News from the Village Hall

Scroll down the page for all coronavirus updates from Village Hall Trustees

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January 2023

Village Hall

Happy New Year to you from everyone involved in running the Village Hall. As we all make our plans for 2023, please consider whether you have the skills and time to take on one the following voluntary roles to assist in the running of the Village Hall.

Secretary to the Operations Group

This is a role for someone who gets satisfaction from making a facility like the Hall run smoothly. The Operations Group meets monthly (except in August) on a Tuesday evening. We currently have a separate minute’s secretary, who takes and circulates the minutes. The Secretary is one of the three officers of the Operations Group and currently their responsibilities include:

• Making up and circulating agendas for monthly meetings,
• Holding the documentary archive of polices and other papers on behalf of the Operations Group,
• Liaising with the Hall’s insurance company, wifi provider and hygiene service provider,
• Purchasing of consumables and equipment,

There is the possibility of redistributing these responsibilities.

Independent Reviewer of annual accounts

The Village Hall is not required to have an audit of its accounts, however we want to maintain our practice of having the annual accounts reviewed. This needs to be done by someone who is independent of Hall management and has experience appropriate to undertaking this task.

If you would like to discuss either of these roles, please get in touch with me by phone or text on 07800 731381

Steve Page, Chair of Operation Group

Village Hall    December 2022

In the summer we said that we would revise the hire charges for the Village Hall from January 2023, taking account of the appointment of a caretaker and the increases in costs resulting from the current economic situation.

You may recall that we put in place a 10% discount on charges for hiring the main hall, when we thought we would not have a caretaker. We are continuing that discount until 31^st December 2022, when it will end.

Inflation in September was running at just over 10% and this is impacting on costs for running the Hall, as it is for us all. In response to this we are increasing hire charges by 5% from 1^st January 2023. We shall keep this under review with the possibility of a further mid-year increase if costs rise further, but we hope to avoid that.

We have now removed both changing rooms from being available for hire, whilst we continue to revise storage arrangements.

Hire charges from 1^st January 2023

Steve Page, Chair of Operation Group

News from the Village Hall

Caretaking

We are delighted to announce that we have recently agreed with Sarah Adekanmi that she will provide caretaking services to the Village Hall, which she is now doing. Sarah has a substantive post in the paramedic service, for which she works a variable shift pattern, so her availability to the Village Hall will be part-time.

Much of the role of caretaker is not directly related to hires; monitoring the security and safety of the building, maintaining consumable supplies as required, keeping the hall and its contents in good order and other such tasks. Sarah will be able to fit this work around her other duties. 

With respect to getting furniture out in preparation for hires, putting it away afterwards and ensuring the rooms used are left in a clean and tidy state, Sarah will sometimes be available to assist and at other times not. Therefore, primary responsibility for these tasks will need to remain with hirers, as it has for the last few months.

Impact on hire charges

When we announced revised hire charges in July Village News we did state that “These charges will be reviewed and revised (upwards) if we recruit a caretaker in the future”.

However, given the timing of these new arrangements, the Operations Group has decided to stay with the revised charges announced in July until 31^st December 2022. This will give us time to see how these new caretaking arrangements and fuel costs are impacting on the Hall finances. Later in the year we will announce new hire charges to come into effect from 1^st January 2023.

Steve Page, Chair of Operation Group

Confirming changes at the Village Hall, July 2022

The changes signalled at the end of May are moving forward:

Booking Secretary

Shelley Walker has now taken over as booking secretary. If you are a hirer, please make sure that you use the email address: SHVHbookings@gmail.com to reach Shelley.

Caretaking

This is a paid role. If you are interested please contact me, Steve Page (07800 731 381), or Chair of Trustees, Gill Fairbotham (07585 678 222).

We are currently proceeding on the basis that we have no caretaker and planning how to make the Hall easier for hirers to get out and put away the furniture you need.

Storage

We are revising storage at the Hall, to make furniture storage safer and easier to access. The Ladies changing room, which is very seldom booked, is being converted into an additional furniture store and, therefore, is not available for hire or other uses.

Revised Hire Charges

Heating and lighting costs are increasing significantly at the Hall, as they are for all of us. However, the loss of our caretaker does decrease our overheads. Taking these two factors into account, for the twelve months from 1^st September 2022 we are reducing hire costs for the main hall by 10% and keeping all other charges at their current rate. These charges will be reviewed and revised (upwards) if we recruit a caretaker in the future.

