Greens Norton Village Hall Trust

The Story

The old Greens Norton Village School was first gifted to the village into a Charitable Trust in 1973 for use as a Village Hall. The original Trust is interesting as it set out the management committee to include 16 village organisations to run the facility. Only 6 of those organisations still exist and this tells part of the story.

After many years of use by these village organisations, more recently the Trust has experienced problems relating to the age of the building and reduced usage. This, combined with changed regulations and the requirement for major repairs exceeding decades of predicted income, meant that a critical point was reached where the few remaining members of the committee realised there was no future for the building as our Village Hall. After 50 years, this was a major decision and credit must go to the committee of that time for the courage shown to admit this and move forwards.

Our vision for the future of the Charity

The sale of the Hall left the Trust with some money and some decisions. What should be done with it…?

As the Village Hall was already in a Charitable Trust, there were rules and regulations but also problems. A Trust document designed to run a Village Hall was of no real use going forward; however, some things were clear ‘the money should be held for the benefit of the inhabitants of the village of Greens Norton’. A wider remit was sought, and the Charity Commission finally approved the purposes as ‘For Charitable Purposes with particular focus on recreational activities for persons, without distinction of political, religious or other opinions or beliefs.’

Final approval, with significant legal help, was passed in early 2023 and, since then, a now larger group of Trustees has worked hard to determine how this purpose can best be achieved. It is not clear whether there will be great demand for very large sums of money to be spent in the village; over the years there has been considerable investment into play equipment and the Community Centre, which is now provides an excellent facility for the village. The initial plan agreed by the Trustees is for the Trust to be set up ‘in perpetuity’ as a grant funding organisation for groups or individuals within the village. This would consider applications for grants from £500.00, to perhaps £5,000.00, with the potential to dispense a significant sum each year. However, as a work in progress for the first few years, we do not yet know who will wish to seek funding and for what but we are willing to engage with the community and mould the Trust towards what may be needed in the best interests of the village.

Remember that, whilst we are bound by the terms of the Trust, there is scope for some flexibility, and we are keen to use the money in the best ways. The Trustees are looking forward to hearing from people looking for financial help and from those willing to be Trustees. Decisions on who will be offered a grant lies with the Trustees and will be final; however, we are conscious that in the first years we do not really have an idea of what this will look like. We hope that the first applicants will be willing to offer their need/application as a case study so we can help other potential future applicants.

Get involved, share your ideas and apply for a grant today by downloading the application form now

Current Trustees