Community Buildings
CCS offers a friendly, independent service providing local expert advice and practical support to volunteers managing community buildings and village halls in Somerset.
CCS is continuing to support our community halls with information, advice and training, helping them adapt to these challenging times. We are keeping halls regularly updated with information about financial support, as well as guidance on the practicalities of maintaining halls during closure and planning for their reopening.
If you are already running a community hall, are just starting out, or need help expanding the work you’re already doing – or for anything else – feel free to contact Sally Sargent, our Community Buildings Officer. We look forward to hearing from you!
We’re getting excited about #villagehallsweek 2021! 25th January – 29th January 2021.
We will be celebrating the theme ‘Halls are Survivors’. Many of our halls and members have been providing community services for over 100 years. They have seen 2 World Wars and now a Pandemic. From housing war time refugees to providing a space for rural medical care these spaces are pillars, not just bricks.
Read moreNew COVID-19 Guidance
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) are currently updating the National Government guidance for Village Halls.
Hear from our members
It’s good to know that CCS is there to answer queries about procedure and legislation, vital to the day-to-day running of our hall.
Wendy Hobbs Committee Member
Become a Community Buildings Member
Membership includes:
- FREE 24-hour access to over 80 specialist, tailored information sheets on running your facility, from advice on health and safety to management and legislation.
- Regular updates on legislation, licensing, events and training opportunities.
- Advice and support by telephone and email.
- Apply for our nationally-recognised Hallmark quality standard.
- A full listing on our Community Buildings Locator – directing customers to your facility
New Safeguarding Guidance
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) has been awarded over £100k from the National Lottery Community Fund to promote good safeguarding practice to village and community halls throughout England.
CCS will be working to ensure that community hall management committees across Somerset have the knowledge and confidence to provide a safe environment for all.
Hand Sanitiser for Community Buildings
With community buildings reopening, CCS is working with Exmoor Distillery to supply discounted hand sanitiser to our member halls. This is clinical-grade sanitiser which is being supplied to frontline services across the county. Distribution is being arranged through our incredible network of Village Agents.
2021 Community Buildings Event Calendar
We have our first series for Community Buildings online events for 2021.
Topics:
101 Things to do in a Community Building
Planning New Development in your Community Building
Long Road out of Lockdown
Marketing your Community Buildings
Events CalendarNEW Lockdown Grants from District Councils
District councils have opened grant schemes to support local businesses that have been forced to close.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on your district council websites for information about ongoing financial assistance during the pandemic through the Local Restrictions Support Grants for businesses.
Get in touch with your local adviser
Sally Sargent, Community Buildings Adviser
Sally has a professional background in community development, working across the UK and in Africa. Raising a family in a Somerset village, she understands the vital role that community buildings play in supporting residents and bringing people together. She is a trustee of her local village hall and runs a community biodiversity project. In her spare time, Sally also enjoys portrait photography and gardening.
Contact
sallys@somersetrcc.org.uk
Call
07946 461560
Robert Horn, Community Buildings Adviser
Robert is passionate about supporting Village Halls and the community events that go on in them. Coming from a background in Building Surveying, he has been advising Village Halls in several counties for 15 years. He has been a trustee for his local village hall and now manages a small community centre on a part-time basis. A founding trustee and volunteer for a recreational charity, he also enjoys making music and messing about with old cars in his spare time.
Contact
robert@somersetrcc.org.uk
Call
07931 871375
Join our members’ Facebook Group
Our Community Buildings Members’ Facebook Group is a new forum for trustees to ask questions and share ideas with each other.
Learn more