Welcome to the autumn update from the Natland and Oxenholme village hall team.
The hall continues to be the venue for many different activities, though there is a shifting pattern of usage with fewer long-established user groups, more new groups which we hope prove sustainable, and plenty of occasional bookings at the weekend - mainly for children's parties. Hire income has fallen since the local preschool ceased using the hall in 2018, but the running costs have also fallen and the hall currently remains on a sustainable footing.
After a lull over the summer period the 'indoor' season has indeed started with various table tennis, badminton, indoor bowls and craft groups, WI, Monday Club, pilates, and fitness classes all available regularly. And for children - table tennis on Monday, Brownies on Tuesday and dance classes each Saturday morning in term-time.
The summer lull also saw the re-decoration of the porch and entrance hall, so these are now lighter, brighter and more welcoming for visitors to the premises. Improvements to the outdoor space also open up the possibility of sitting outside in the sunshine - weather permitting.
Next month sees the 20th Annual Craft Fair and Exhibition on Saturday 2nd November. This event raises much appreciated funds for hall improvement works, and we hope that you and your friends will visit, do some early Christmas shopping with the many stallholders (including some participating for the first time), and enjoy refreshments and home-baked cakes. If you can help the team with this event please let us know - perhaps by donating home-made cakes or an interesting raffle prize, or greeting visitors and selling raffle tickets for an hour. Please contact Ann Tilney if you can help with a cake or serving refreshments on the day, Midge Fairhurst (01539 731727) or Sarah (07488 535251) for greeters. Additional able-bodied help with setting up trestle tables on Friday evening or putting away at 4.30pm on Saturday, is always very welcome (contact Sarah).
Other groups are also holding fund-raising events at the hall: Natland and Oxenholme Table Tennis Club have their annual Quiz and Supper on Saturday 16th November; Macmillan Support have another event planned for the afternoon of Saturday 23rd November following on from their highly successful Vintage Afternoon Tea in August; and Oxenholme Village Residents Group are planning on a table-top sale. So please come along and support these events also.
If you would like to receive future village hall updates directly, why not join 'Friends of the Village Hall'? No ongoing commitment, no subscription! (contact Midge or Sarah, details above).