Hall Management\Hall Newsletter May 2008

News from the Chairman – Iain Saunders

Much has happened since our last newsletter in July 2007. Diane Steele became the part-time Hall Manager last October and in November Laura Neville took over responsibility for the website. Lizzie McVean continues to keep the hall wonderfully clean.
The remaining members of the ‘old’ committee, who rebuilt the Hall, duly retired at the AGM in November. The community owes them an enormous debt of gratitude for bequeathing us a hall in such sound physical and financial health.
The CVH committee now consists of Kate Fraser as secretary and Robin Parry as treasurer. Namaste Bevan has taken over as chair of the performing arts sub-committee and we are very pleased that Jan Brown continues to play a very active role on the sub-committee organising funding and events. Taryn Blair heads up the catering activities supported by Joan Allen and Norma Kirk. Ali Potter-Irwin is responsible for maintenance and Rob Nolan represents the sound and light activities. The transition process to the new team is now largely complete and it is gratifying that this has happened without any major upheavals!
All of us give willingly of our time as do many other members of the community. Volunteers are always needed, though, and we really appreciate anybody stepping forward to help.

With best wishes

Iain Saunders
01852 500 289

Join us for a coffee
The popular monthly coffee mornings will continue throughout the summer this year. If you fancy fresh coffee and a good blether, do come along. The dates for the next few are 12th June, 10th July, 14th August and 11th September. If you would like to come along but need transport, please call Norma on 500 368 or Joan on 500 292 and we will try and arrange a lift.

It’s your hall - can you help?
The village hall committee are always keen to hear your views. If you have any suggestions, or questions, please do get in touch with Di, the Hall Manager.
The hall relies on support from the community to help events run smoothly. The committee appreciates the efforts of everyone who has helped at events over the last few years. If you are happy to help at the occasional event, please let Di know and we will get in touch when we need help. We are always pleased to hear from volunteer stewards and bar staff. If you are interested in being trained on how to use the hall’s sound and light equipment to help us when we have a performance, please get in touch. If you are keen to get involved with managing the hall, then why not stand for election to the Committee next November? To find out more about what’s involved contact Iain Saunders.

Keeping the hall in tip top condition
Now that the hall is well and truly up and running, the focus has shifted to maintaining and equipping it. Last year the hall made a small profit which is important to fund our maintenance programme. This year we hope to improve the storage facilities and repaint parts of the hall. Fundraising still remains important, with the Hogmanay Ceilidh the main event.

Improved website
CVH now has an improved website which makes it even easier to find out more about the hall. To see for yourself visit www.craignishvillagehall.org.uk . As well as details of all up and coming events, the site has a directory of local businesses, classified ads, details of the committee, how to book the hall and even a history of the hall. We hope that the site will be used as a community noticeboard, so if you would like to add anything please let Di know.

Take an Argyll College course on your doorstep
Following the success of the computing and belly dancing courses, Argyll College are offering a wide variety of learning opportunities at the hall. From Italian cookery and beginners Spanish, to aromatherapy or desk top publishing, check out their website for details of the many courses on offer at www.argyllcollege.ac.uk . Whether you are learning for fun or for a qualification, a hobby or a job related diploma, all you need are 8 people with the same interest to get something up and running. Just let Di, the Hall Manager, know of any courses you would like to take and she can pass this on to Argyll College when there is enough demand.

The results are in….village hall survey
One of the reasons the hall was successful in securing funding was because it aimed to improve four key areas; social cohesion and local pride, IT learning facilities, accessibility and inclusion, and childcare resources. A before and after survey has been done, comparing Sept 04 and Sept 07, to see whether the hoped for impact has been delivered.
The good news is that there is increased local pride in the village hall facility and an increased awareness of local events, groups and meetings. People also felt the new hall was more accessible and comfortable and that there were more community functions, events and activities.
It was also shown that a large majority of the community perceives the village hall committee to do a good job and are fully aware of events and functions.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey.

Watch out for….
The arts programme goes from strength to strength at CVH thanks to the enthusiastic Arts Committee. The aim is to provide a wide range of quality performances. If there is a type of performance that you would particularly like to see, please let Namaste know on 01546 510 550. Forthcoming events include:
Fri. June 20th. at 7.30pm. Black Sheep presents 'The Joy of Wine' - a comedy for adults (over 16s) with free wine samples - £7.
Sat. June 21st at 6pm. Black Sheep presents 'Professor Bumm's Story Machine' - 'a crackpot comedy of made-up madness' for everyone over 5 years. Tickets - £3/£4.
Sat. August 30th. at 7.30pm - Mull Theatre presents 'Accidental Death of an Accordionist' an interactive murder mystery comedy/ceilidh, in which the audience is involved in the drama. Tickets £9
Tue. Sept. 16th at 7.30pm the !gubi Family - San musicians from Namibia (see www.indigenouspeople.org.uk)
'The San are the originators of trance dance and their music is specifically designed to evoke an altered state of consciousness through the rhythms and beats, enabling the musician to enter trance and perform healing on both individuals and the tribe. Tickets - £7.

Tickets are on sale a month in advance of each event from 01852 500 689.

Hogmanay planning already!
It may still be 6 months away but plans have already started for this year’s Hogmanay Ceilidh, following on the success of the last three. After last year’s trial, we hope to again start early (7.30 ish) with a child friendly gathering before moving on to some real partying later. We need to decide soon whether to book a live band and charge slightly more on the door, or keep entry prices at a minimum and use CDs only. Please let us know your preference.

How to get in touch
Our part time hall manager, Diane Steele is your first contact for any matters relating to the hall. She is normally in the hall on Tuesday and Friday mornings. You can contact her on 01852 500 746 or email di@craignishvillagehall.org.uk.

Site designed and maintained by Laura Neville.