Hire charges from 1^st September 2022

Steve Page, Chair of Operation Group

Changes at the Village Hall, May 2022

There are two significant changes taking place in the running of the Village Hall:

Booking Secretary

We are very pleased that Shelley Walker is in the process of taking over the pivotal voluntary role of booking secretary from Sarah Douglas. I am confident that Shelley and Sarah will make this transition as seamless as possible. If you are a hirer, please make sure that you use the email address: SHVHbookings@gmail.com to reach the right person.

We want to thank Sarah for temporarily stepping back into this role just before Christmas (having held it for around five years pre-pandemic) and overseeing the tricky ‘restart’ of activities as the pandemic constraints have been gradually lifted. 

Caretaking

Andy Berry stepped down from being caretaker in mid-May, due to increased commitments in his other job. We are very grateful for Andy’s many years work at the Hall, first as assistant caretaker and more recently as caretaker. It is a job much of which can go unnoticed, but it enables things to run smoothly for Hall users.

We would still really like someone to step forward to take on this paid role. If you are interested please contact me, Steve Page (07800 731 381), or Chair of Trustees, Gill Fairbotham (07585 678 222).

However, in the short term we must all adjust to having no caretaker. This means hirers and hall users getting out and putting away the furniture you use in the main Hall. We are trying out having a standard set of tables and chairs in the Refreshments and Committee rooms, but they will need moving or removing for some activities. It also means cleaning up any mess made, emptying bins and checking the building security when locking up. We are explaining these changes in more detail to hirers.

We are also reviewing what changes we need to make to improve the safety and ease for hirers should this temporary situation become permanent.

Steve Page, Chair of Operation Group

April 2022 Your Village Hall Needs You!

The village hall is a charity and important part of the community that has always been run by volunteers in order to keep costs to a minimum.

The number of committee members has dwindled over the years and we now desperately need more people to join us at our monthly meetings.

We need anyone who can help with:

• making decisions about how the hall is run e.g. pricing and terms of hire?
• odd jobs and maintenance
• discussing bookings and ideas on how we can best help our hirers
• decisions about hall purchases e.g new equipment, services and hall supplies
• liaising with other village groups and hirers

No experience necessary! If you think you can help, please email secretary@sheriffhuttonvillagehall.co.uk

Link to table of allowed activities

Use the following link to see ACRE's table of activities allowed by the "Roadmap" at specified dates:

https://acre.org.uk/cms/resources/appendix-d-activities-table-22.4.21.pdf

Village Hall August 2021

Hello, from the Village Hall

The operations committee and trustees at the village hall are modifying guidance to hirers, to encourage use of the village hall, while continuing to try to keep people as safe as possible.

Since the relaxing of Covid regulations by the Government on 19^th July 2021, the 2m rule has changed.  This has a bearing on the room capacity of each space at the village hall. Each room has always had a maximum capacity which relates to fire regulations based on the size of the space being occupied.  We are working from the premise that Covid is still a nasty disease and is still being transmitted.  We therefore want to encourage hirers to continue to minimise risk of transmission when using the village hall.  Therefore, and at the moment, we have set room capacities at 50% the maximum allowed by the fire regulations.  The current advised capacity for each space at the village hall is as follows:  Main Hall - 71 standing / dancing and 100 seated;  Refreshments Room - 14; Committee Room – 8; Kitchen - 3.  We still encourage hirers to complete a risk assessment to consider how best to minimise Covid transmission during the hire.  (See Village Hall risk assessment revised August 2021, which is available on the Village Hall website).  We also advise continued social distancing and the wearing of masks, particularly when moving around the building.  For the moment, the gents’ changing room is unavailable for hire because it is the designated “Covid safe space”.  Also, we are currently operating a 72 hour buffer period between hires of the stage.

From September 2021 hire charges will be:

On 22^nd September from 7.30pm at the village hall we will be holding a meeting for all regular hirers and anyone else who would like to attend.  This will be an opportunity for people to give feedback and suggestions to the hall committee and to hear the rationale for why we do what we do.  We look forward to seeing you there.  If you are unable to attend and would like to give feedback, please email me.

Sarah Douglas  sarah.j.dougas@btinternet.com

Chair of Operations

Village Hall July 2021                                            

The Government has announced significant changes to the Covid-19 legal restrictions, from Monday 19^th July.

As Covid cases are increasing, we are not making immediate changes to the Covid-secure arrangements at the Village Hall, but we are monitoring advice provided to community buildings.

