Welcome

Following our selection last year of GA Harper Ltd as our preferred contractor, Trustees are now very close to agreeing the build contract, following months of work on the Pre Construction Services Agreement.

There was considerable interest in the sale of the existing hall site and Trustees are pleased to have accepted a good offer for the site. We are continuing to work through all the legal requirements, with sale completion now expected soon.

Over the summer we received the approvals from the Charity Commission that were needed to allow the proceeds of the hall sale to be used to help finance the building of the new hall. Various amendments were needed to our constitution and these were approved at a General Meeting held on 10^th August at the Castle Hotel.

With the site sale we will have about sufficient funding in place to enable us to make the long-awaited start on this ambitious and important community project. But to see this through to a successful conclusion we are going to need the support of the whole village for the final push!

Our Farewell Event in March was a total sell-out with nearly 150 people squeezed into the hall. So many of you pitched into make it such a great success and, as well as everyone having a thoroughly good time, about £1,000 was raised for the cause.

Despite no longer having a venue fundraising has continued, with a successful and sunny Eynstock, and a very popular draw for a bespoke Castle Farm Hamper, won by a long-time Eynsfordian. The proceeds from these two initiatives were Match Funded by a very generous local resident, meaning we have raised just short of £20,000 from the community in recent months. Watch out for other events and activities popping up during the year, including our Groundbreaking Event, as our contractors put the very first spade in the ground! One date for your 2027 diary is the return of the Great Food and Drink Quiz – Friday 12^th March at the Anthony Roper school.

You may have noticed the disappearance of various items from the front of the hall! We are grateful to William Alexander and Bjorn Ramell for masterminding the successful extraction of the coats of arms (pargets) and the Millennium tiling inside the conservatory. The two foundation stones have also been removed, as has the beautiful maypole proscenium curtain. All of these items are being stored by William and Bjorn, for the future.

Lottery

The lottery has been running for several years and continues to be popular. Total prize money now over £39,000. The proceeds are divided between prizes and the hall rebuild fund. There is a bumper draw twice each year. Joining the lottery is simple – just complete this request.  A lottery ticket can make a nice present and a gift certificate can be provided.

For Sale

For sale – Eynsford Village Hall, The Heart of Village Life 1905-2005 by William G G Alexander at £5 each.

Written to mark the centenary of the Hall, William’s book records one hundred years of development and activity at the venue he regarded as the centre of village life. From hall building thanks to the generosity of Elliot Downs Till, its acquisition by Lady Emily Hart Dyke and vesting in trustees, its many events run by so many organisations, the addition of facilities such as a kitchen and millennium porch – this is a must read to appreciate village life in Eynsford through the twentieth century. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of the era, 72 pages.

Please order your copy via the contact page . The Hall trustees are grateful to the Executors of William’s estate for making the remaining stock available. 

William Alexander

William Alexander was born in Eynsford and farmed in the Darent Valley.

He was Chairman of the Hall trustees for 24 years until 2001 and organised many fund raising events.  He was awarded the OBE in 1984 for services nationally to agriculture.

He was also the author of ‘A Farming Century’ – an agricultural history of the Darent Valley.

Chairman’s Report

Click here for the latest chairman’s report.

Annual Accounts

Click here for the Hall’s 2023 accounts

Personal Data

Eynsford Village Hall uses personal data for the purposes of managing the hall, its bookings and finances, running and marketing events at the hall, staff employment and its fundraising activities. Data may be retained for up to seven years for accounts purposes and for longer where required by the hall’s insurers.  If you would like to find out more about how we use your personal data or want to see a copy of information about you that we hold, please contact the hall Secretary via the website contact form.