The Trust
It all started in 2003, when a small group of
Bickington residents, with a common interest in promoting the social
future of the village, formed the Bickington Village Hall Steering
Group. A questionnaire
which asked the community for its preference for a Village Hall was
circulated later that year.
The response, at a public meeting early in 2004,
was unanimous. The
community wanted the Church Hall, built in the 1860s for the village
school, in Church ownership since the 1950s and now a listed building,
to become the Village Hall.
Pledges of financial support from the community followed soon
afterwards.
Discussions with the Church of England indicated
that management of the Hall would best be passed to a charitable trust.
Thus Bickington Village Trust was formed as a limited company in
February 2006. The company
was awarded charitable trust status in July of that year, with the
object of providing and maintaining a hall and recreation ground for use
by the inhabitants of Bickington and surrounding villages.
Tim Dewing (chairman), Robin Colby and Gwilym Evans were the
founding Trustees.
Negotiations with the Church continued over the next three years. They indicated that purchase of the Hall was the best option, and ownership passed to the Trust on 30th December 2009. To recognise the growing interest in the Hall’s future, the Venerable John Rawlings, Sarah Chaffe and Keith Bryant were appointed as further Trustees in the summer of 2010.
A Management Committee, supported by local
volunteers, now operates and maintains the Hall to meet the strategic
requirements of the Trust.
Its members are (link to list of members of the Committee).
The
Village Hall, which has a long and honourable history, is now at the
start of its third embodiment, namely as a Hall available for use by the
whole community for the purposes approved by the Trust.
Development of the Hall under
exciting plans drawn up in 2007 will make it fit for purpose for decades
to come. If you would like to
see these, or contribute in any way, please get in touch with one of the
Trustees or a member of the Management Committee.
Please book the Hall for any family or social occasion - or series of
events – for which it is approved. In
fact, make it your
first choice.
Enjoy what it offers… and support the development of the Hall for
generations to come.
Bickington Village Trust
Trustees
Keith
Bryant
Sarah
Chaffe
Robin
Colby
John Cox
Gwilym
Evans
The
Venerable John Rawlings
Management
Committee
Chairman:
Gwilym Evans
Secretary:
Barbara Smith
Treasurer:
Nigel Gordon
Property
Manager: Mark Newcombe
Public
Relations: Joanna Gordon
Bookings:
Ruth Christophers