In the meantime, we will work with hirers to make reasonable adjustments to hiring conditions, on a case-by-case basis.

Our aim is to encourage use of the Hall that is as safe as it can be for everyone while we are still living with the pandemic.

April 2021

Sheriff Hutton Village Hall is currently open only for those activities allowed under “Step 2” Covid-19 restrictions. However, we are taking bookings ready for re-opening for indoor activities on or after 17th May (see item below)

Village Hall

 We have carefully considered the detailed guidance (see: https://acre.org.uk ) regarding Community Buildings and the Four-Step roadmap out of Covid 19 lockdown announced on 22^nd February and also taken specific advice from ACRE. Based on this the current situation is as follows: 

 At Step 2 of the roadmap, on or after 12^th April, Community Buildings are permitted to re-open and the Hall is now open for activities that are permitted. These include:

• Toddlers Group, which has now restarted (but numbers are limited, so please check with the organisers before attending),
• Polling Station for the election on Thursday 6^th May.

If you wish to discuss whether a specific activity is permitted, please get in touch.

 At Step 3, on or after 17^th May, a much wider range of indoor activities will be permitted, in accordance with the “rule of six” and current social distancing measures. 

If you have any questions please email us at: villagehall@sheriffhutton.co.uk

4^th November 2020

The latest Government guidance requires that community buildings close except for a limited number of exempt activities https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.  As we currently do not host any of the activities listed, the Village Hall will close from Thursday 5^th November until further notice.  We will continue to monitor Government guidance and will keep the situation under review. 

At the time of writing, the play area remains open.  Please follow the guidance that is given on both gates to the playground. 

Thank you for your understanding, and for your continued support of the Village Hall.

VILLAGE HALL HAS BEEN OPEN FOR BOOKINGS FROM 19^TH JULY

THE HALL IS ‘COVID-SECURE’ FOR A MAXIMUM OF 30 PEOPLE

13^th October 2020 Update

This update is intended to summarise our understanding about hiring the Village Hall under the current Covid-19 guidance and regulation and replaces previous updates. We regularly check a number of sources in order to try to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information for Hall users: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities

Local Covid alert level

Ryedale is currently categorised as “Medium” under the government’s three tier local Covid alert level. Our understanding is that this does not impose any additional restrictions on activities that can take place in the Hall. If this level is raised, then additional restrictions may apply. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-restrictions-areas-with-an-outbreak-of-coronavirus-covid-19

Self-isolation

Please ensure that neither you or anyone from your household enters the Hall during a period when required to self-isolate.  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

Hand washing and sanitising

Anyone using the Hall is asked to use sanitiser or wash your hands when entering and leaving the building and at any other time after touching a surface that could be contaminated. There are hands-free sanitisers just inside the entrance and exit. They are battery operated and consume batteries quite quickly, so please let the organiser of your activity know if they are not working.

Maintaining social distance

It is imperative to maintain two metres distance from other people (from outside of your household), whenever this is possible. If at any point you cannot avoid being closer than two metres to someone else, move away to a safer distance as quickly as possible.

Wearing a mask

Generally you must wear a mask inside the Hall.  But there are some exemptions.

Some people are exempt from wearing a mask for health or other reasons. Someone who is exempt is not required to give the reason https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

Government rules also allow you to remove your mask when actively involved in certain specific activities.  (if unsure please enquire).

“Rule of six”

The application of the “rule of six” to Community Centres and Village Halls is complex. Put simply, some activities are not allowed to take place, some may only have six participants (or six groups of participants, where each group is formed of people from the same household) and some may have more than six participants or groups of participants. Please contact us if you are unsure what applies to your activity. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing

Test and Trace

In compliance with the legislation we require that all hirers request and keep a record of contact details from at least one member of every household undertaking their activity. If you are asked for your contact details you are urged to co-operate, however you are not compelled to do so.

The QR code for the Hall is prominently displayed I the entrance hall and foyer. If you have the NHS App on your phone you can log your presence in the Hall by scanning this code. For more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace

News from the Village Hall                                      18th July 2020

We are delighted that we have been able to reopen the Village Hall.  Our aim is to ensure that the building is as COVID-19 safe as possible.  To achieve this, we have done a COVID-19 specific risk assessment and produced additional terms and conditions for hirers. These are based on the Government’s guidance for community buildings.  This new paperwork is available on the Village Hall website.  We all have a part to play in minimising risk of infection and therefore we ask that when visiting the Village Hall you follow the advice of the person organising the activity you are attending, and follow the guidance clearly posted throughout the building.  We suggest you wear a face covering, given this is a public space. 

