Chittlehampton Village Hall held an Open Day on Saturday 22nd March to celebrate its re-opening after much-needed renovation work to its original war time Ministry of Works building erected by the community in 1951.
The community was delighted to welcome Ian Roome MP for North Devon and Selaine Saxby, who was the MP when work started, to jointly cut the ribbon and officially re-open the hall. They both have a particular interest because much of the work was funded by a £264k grant from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund and both remarked that the ambitious 18 month period to complete the work was a credit to the village community. The Open Day included live music by local musicians, free refreshments, displays and children’s games, and they cut the ribbon accompanied by the trustees who planned, gained funding and project managed the work and the community whose support was crucial.
The hall has seen a major transformation from its cold, damp and out-dated condition to one that is modern, warm and welcoming with full length windows significantly improving the quality of light. The building has been fully insulated with a new roof, wall-cladding and multi-glazed windows and doors, and an air sourced heat pump keeps the hall at a very comfortable temperature. The electrics have been reconfigured to include a 3-phase supply, its toilets renewed and refurbished, an automatic fire alarm system installed and the interior redecorated. The improvement is immediately felt by the warm and welcoming environment that greets you when walking in the main entrance. It is for good reason that it is becoming known as ‘the warm hall’.
More work is planned and more funds to be raised for this charming and attractively located hall but it is clear that its future has now been secured. It is no surprise that it is attracting an increasing number of hires for community and private functions.
Fuller details and recognition of all funders can be seen on the website www.chittlehamptonvillagehall.co.uk
