How Spencers Wood saved its village hall
A WOKINGHAM community group has been brought back from the brink thanks to the efforts of its volunteers.
Spencers Wood Village Hall, which is run as a registered charity, was destined for closure after experiencing the full force of the pandemic.
The determination of its volunteers has not only restored the hall’s status, but injected it with a new lease of life.
“When Covid hit, our income was decimated,” explained Gillie York, the hall’s chairperson. “Even prepandemic, things were just about ticking over. You could say we were breaking even.”
“Our only source of income came from renting out the hall to the groups that use the space.”
A drastic reduction in the number of hall users meant the £10 per hour hall rental fee was not sufficient to even cover the electricity bill.
The committee organised one-off events in 2021 to generate income.
Visitors were treated to a Hallowe’en disco, Easter scarecrow trail, snack shack and socially-distanced cake sales with tea and coffee.
The events highlighted the village hall’s impact within the community.
“There was an old lady who came along and said that it was the first time she had spoken to people in months,” Ms York said. “I could have cried, it was so heartbreaking.”
Coming out of lockdowns, the committee determined to harness Spencers Wood’s community spirit.
The post-Covid offer now consists of groups, such as Brownies, fitness classes and toddler groups, as well as new initiatives.
Ms York credited the efforts of volunteers for the hall’s resurgence, citing a chance encounter with Jim Choi, who now runs the monthly farmers market.
“I literally met Jim as he was passing my house,” she explained.
“He helped me carry some things up the road and we got talking about the village hall. Jim asked how he could help and we spoke about setting up the farmers market.”
The Spencers Wood farmers market takes place at the village hall on the third Sunday of every month.
Through renting stalls, the hall brings in between £300 to £400 per event.
“Jim is an absolute legend, he works so hard and does it all as a volunteer. He works full time and really breaks himself doing everything,” Ms York said. “I honestly don’t know where we would be without him.”
The Spencers Wood repair cafe, run by Billie Bachra, allows people to get broken household items fixed by an able team of volunteers.
The initiative reduces waste and sees the community come together for a common goal.
The first session took place on Saturday, May 15.
“It was such a joy to see how much of a success [the first session] was,” Ms York said. “The repair cafe really is something for the community.”
“During and coming out of the pandemic, you get a sense that the ladies were good at staying in touch and socialising through chats over coffee or zumba classes.”
“However, we found that that wasn’t necessarily the case with the men, so it was great to see them out and fixing things.”
“One male volunteer said, ‘It makes me feel valuable.’”
The hall has come out of the pandemic stronger than it was before, but the committee is not resting on its laurels.
Community engagement sits at the centre of its work, and Spencers Wood residents are encouraged to get involved with the various array of sessions on offer.
New clubs and societies are also welcome, with support offered by the hall’s committee.
“We’re particularly interested in setting up a ukulele club,” Ms York said. “We’d ideally like to run something monthly or on alternate Fridays.”
The hall has previously accommodated young volunteers looking to accumulate hours for their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.