Village Halls Week is a national celebration of village halls, their volunteers and the services they offer their communities. Village Halls Week 2020 gained substantial attention for village halls including being featured across 18 BBC stations and visual and vocal support from 18 MPs.
The past year has brought difficulty to everyone, globally. From lost loved ones to lost businesses to lost jobs. It has affected our mental health, our economy, our daily way of life. The ACRE Network has seen rural communities pull through and support one another in every way they can both online and in supporting neighbours as safely as possible.
The ACRE Network appreciates the huge roles that halls and their volunteers play in rural communities and the impact that closing a hall has on a community. We want to put the spotlight on volunteers and halls for this special week. If you have been able to open and find a way to support your community, we would love to hear from you. We believe that village halls are survivors, and the Network will support them for many years to come.
Below you will find an outline of our plan for the week and topics that will be covered. Please get involved as much as you can on social media.
“Village halls can be found in almost every rural community across England and date back nearly 100 years.”
Share your hall’s history on social media using the hashtag #villagehallsweek. You could put up old pictures or past flyers, detail significant guests, share an old film or write an article on your history. When was your hall built and what hardships has it faced? Has it been weathered and repaired? Has it offered protection to people in a war? Are you still facing uncertainty? Perhaps your hall has been saved by fundraising and the support of your community or a grant from an organisation. Share your survival stories on Monday 25 January 2021 using #villagehallsweek.
And if you are in any way involved in the running or organsiation of a village or community hall in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire then you won't want to miss the East of England Village Halls Conference on Monday 25th January.
“Village halls support a great range of activities and events which combat loneliness and support the local economy.”
This is an opportunity to share what you provide for your community. From fitness activities to shops, pubs, schools and wi-fi hubs we want to hear from you. We particularly want to focus on performance and entertainment and bringing it back to village halls. What have you done and what are your plans for 2021 and beyond?
“Village halls have shown great resilience in the face of Coronavirus”
How have you survived the lockdowns and closures? Share your story on social media. Why not contact your local BBC radio station to feature your story.
Join an online event sponsored by Norris & Fisher to find out how your village hall can recover from Covid-19. To take part, please click here.
“What does the future hold for village halls?”
We want to hear from pioneering halls. Have you got PV Panels? Do you have a vegetable garden? Do you provide electric car charging points? What does your hall do to help the community look after the environment?
Be a part of a conversation about what the future holds for village halls and join an online event sponsored by Utility Aid to find out how your village halls can contribute to a zero-carbon future. To take part, please click here.
We will take a look back over the week and feature some of our favourite stories of the week, we hope to interview some of you about your plans for the future and we will celebrate ACRE Network members providing 100 years of advice and support for village halls.