Built in 1971, Sessay Village Hall was in dire need of refurbishment and with help from our development officer, the hall is now a dream come true, offering better disabled access, new toilets, solar panels, improved heating and insulation plus a new sprung floor.

What was the challenge?

As a community hub, Sessay Village Hall caters for nearly 500 village residents – 40% of them are over 65. But, with outdated facilities – such as old calor gas heaters, poor insulation and limited disabled access – the building was struggling to meet its potential as a vital hub for the community. Hampered by a lack of confidence in attracting the funds needed to mount a renovation project, the trustees needed the right help and guidance to get things off the ground.

How did Community First Yorkshire help?

After spending time understanding what was needed to bring the hall up-to-date, our development officer set about creating a tailored package of support that included training for the trustees and hands-on help to secure the necessary funding. After attending  our 2020 Awards for All training, the trustees’ first win was some initial funding to install a new AV system and refine their renovation project proposals.

In the months that followed, our development officer helped them submit successful bids to both the Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund and the Shared Prosperity Fund – which enabled an extension for storage, new toilets and disabled access improvements, as well as air-source heating, insulation upgrades and a renovated sprung floor. Extra funds were also secured for solar panels and other improvements.

What does the future look like?

With a building that is now more accessible, comfortable and widely used, the future is bright for this thriving village hall. Future plans involve renovating spaces for the local cricket club and expanding collaborations with the church and primary school. Community First Yorkshire will be on hand to support this ongoing development whenever the trustees need more help.

In a nutshell

The renovated hall is not only being used for everything from WI meetings to rural arts and pilates classes, it is firmly at the heart of the community, hosting all manner of local events. The long-term benefits being enjoyed include increased community engagement, opportunities for business meetings and reduced energy costs. Without some really significant funding successes, these changes would not have been possible, leaving the hall underused and the community underserved.

How can we help you?

As a registered charity, we understand your needs. Our local advisers will come to you to ensure you get access to the best advice and guidance on everything from funding to marketing.

Supporting a wide variety of community buildings across our patch, we provide practical guidance and advocacy to trustees, employees and management committees of buildings across rural North, South and West Yorkshire. Just some of our specialisms include support with:

• good governance
• safeguarding
• finance and funding
• policies and procedures, and
• operational good practice.

We also:

• facilitate a regular support network for people managing community venues
• provide access to specialist resources – including resources produced by ACRE
• host a closed Facebook group offering invaluable peer support. If you already have a Facebook account please click here to join.

Find out more on our website on our Community Buildings Hub or you can call us on 01904 704177 or drop us an email.