Village halls across North Yorkshire will open their doors next week as part of Village Halls Week to celebrate the hugely positive impact that community buildings have on the lives of people living in rural areas.
The seven-day campaign – run nationally by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) from 16 – 22 March – will focus this year on health and wellbeing, and the pivotal role that community buildings play in helping rural communities connect to the people and services that make a real difference to everyday life.
Health and wellbeing hubs
All the events being held during the week will align with the five steps to wellbeing recommended by the NHS: connecting, being active, taking notice, giving and continuing to learn.
Just some examples of how village halls can help promote better health and wellbeing include:
- hosting exercise and fitness sessions
- acting as community hubs for social connection – hosting coffee mornings, social clubs and craft and hobby groups
- providing warm, safe and inclusive spaces
- hosting health advice sessions, wellbeing workshops and carer support groups
- supporting key health initiatives such as the provision of local defibrillators and bleed kits.
Important for the whole community
Whixley Village Hall is just one community building taking part in the week. Trustee Sally Scales and Treasurer Ian McNeill have been talking about how the activities in the hall help bring the community together.
🎥 Watch our video below to see just what an impact the hall is having on community wellbeing.
For more insights from village hall teams around the county, visit our Village Green website.
Our next Community Buildings Network event will take place in Village Halls Week and will offer practical training on CPR – – the emergency lifesaving procedure.
📆 Thursday 19 March
📍Arkendale Community Hall
🕑 12.30 – 15.00
The training will be provided by Steve Smith from Firstaider Training who will guide participants through essential CPR techniques and how to respond to medical emergencies, offering a valuable opportunity to learn new skills or refresh existing ones.
Now in its eighth year, Village Halls Week is the flagship campaign of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), which is the only national charity that works to enhance the lives of people living and working outside of big towns and cities.
Deborah Clarke, Rural Evidence and Village Halls Manager at ACRE, said:
“Village Halls Week has been a permanent fixture on our country’s rural calendar for eight years now, and we’re certain that 2026 is going to be the biggest and best celebration yet.
“Village Halls Week is all about bringing rural communities together, and it’s this sense of connection and togetherness that we aim to celebrate across the seven days, as we know that spending time with others, even just for 10 minutes over a cup of tea, can have significant benefits to a person’s overall physical and mental health.”
Sponsorship for this year’s campaign has been generously supplied by Utility Aid, which provides energy help and advice to communities up and down the country, as well as Hallmaster, whose innovative venue booking system enables teams working in rural buildings to easily manage their calendars of events.