We are also very pleased that the play area is once again available for children to enjoy.  Before you visit the play area with your children, we encourage you to do a couple of things:  ensure you have hand sanitiser with you to avoid cross contamination from play equipment and also have a chat with you child about the possibility that if the area is busy, you may need to leave and come back later.  There is additional guidance on both gates to the play area.  

Click on the button below to see the Hall's Risk Assessment

2^nd July:  Update from Trustees

Hall Building

The Government has confirmed that Village Halls may open from 4^th July, once they have all necessary arrangements in place to be Covid-secure.

The Operations Group and Trustees are working through the very recently published guidance to put everything in place ensure the Hall can be as Covid-secure as possible.

We are hoping to be able to open the Hall Buildings by the middle of July.

We will announce the opening date on this website and on local notice boards as soon as we are able to do so.

Play Area

Provided it passes its final safety inspection the Play Area will re-open for use at 9.00 am on Saturday 4^th July.

When using the Play Area please follow the guidance from the Registered Play Inspectors International:

1. Follow the current social distance guidelines when visiting and encourage your children to do the same. This is currently two metres wherever possible.

2. If the playground is busy, consider coming back at a later time. Talk to your children about this possibility before visiting.

3. Wash your and your children’s  hands before and after visiting. Take hand sanitiser with you and consider taking a bottle of water for if your children’s hands get covered in mud. Ensure your children are using hand sanitiser frequently.

4. Follow and adhere to all current government advice in addition to the above guidance.

Earlier Update from Village Hall Trustees (1st June)

In recent days we have had a number of enquiries, so we want to clarify that the Village Hall is currently closed and will remain closed until at least July 4^th 2020.

The Village Hall is classed as a ‘Community Centre’ in the current Public Health Regulations for England (amended in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic). Such facilities may not open under the Government’s current guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance

We are monitoring the situation through information from Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and the Government’s announcements and publications. You can access the ACRE web-site: https://acre.org.uk/rural-issues/coronavirus

The Trustees and Operations Group are planning for re-opening. This will be when Government guidance allows us to, and we are satisfied that we and hirers can meet the Covid-19 Secure Guidelines.

If you have any questions or want to discuss future use of the hall please contact us by email at: SHVHbookings@gmail.com

Earlier update from the Village Hall during Covid-19 outbreak (15th May)

The Village Hall Trustees and Operations Group both ‘met’ this week on Zoom and we want to update you as at 15^th May. Government advice may have moved on again by the time you read this, so, for the most up-to-date information please check our website: www.sheriffhuttonvillagehall.co.uk

Play Area: The Government advice published 11^th May made it clear that playgrounds are to remain closed due to the risk of cross-infection from equipment surfaces. Therefore, we took the opportunity to undertake the ground works to level the grassed surfaces and reseed where necessary. We hope that the grass will have grown back by the time the play area may be re-opened.

Hall Grounds: The ground works project (largely funded by a grant from Ryedale District Council) includes levelling the grassed area by the trees and Village Hall sign, so that it is suitable for market stalls in future. There will also be some repairs to fencing between the car park and path and a drainage channel created to resolve (we hope) the puddle that appears across the path from the car park to the Hall main entrance whenever we get significant rain. Please ensure that you keep the prescribed two metre distance from anyone working in the Hall grounds.

The Building: while all hire activities within the Hall stopped in March, we have been undertaking deep cleaning, there have been regular security, safety and maintenance checks and servicing and maintenance work continues. We are currently considering how (and if) the Hall can be safely used whilst the current “Social Distancing” measures are in place, once such facilities may re-open.

Governance matters: This is normally the time of year when we convene an AGM to which Villagers are invited, but that is not possible and we decided against a ‘virtual AGM’. We shall hold a procedural Trustee meeting to sign off the 2019 accounts so they can be published and submitted to the Charity Commissioners, which meets our obligations under the Village Hall constitution. We will hold an open meeting once it becomes possible to do so legally and safely.

Finance: The Hall has significant overheads to meet, regardless of whether it is in use. The solar panels are providing an income that covers part of these costs and we are able to meet the remaining costs from our reserves, but like so many organisations we will have to look at fund-raising opportunities once we are back in operation.

Best wishes to you from all those involved in managing the Village Hall. If you have any questions please email us at: SHVHbookings@gmail.com