Hougham Village Hall Trust CIO – Management Team

How the money from fundraising is used

With a cost of living crisis in full swing, it’s hard for people to prioritise attending the Village Hall’s fundraising events or to donate. However, the Hall’s management committee is tasked with keeping the Hall in a robust financial position so it can stay open and also provide a service to local people, which we are doing well under the circumstances.  If you support the Hall through giving your time, by participating in events, making donations (including 100 Club and Dover Lotto), no doubt you would like the reassurance that these contributions are used in important ways.

The Hall has been given grants by local authorities and other sources of funding which have been used to refurbish the Village Hall to the excellent standard it’s in today. But we need your help to keep the Hall in this condition and to fund other costs which we incur. Below is a list of ways in which we use the money raised through donations and events:

Upkeep of the building and its surroundings – repairs and maintenance of the building, maintenance of the lawn and carparking area, cleaning and the costs of meeting health and safety requirements

Equipment - the provision of facilities such as a big screen TV, tables and chairs, noticeboards, kitchen equipment, a postbox …the list goes on (you get the picture!), all of which need replacement and renewal sometimes.

Obligatory costs - Licences (including PAT testing and permission to sell alcohol), heating, lighting and water costs, insurances

Communications and advertising – The majority of this work is done by volunteers, but there are costs for website hosting and printing which are funded by the Hall.

Private hire and event hosting – private hirers pay a fee for using the Hall and fundraising events are organised and run by the Committee or other local people. This money represents the Hall’s income and we have to account for it against expenditure, ensuring our expenditure does not exceed our income. The Hall is run by a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is accountable to the Charity Commission. The accounts are available on the Charity Commission website, but are also available on request from our Treasurer.

The Village Hall is the hub of the community. It’s for the use and benefit of the parishioners of Hougham Without, which lacks other facilities such as a local pub or shop. Only by pulling together can we keep our Village Hall.