A fundraising campaign has been launched to repair the roof of West Pinchbeck Village Hall, with the committee appealing for £20,000 from local residents and supporters by the end of September.
The money will help fund the purchase and installation of 4,000 tiles as part of a £28,000 repair project. A £5,000 grant has already been awarded towards the work, but the committee says it needs to raise the remaining £20,000 before the end-of-September deadline in order to secure that grant.
Scaffolding surrounds village hall
The hall occupies a former school building on Six House Bank. The building was constructed in the 1840s and became West Pinchbeck Village Hall. Although it was renovated in 1992, the committee believes that some of the roofwork still dates from the original building.
Recent problems with the roof have resulted in scaffolding being installed around the building. The repair project is intended to address the condition of the roof and allow the hall to continue serving the village.
The West Pinchbeck Village Hall Committee has called its fundraising effort the ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign. The appeal is focused on raising enough money to fund the immediate work while helping to preserve the building as a community venue for the future.
Lynne Andrew and her husband Paul have been members of the committee for nearly 40 years. Lynne Andrew said the hall has a wide range of regular and occasional users, including local groups, families and people attending celebrations.
“Our hall is in use all the time,” she said. “We’ve got lots of local groups that use it and even at the weekends there is lots of birthday parties and wedding receptions, all kinds of celebrations.
She added: “There’s all sorts going on down there.”
The hall is used during the week by local organisations and also hosts birthday parties, wedding receptions and other celebrations at weekends. The committee says the scale of the roofing bill is beyond what it can meet from its existing funds.
“We face a huge expense that the committee just doesn’t have the funds to cover. That’s why we’ve reached out to the community.”
How residents can help
The appeal has been described as a community-driven campaign intended to create a lasting legacy for future generations. A crowdfunding page has been launched to collect donations towards the roof work.
Supporters can contribute through the Raise the Roof Tile by Tile Appeal. The campaign also gives donors the opportunity to sponsor an individual roof tile.
People who sponsor a tile will have their name included on a planned ‘Wall of Thanks’. Donations are offered through a sliding scale, with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels providing additional incentives for higher contributions.
The committee’s immediate target is to raise £20,000 by the end of September. Reaching that figure would allow it to secure the £5,000 grant and move forward with the wider £28,000 scheme to buy and install the 4,000 replacement tiles.
The appeal comes as the village hall continues to host local groups and private celebrations. Organisers are asking the wider community to help protect the building and keep it available for those activities in the years ahead.
