Thank you very much to those who attended the meeting on November 28th, particularly as it was a damp, dark, cold November evening. The Trustees, Bradfield Parish Council and Development Committee, all working together, very much appreciated your support.
It was a very positive meeting, providing vital feedback that agreed reducing energy costs is an urgent priority and provided direction on the way forward.
The meeting was split into 3 sessions. The first, “What do we value about our village hall? and last “Where do we go from here?” were interactive group discussions.
The second session explained the work carried out to date and looked at:
- Why are we doing this? (operating costs exceed income).
- The thinking so far (the changes needed, a phased approach & budgetary costs).
- What do we need to get started? (availability of funding).
In short, operating costs, in particular electricity, have increased significantly whilst income has fallen, with fewer regular hall users. The hall is in a loss-making position, which is not financially sustainable. The changes needed are:
- Reduce energy costs by replacing roof, insulating, solar panels etc.
- Increase income by modernising facilities, kitchen, accessible toilets etc.
- Improve the site by updating MUGA & children’s play area and car park safety.
Feasibility work considered 3 phased projects to make these changes. The first change stabilises the hall, reversing the current loss-making position, by replacing the roof, installing a new insulated ceiling and solar panels with battery storage. The aim is to start this work in the summer of 2025, assuming funding of £226K can be raised.
In terms of funding, currently there is available:
- £70K in the project development account.
- £5K grant from Englefield Trust.
- £50K donation from the Parish Council CIL fund.
- £25K match funding grant from the Greenham Trust (administered via The Good Exchange).
In summary, there is £125K of funding available and a funding gap of £101K to close to enable a start next summer. The immediate task is to raise £25K through individual donations via The Good Exchange to match fund their offer of £25K.
We very much hope you are able to support us and if you would like to make a donation, please follow this link to our project page on The Good Exchange:
If you pay income tax, please claim Gift Aid. This increases your donation by 25%.
Work is in progress on a number of other grant applications, however, there is no guarantee of success or even if successful the amount awarded. It is apparent to us that raising funding for these 3 projects is a going to be a very significant challenge.
In the meantime, we will continue our work, with the aim of making a start in the summer of 2025, assuming the required funds will become available.
We will continue to keep you updated as we make progress with the fundraising task and look forward to meeting you at our next meeting in early 2025.
We hope you all enjoy a peaceful and restful Christmas and our best wishes for 2025.
On behalf of Bradfield Village Hall Trustees and Bradfield Parish Council.