A Frome community is launching a bid to buy its popular village hall to preserve it for future generations.
Villagers in East and West Woodlands are issuing an open invitation to a meeting in the hall on Tuesday 28th March to hear the plans. Doors open at 7.30pm with a welcome glass of wine and light refreshments. The meeting will start at 8pm.
The hall in East Woodlands is well known as the ‘Woodlands Hippodrome’, home to the Woodlanders annual Music Hall for the past 40 years. But it is also a thriving community centre that welcomes many local groups and hosts wedding receptions, christenings and wakes from the nearby St Katharine’s church.
Thelma Moore the caretaker of the village hall said, “It’s a very special place. People come from a long way to use it. We have one regular group all the way from London because it is so peaceful. We run lots of great socials, too, like our cream teas. Many people come out from Frome to enjoy themselves here.”
Management committee chairman, Christine Carpenter said, “The plan is for the village hall charity, which currently leases the hall, to purchase it outright on behalf of the community.
“After long negotiations with the current owners – the Thynne Educational Foundation (TEF) – we have agreed terms to buy the freehold. This will allow us to continue to run the hall for the community and also allow the TEF to further its own programme of educational grants in the local area. It is a great opportunity to secure the future of this fantastic community resource.”
Leading the funding team is David Millard, retired partner at local auctioneers Cooper and Tanner. David commented, “We have agreed terms that will benefit both the TEF and the hall. Now we are looking to raise the money to let us proceed. We have over half the funding in place already. We hope people will come along on the 28th and hear our exciting plans for the future.”
