Importance of village halls across Buckinghamshire rescognised
Locals are being encouraged to recognise the hard work of volunteers
Buckinghamshire Village Halls are being highlighted for their community work.
Community Impact Bucks are showcasing the hard work of community centre volunteers, particularly during the pandemic, and encouraging locals to recognise the building important role.
Buckinghamshire has over 300 village halls and community buildings and these buildings are a key asset to rural communities.
An ACRE survey last year found that 60% of village halls provide the only meeting space in the local community.
Katie Higginson is Chief Executive of Community Impact Bucks:
".A community building is so important in bringing communities together, providing facilities for social, educational and recreational activities for people of all ages.
"The past year has been one of the most challenging in a century of these wonderful buildings. The volunteers who run them have devoted an enormous amount of time and energy putting in place COVID-secure measures and raising emergency funding.
"So that wherever possible they can continue offering a safe space for community activities when they are needed most. Village Halls Week 2021 is a celebration of these vital community spaces and the volunteers who run them."
Community Impact Bucks has provided vital support to the county's village halls during the pandemic.
Through its Community Buildings Service the charity responded to over 400 enquiries in the first 6 months of the crisis, hosted a series of virtual peer networking events and is continuing to help village hall committees to adapt by advising on issues such as grant funding and managing COVID restrictions.
Chalfont St Peter's Community Centre is an example of one of the many community buildings that has supported it community through the years, and continued to do so in the pandemic.
Karen Dixon is a resident of Chalfont St Peter and one of the trustees of the centre, and vice-chair.
She has been one member of a team working to keep the centre compliant when it is able to work and holding an overview on finances as the pandemic hit funding.
When asked why she is so involved in the centre she said its a way to repay locals:
"We immigrated to the UK in 2003 and we were very lucky to land in this beautiful village.
"People really opened their arms to us and really welcomed us.
"So its just a way of trying to give back and just repay that welcome and support."