Staplefield Village Hall has been awarded a generous grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to help improve the building’s fabric and facilities, bringing us a step closer to creating a comfortable, welcoming space where local people can gather, socialise and enjoy community life.

One of the most common misconceptions about the hall is that it belongs to the Parish Council or the church. In fact, Staplefield Village Hall is a completely separate charity, run by a board of trustees for the benefit of the village and its surrounding community.

The trustees are responsible for looking after the building, managing its finances, arranging maintenance and repairs, and dealing with bookings. They are also increasingly occupied with the challenge of persuading a 112-year-old building that it really does need to move with the times!

Today, the hall is undergoing another programme of refurbishment. We like to think of it as bringing our grand old lady into the 21st century while restoring her to her former glory. There is, however, one slight snag: grand old ladies are expensive to renovate!

The work is therefore being carried out in stages as funds become available. We have already invested in making the building watertight and safe and completing essential repairs. We are delighted that the National Lottery grant will now help us improve and update the hall’s facilities, making it an even better place for the community to meet and spend time together.

There is still plenty to do, but every improvement brings us another step closer to the welcoming village hub we want Staplefield Village Hall to be.