Dallington Old School Village Hall
Located in The Street (postcode TN21 9NH) Dallington Old School Village Hall hosts a variety of community activities and groups (see below) For more information about activities, please see all recent posts at https://dallington.org.uk/category/village-hall/
The hall is also available for day and evening hire. The Main Hall holds up to 60 people and hirers benefit from a well appointed kitchen. Standard rate is £12 per hour, but local groups using the hall on a regular basis may receive a discounted rate. Please visit the Main Hall Bookings page if you are interested in booking the hall. The recently refurbished Billiard Room is now open for bookings. Please visit the Billiard Room Booking Page for details.
Community Activities
As well as hosting regular groups such as the weekly Art Club and Chair Yoga sessions, and occasional talks and quiz nights, we hold a weekly Library Cafe every Monday afternoon from 2-4pm, and on the first Saturday of each month – 10am-12. The library has a large and evolving range of fiction and non fiction books. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served and the sessions are proving popular social events.
History & Management
The building was originally the Dallington Village School, completed in 1854, with an extension built in 1872 to provide a second classroom (now the Billiards Room). The building remained in use as a school until 1913, when the nearby Dallington C.of E. Primary School was built; this school now also serves neighbouring villages including Ashburnham, Brightling and Bodle Street. After that date the hall (subsequently known as the Old School) became a Billiards Room, Reading and Club-room and Sunday School. After a number of changes, especially in very difficult times during and immediately following the Second World War, it is now held under a Trust Deed dated 12 April 1984 as a public charitable trust registered with the Charity Commission (number 289652) whose aims are to provide:
“a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Dallington..without distinction of political religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation.. with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.”
Under the terms of the Trust, the hall is run by the Committee of Management which includes local residents elected at the Annual General Meeting and representatives from each of the groups which regularly use the hall. The officers are then elected by and from the committee members. As well as the trustees, we welcome volunteers to help with events and small maintenance tasks . Do please get in touch with any of the committee if you would like to get involved or can help in any way to keep the Hall going as a vital village asset. The current committee is as follows:
Trustees (2023):
- Chair: Jane Messer
- Secretary: (vacancy – currently taking turns to record minutes)
- Treasurer/Booking Secretary: Pauline Ridley
- Michael Derrick
- Frances Gorringe
- Judy Jeremy
- John Kay
- Roz Kay
- Diana Sewell
- Bobbie Steel