Community Buildings

At the heart of most communities is a community building.

Sometimes called a village hall, WI hall, parish hall, church hall or community association, it serves the community in many ways ; as a venue for children’s birthday parties, parish council meetings, polling stations, fetes, pantomimes, to name but a few. Their activities are as diverse as the buildings and the people who run them.

Management committees, who run these buildings, are members of the local community who volunteer their time to ensure that these important community resources are kept in use and in good repair. No mean feat when one realises that most of these buildings were built in the 1800s. With rural post offices and shops closing, some halls are becoming multi purpose facilities.

A huge range of skills and information is needed to meet the constantly changing requirements set by local authority and national legislation.

Isle of Wight Rural Community Council has a dedicated worker to support and assist management committees with all aspects of running and maintaining community buildings.This Village Hall Adviser can give support with:

• Charitable or other legal status
• Design and Build
• Fund raising
• Grant aid and loans
• Legislation
• Governance and good practice
• Insurance
• Improving premises
• Trust deeds and constitutions
• Installing the village shop/ post office
• The village hall
• Help and information to look at renewable energy forms of heating and energy audits
  

Over 40 nationally used information sheets are available to help management committees use their buildings effectively, efficiently and legally. A complete list of these information sheets can be found in the website resource library.