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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Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch - The Book!

I have now put together a book to accompany this blog, featuring all the best bits and much more besides, about the development and use of village halls over the past century. It costs £1.29 for a Kindle download and £3.99 for a printed version. Here's the blurb: "Enter any village hall and look at the noticeboard. The range of activities taking place these days is enough to keep anyone entertained. Cinema evenings, keep fit classes, scouts, Women’s Institute, St John’s Ambulance, lunch clubs, support groups - all keeping the physical and spiritual on the straight and narrow. Where would we be without the village hall? What a marvellous innovation, and one that seems to grow in importance as we realise that we have lost sight of community somewhat, and need to nurse it back to life. You might, if you were in a particularly philosophical mood while hanging around the vestibule, wonder where and how it all began." English village halls have been a fixture of our lands...

The Ode to the Village Hall

I hope that some of my own poems that I have published on this blog have raised a smile of recognition. But I’m not the first to write poetry inspired by village halls. Back in 1936, the Warwick Advertiser published an article about a Mr Smith, who had written a poem about the village hall at Hatton. This was so well received by friends and family, that he had 401 copies printed, and he sold them for a pound apiece. The profits were divided between the church fund and the working men’s club fund. Hatton Village Hall - the charming inspiration Happily for us, the Warwick Advertiser saw fit to publish Mr Smith’s acrostic: T his grand village hall which can scare be surpassed H as been built by one to remember those passed E ver thoughtful of others, kind friend of us all V ery ready to help and obey duty’s call I n summer or winter, in sunshine or rain L ending a hand without seeking to gain L ooking after the sick and helping the weak A nd a kind cheery s...

Dixon of Fingers Green

In what could be the script from a gentle BBC comedy of the 60s or 70s, the village policeman triumphed at the horticultural show in a small Kent village. The local bobby walked away from the Village Hall with 11 out of 14 prizes. A cub reporter from the local rag dared to ask the green fingered P.C. if he talked to his blooms, to which the answer came: "No." He was encouraged to elaborate: "Talking to them, singing to them, music, that's all a lot of tripe. There's no substitute for hard work. You have to treat them like children, water them and care for them." I suppose he's right. There are similarities. Both flowers and children are prone to infestations of little creatures. And they never quite turn out how you expect, but sometimes you're lucky. Have a look at my novella for more vintage gardening fun

Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch

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