Community Buildings

A new government grant scheme was announced for the New Year. One-off grants are available to businesses and organisations on the rating valuation list. Village halls, scout halls and similar premises may be eligible. The application window for this grant is very short so please keep an eye on your district council website for further details:

• Mendip
• Sedgemoor
• Somerset West and Taunton
• South Somerset

More information on this funding, as well as the latest regulations for face coverings and self isolation, can be found in the new ACRE Covid briefing below.

NEW Community Buildings Winter Plan 2021

The charity’s briefing sets out some practical measures halls can take to address risks when hiring out buildings based on an interpretation of the government’s preferred approach to managing the pandemic over the coming months.

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:

• Friendly, independent and expert support for all your queries (first hour FREE).
• FREE access to OVER 90 specialist information sheets WORTH £680.
• Access to our private Facebook networking group
• Online access 24 hours a day in the ‘Members Only’ area of our website.
• Regular e-newsletters/bulletins
• FREE ENTRY into the nationally recognised Hallmark Quality Standard Scheme
• ££’s off training
• Full promotion and listing on our Community Building Locator.

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.

Get involved in Village Halls Week 2022!

The fifth annual Village Halls Week will challenge halls to do something different and to innovate for the future. During the week, we will be encouraging halls to pledge to do something different – whether that be extending their offer to their community, reducing environmental impact, supporting the arts, or becoming more financially sustainable.

Download the ACRE Pledge Poster ready for Village Halls Week Jan 2022!

• A4 Poster PDF
• A4 Poster – Word Document
• A3 Poster PDF
• A3 Poster – Word Document

2022 Community Buildings events / training / workshops & networking sessions.

We want to continue to offer our online trainings, workshops, and networking sessions via zoom. Please take part in our online survey to help us shape future trainings.

Take a look at our up and coming dates and topics.

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.

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.