October 2019

Well it’s been six months since the new committee took over the reins and I thought it would be a good time to recap on what’s changed in such a short time. For starters we have introduced a new booking system that is paying dividends: this website (svhall.co.uk), email address (swindonvillagehall@gmail.com), mobile phone and social media have all improved the communications and led to a marked increase in the hall’s usage. New regular bookings include early morning Bootcamp, Gymnastics, Chi Chi fit, Zumba and these are in addition to the regular Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows Girl Guides, Art Club, Medals Club, Swindon Village Hall Society, Rugby Tikes, Wine Club, Promenade Productions and Swindon Village Early Years. Also, our weekend bookings have taken off with lots of parties being enjoyed by kids and big kids alike! Jana has been the lynchpin in this turnaround; dealing with the many enquiries and ensuring that the bookings run smoothly.

The Friday night bar openings have continued to be well supported by lots of happy volunteers running the bar and even happier customers sampling their wares! The range of drinks and nibbles has expanded throughout the summer and we’re always open to suggestions for new products. We can now also accept card payments, including contactless, so you don’t need to run to the bank to enjoy a visit to the bar!

During the summer we also installed a solar panel system and were lucky enough to be awarded a grant to supplement the cost of installation – to date we’ve produced over 1.5MWh. This will reduce our electric bill and we’re keen to continue to invest in new technologies to reduce them further; other grants may help to keep these costs down.

Lots of projects are ongoing in the background and the latest to come to fruition is the replacement of the stage and door curtains in the hall – the multi-coloured stripes have been replaced with more regal peacock blue ones. They look amazing and our thanks go to Carol, Liz and Maija who organised their purchase and fitting – come down and take a look or see them on our Facebook page. We hope that you’re liking the changes we’ve made – as ever any ideas are welcome.

We’ve got lots of ideas buzzing round to improve the hall further and are always keen to welcome new volunteers. Whether it’s a shift behind the bar, organising a village party or managing a new project, every bit helps and is greatly appreciated; the hall can only run with the generous donation of time from all our volunteers.

Ben Williams
Chair

October 2019

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to top