Dear Resident,
It is great to see the new Cofton Village Hall on the corner of Groveley Lane and East Works Drive taking shape at last. It is being built by the developers as a planning condition for the construction of houses on the former Rover site. The plans were drawn up by St Modwen after consultation with local residents. When it is completed (scheduled for mid-May), the hall will pass into the ownership of the Parish Council to be run by a voluntary non-profit making Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) of which initial trustees have been appointed.
It will be a great asset to the community, a place to get together and for a whole range of groups and clubs to meet. Already we have had a number of enquiries from groups wishing to use the hall and no doubt many others will follow.
St Modwen provide the building and fittings, but all the contents (tables, chairs, curtains, crockery, cutlery, office equipment and much else) have to be paid for locally. We calculate the total cost of equipping the hall will be around £75k of which £41k is needed up front to enable it to open in June. The trustees are currently working hard planning what is required and applying for grants to raise the thousands of pounds needed. Fund raising activities are taking place in the community, and we are grateful to those of you who have contributed through those.
We would also like to ask if you can contribute in other ways. Do you know of a trust or charity which might give funding for such a purpose? Could your workplace make a grant or donation, perhaps in return for publicity? And would you be willing to make a gift towards equipping the hall for the benefit of your family, neighbours, and future generations of Cofton residents? £1200 will buy an HD projector, £1000 will pay for internet installation, £200 will buy a lounge chair, £150 a folding table, £100 a hand dryer, £30 a stacking chair, or £12 a dozen mugs.
Details of how payments can be made are on the donation form (click here). You can also donate on our Just Giving page. Donations can be gift aided. If you have questions about funding or anything else, please contact any of the committee members listed below.
We are excited about this long anticipated community facility coming close to reality, and hope that you will want to be part of it as well.
The Trustees