They Put the Fun into Fundraising!

As a charity worker myself, it is interesting to read about the many and varied ways that villagers clubbed together to fundraise for a village hall.

In 1955, the headmaster of Itchingfield School in Sussex divided the pupils into four houses, pitting them all against each other in a salvage collection contest. From that point on, youngsters were to be found around the Barns Green area collecting waste paper, rags and milk bottle tops. They piled up a staggering two tons worth, raising a not inconsiderable (for those days) £10 towards a new village hall. Other activities planned included a square dance (you don’t hear of those anymore) and a series of Harvest Home suppers.

Barns Green Village Hall, built from salvage!

The citizens of Hornby in Lancashire dragged Vera Lynn over from Blackpool to open a June fete and sign cookery books to raise money for their village hall extension fund. They had the foresight to set up a savings club for the fete, which resulted in a “brisk sale at the stalls”. These spending attractions included an ice cream stall run by Young Conservatives and a white elephant run by the choral society.

But top marks for initiative must go to Hawkinge, Acrise and Paddlesworth Women’s Institute who “grew a village hall from a sack of potatoes.” Each WI member took two spuds home and planted them in her garden. The resulting crop was sold to start the fund off. What an inventive fundraising ‘a-peel’!

Interested in fundraising history? click here to download my pamphlet exploring the fundraising methods of Lilian Baylis

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The Curious Case of the Whitminster Village Hall Thief

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Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch

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