AN ambitious fundraising campaign has been launched by residents to ensure their much-loved village hall can be re-roofed.
The hall, in Summerhouse, was opened 56 years ago and has been the central hub for the community ever since.
As well as providing a venue for children’s parties, wedding receptions and a place for local clubs and groups to meet, it is the focal point for residents in the village.
However, after nearly six decades the felt roofing is well past its best. It has been patched and repaired on numerous occasions, with the latest leak occurring six months ago.
Barbara Braithwaite, chairwoman of the village hall committee, said: “It leaked and there was water all over the kitchen area.
“We had, at the time, been putting together a wish list of what we would like to modernise at the village hall for the Teesdale Valley Rural Action Partnership, however, the roof wasn’t on the list.”
She added the committee looked into the cost of replacing the felt roofing and found the price to tile the roof instead of using felt was not much different, so they are now looking to raise about £20,000 to be able to carry out the work.
Ms Braithwaite added: “We will be looking at applying for funding from different places but we wanted to try and raise money ourselves as well. It is quite a colossal undertaking for us as we’re all volunteers and it is such a small village with only a few residents. But the hall is the only focal point in the village and is so well used by the wider community.”
The committee has a raft of fun and entertaining fund-raising events which officials hope will be just as well supported by residents of Summerhouse and surrounding villages as a quiz night they hosted earlier in the year.
First on the list of events is a retro-disco on Saturday, November 23, when there will be music from the 60s through to the 80s.
Fellow committee member Yvonne Stonehouse is organising the disco and said: “We’ve had some cracking nights in the village hall and we hope the disco will be too.
“We’ll be serving food which will be a lasagne and there’ll be plenty of garlic bread as well. It’s a bring your own drink evening to keep things simple.”
Tickets for the event are £10 and include the food. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact Mrs Stonehouse on 07976 584030 or by email on yvonnestonehouse @aol.com.
