Bob Cuthill, Chairman 12thMay 2025
I am pleased to report that the Hall had a successful year that saw it continue with the provision of a popular community resource for the people of Blackpill and the wider area.
The Hall continues to be very well used, both by our regular groups and for private hire bookings and I must thank our users for their loyal support.
The Committee organised two events in the past year. In May,the U3A Ukelele Big Band performed once again and we were pleased that theGwalia Choir returned and their concert in December was a great success with a full Hall. Furthermore, in December, we were able once again to share with the Residents’ Association the purchase of a Christmas Tree which was erected outside the Hall and community feedback was again very positive.
Following the major refurbishment of both Halls and the kitchen over the last few years, we had intended to focus on updating the Constitution, but more about that later.
However, Mother Nature had other ideas and following a severe rainstorm on the night of 6th September the Lower Hall, storeroom and gents toilet area were inundated with flood water. Whilst the full cause has been difficult to establish with certainty, the over-topping of the Brockhole Stream flowing down from Clyne Gardens and blockages in sewers in the immediate locality both played a major part.
The situation could have been worse. Once the water had been dispersed and the mud cleared the main damage was to the floor in the Lower Hall where the laminate was warped and in need of removal. Water had entered into some of the storage cupboards in the storeroom but thankfully there was no significant loss of user groups’ property.
Once the laminate had been lifted, a section of the wooden floor was removed to enable an under-floor inspection to take place and to assist with the drying-out. This showed that the floor joists and beams were in generally good condition. As the floor boards, too, were sound, we decided to have them sanded and sealed to give a natural appearance rather than lay down new laminate. We engaged a specialist flooring contractor who undertook the work and within three months of the flooding the Lower Hall was back in full use.
To help prevent similar flooding in the future, new double-glazed outside doors to the storeroom were fitted on to a raised sill to help prevent water ingress and we took the opportunity to replace the emergency door at the same time.
As I mentioned earlier, updating the Hall’s Constitution was the main aim for the year. As well as the current Constitution being out of date in a number of ways, it dated from 1999, we were aware that the option to change the legal status of the Hall’s charitable position was worth exploring. As a result, the process of changing the Hall’s status to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation was entered into and I am pleased to say will be formally completed today with the assets of the former charity moving across to the new charity, the Vivian Hall CIO.
In practice, nothing has changed, with the Hall continuing to be managed by a committee of trustees and ordinary members. The key benefit, besides updating an obsolete Constitution, is to protect trustees as individuals from any claims arising out of their involvement with the Hall’s management by the Hall becoming a ‘company’, albeit with charitable status.
We are a small managing committee and everyone has a part to play. I am grateful to Bill for his professional management of the Hall’s financial affairs, his attention to maintenance matters, and especially this year, for his work in leading the changeover to a CIO which I appreciate has involved much time and effort to achieve.
Eileen deserves special thanks for continuing to manage the bookings so efficiently which is a vital side of the Hall’s management. Also, to her dedication, together with Mal, to keeping the cleanliness of the Hall at a very high standard which I know is appreciated by our users.
And to Robert who always makes himself available when jobs need doing and to John who I know from past experience would always be willingto advise and help out had his health this past year allowed him to. All the Committee send him their best wishes.
Not forgetting Ann, who in taking the Minutes of our monthlymeetings provides a vital role in ensuring that a record is kept of theCommittee’s decisions.
As I am stating each year, by any criterion, the Vivian Hall is in good health – appearance, condition, facilities, finances, number of users. My chief concern is the health and well-being of an ageing committee to keepthe Hall ‘machine’ running smoothly into the future. It is vital that we seek to recruit additional people from our user groups and neighbourhood to join the Committee to ensure the Hall’s presence for the next generation.
Finally, I must express my sincere thanks to everyone on the management committee for playing their part in keeping the Hall running in a fit and proper state. Without your voluntary efforts, keeping this Hall alive and running just wouldn’t have been possible.