BUTTERKNOWLE Village Hall officers are looking for more members and volunteers as they prepare for the retirement of two of their stalwarts.
Hall secretary Klara Wiley will retire next month after 20 years of volunteering, while her husband Bryan has served variously as chairman and treasurer in the nine years he has been on the committee.
Both gave notice of their intention to retire last year and while a replacement has been found for the treasurer’s position, they are hoping someone will volunteer to serve as secretary.
Their terms come to an end at the annual meeting on Wednesday, April 6.
Mrs Wiley said she had become involved with the hall after her husband retired from his work as deputy-headteacher at Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School to concentrate on the Taekwondo classes he was leading at the venue.
Soon afterwards she was recruited as secretary.
She said: “The secretary took ill and was taken to hospital.
“I was asked to take the minutes but sadly he didn’t come out of hospital and I just carried on.”
In their time the couple have seen the hall diversify in the types of events it has hosted.
Mrs Wiley said: “I realised when I was going through the archives that this year it is 60 years since the community got together and began fundraising.
“The community actually bought this land for £333, then they raised another £10,000 through carnivals and dances and coffee mornings and what have you.
“They built it and they had the official opening on January 12, 1963, so next year will be the 60th anniversary.”
Mr Whiley added: “The big thing 60 years ago was the dance. That was what the hall was built around and for. In those days the committee saw themselves as the guardians of the hall.
“I had to go for an interview to do the Taekwondo class. I couldn’t just hire the room, I had to go in and basically be interviewed by the committee.”
Mrs Wiley said: “But now we advertise it and it is used every single day during the week.
“There is a sequence dance on, we have Zumba, parent and toddler group, carpet bowls and 50-plus Taekwondo.”
The hall also hosts regular open-mic nights and is available for hire for weddings, funerals and other events.
The hall really came into its own when Storm Arwen knocked out power to the village for several days in November last year, but it also highlighted how the venue was misunderstood by the community.
At the time, a group led by resident Tommy Lowther organised a generator to provide power for the venue and started preparing hot meals and warmth for people.
Mrs Wiley said: “What stalled it for a little bit was that they weren’t really aware who is responsible for the hall. At first they were thinking is it the parish council, is it Durham County Council? Since then I have been trying to educate the community as to how the hall is managed and that it is held in a deed of trust by the community.”
Mr Wiley added: “When the electricity went off, we went up to the hall and there were people standing about asking ‘who do we see’?. We realised then people don’t know this hall is managed by the community, or by the representatives of the community.”
The couple, who will be turning 70 and 73 respectively this year, are now hoping that people in the village realise that they all own the hall and will want to take responsibility for it by becoming members and for voting for new committee members to take it into the future.
Mr Wiley said: “We aren’t getting any younger and it needs younger minds. We are still going to be part of the community and coming to events though. It has been here for 60 years we want the place to still be the heart of the village for the next 60 years.”
People can sign up for membership at the annual meeting which takes place at 7pm on Wednesday, April 6.
Alternatively, people can get in touch through Facebook by searching for Butterknowle Village Hall.
Membership of the hall costs £2.50 per year.
