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Quiz at 7:30 pm.
Teams of six are required. There will be a hot supper and a raffle. Entry is £8.00 per person. Please bring your own tipples.

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Presented by Robert Venn at Stanbridge Parish Council AGM on 5th March 2007

After years of reporting that we have been soldiering on, but with little to see, we can now see the results of all of our hard work. Phase 1 of the Hall is nearing completion, and we are expecting it to be handed over, by the builders, in the first week or two of April.

We will still have the fitting of the kitchen, and the purchase of staging, tables, chairs etc to complete. The estimated cost is £34,000, and we have applied to WREN for a grant to cover this. We needed to find a third party donor for 10% of this, and David Simons and Marion Gell managed to persuade South Beds District Council to underwrite this. Additionally, there are many other items we require such as crockery, cutlery and janitorial equipment.

Quite apart from the above, finances do remain a problem. Because we extended the hall from its original size to accommodate further user group requirements, we added approx £30,000 to the cost. We have improved the access to the Hall, for disabled vehicles, ambulances, service vehicles, and Figgy. We have received an anonymous grant of £5000 to go towards paying for this, for which we are very grateful, though it is not enough.

We are expecting to extend the car-park, by eighteen metres, to alleviate roadside parking, and will incorporate an access to the public footpath for Tilsworth Church/ Church House users.

We had hoped to do the painting ourselves to try to reduce costs, but the builders have pointed out, not unreasonably, that as it is their reputation that is at stake, they would rather that they do it. To help, Dave Castleman, MD of Woods, has offered to defer payment, and we have agreed to this.

There are other grant giving bodies that we are approaching, and we hold fund raising initiatives on a regular basis, but it looks as if there will be a shortfall of approximately £40,000. We have a chicken and egg situation; we need the Hall to start paying its way, but need the finance to finish it off.

Apparently this is not an unusual problem, and ACRE (Village Halls Association) can provide us with a loan to see us through.

We are aware of the considerable support given by those living within the two villages and wish to thank everybody for their contribution so far.

We anticipate being open for business by early June, and once we are sure of being finished, we will arrange a grand opening bash. We also aim to have an open day so that everybody can come and look around. Treasurers Note: They will also buy tea and cakes!

Phase 2 is to add the changing rooms, and we have joined forces with Leighton Corinthians Youth Club to make a joint application to the Football Foundation to pay for this. Again, we are unlikely to get the full amount, so we are looking at other sources for the shortfall. We can only speculate how much that will be, but my guess would be £20,000 ish.

By the time that it is finished, the cost will be in excess of £500,000, and bearing in mind that the Big Lottery Fund found us £295,713, I think that we have done well to find what other finance we have, and I am optimistic that much of the remainder can be found from the various grant givers.

We have an ABBA evening planned, for the 31 st March at Eaton Bray Village Hall which will have a concert session, food and then dancing to a live band.

I would like to say thanks to all on the committee, who have contributed their time and effort. If this was ever to be quantified, my guess is that it would add up to many tens of thousands of pounds, which has been given freely over a number of years.

We have found ourselves a Booking Secretary, in the person of Pam Lidford, but, importantly, we are also looking for a caretaker, which will be a paid position. As ever, if any body would like to join our committee, they would be very welcome. Even at this more advanced stage, a fresh approach would be very welcome.