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The present
wooden hall was originally built in 1928, after collections
had been made throughout the village, on land which was owned
by Lord Paget. After construction, however, there was found
to be a shortfall in funds and Lady Zia Wernher, daughter
of the Grand Duke Michael of Russia, who then resided at Thorpe
Lubenham Hall, offered to donate the balance of the money
on the condition that the building was named the Women's Unionist
Hall.
In 1976 they presented the building for use as a village hall,
with Lord Paget donating the land on which it stood. At that
time the ladies' and gentlemen's toilets were constructed
with entirely voluntary help from craftsmen and other village
residents.
Despite an ongoing maintenance programme, by 1992 the hall
had fallen into disrepair and the kitchen had been condemned.
A grant to build the new frontage was applied for; this included
an entrance hall, kitchen, store rooms, a disabled toilet
and incorporated the newly built toilets. Fund raising money
was used to refurbish the old part of the hall, alter the
fire doors, strengthen and insulate the roof, lay a new floor
and redecorate using specialist paint to cover the original
external creosote.
By 1993 the Committee had, with the help of a mortgage and
grants from local authorities, raised enough money and began
to build the new front section. Activities continued to raise
sufficient funds to fmish the remainder of the building, and
by early 1996 the mortgage had been paid off.
Recently
there has been a new base and tarmac surface laid in the car
park and children's play area. Now we have had the rear of
the hall terraced and slabbed, with rear disabled access improved.
The materials were donated by local firms and the labour provided
by the Community Service Agency.
Just
before Christnas, having been unsuccessful in our first attempt,
we put in a second, improved National Lottery application
for funds for the final phase - that is, the removal of the
old, and building of the new, hall with a refreshments and
bar area, stage, changing and store rooms and a smaller meeting
room.
Your Committee has recently heard that our application has
got through to the final lottery committee stage, which it
didn't last time. However, only half the applications that
get through to this point are finally given ftmding. Wish
us luck!
David Hannibal
March 2002
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