Programme 25 – 29 January 2021
Monday

Listen to opening speeches by Lord Gardiner, ACRE’s Executive Director Richard Quallington and our in-house expert Deborah Clarke celebrating a century of village halls

Tuesday

Learn about the different activities and events hosted by village halls and how they combat loneliness and support the local economy. This will include a spotlight on rural touring activities as promoted by NRTF

Wednesday

Join an online event sponsored by Norris & Fisher to find out how your village hall can recover from Covid-19. Register your place

Thursday

Be a part of a conversation about what the future holds for village halls and join an online event sponsored by Utility Aid to find out how your village halls can contribute to a zero-carbon future. Register your place

Friday

Listen to a podcast by Allied Westminster discussing the history of village halls. Register your interest. And don’t forget to sign our Doomsday Book to send a message to MPs!