Back to NewsRegional builder C G Fry and Son and Galhampton Village Hall Committee are delighted to announce the start of work on Galhampton Village Hall in Somerset.
Located in the heart of South Somerset, Galhampton has benefitted from a village hall since 1887. The most recent was over 40 years old and no longer met the needs of the village. After it became clear that for structural reasons an extension or repairs would not be possible, a new hall was the only option.
A buildings committee was formed, and a survey established that 99% of villagers who responded supported the building of a new hall, with 98% believing the absence of a village hall would adversely affect the community.
The village raised a healthy £90,000 towards the project and has subsequently received a grant of £712,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, £25,000 from Garfield Weston, £90,000 from Viridor and £12,500 from South Somerset District Council.
NVB Architects of Frome were selected as the successful architects and project managers with a design that best met the needs of the village.
Following a tender process, CG Fry & Son were appointed to build the new hall, which is expected to be completed in June 2018.
The new building will incorporate a larger main hall, a meeting room and much needed storage space. The sustainable design creates a light and airy attractive building with low running and maintenance costs.
Mike Pinney, Contracting Director at CG Fry & Son commented; ‘We are delighted to be working on the Galhampton Village Hall. We understand the importance of creating welcoming places for local people to meet and enjoy time together. The new hall will allow for more events in a larger, modern environment that will service this close community for many years to come’.
Peter Marsden of the Galhampton Village Committee said, “Galhampton is known locally for its strong community spirit and the village hall is at the heart of this. The new facility will allow for additional activities that could not be put on in the old hall and will be a great benefit to the community. We are very much looking forward to our new hall and the opportunities it will bring.”
From Left to Right: Jenny Williams, Les Cheesman, Judy Fox, Mark Duddridge, Peter Marsden, Mike Pinney and Chris Derryman of CG Fry & Son, Martin Cox