THE first ever audit of Devon’s Village Halls, visiting an impressive 339 – that’s 80 per cent - of halls across the county has been completed by independent charity Devon Communities Together (DCT) during an 18-month period.
The results are available for the first time in a brand new report available here: https://www.devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/village-halls-community-buildings-audit .
Devon’s Village Halls and Community Buildings are significant community assets, but there has never been a central database containing information about the facilities they have or how they are used, until now.
The audit was designed to find out what these community assets currently offer and to assess the underused potential that can be harnessed through the Village Halls that could provide even greater and vibrant services to their communities.
The full report from DCT shares exclusive evidence on many key areas from audited halls, ranging from financial sustainability, digital connectivity and access to good quality Wi-Fi, to services for children and young people and environmental sustainability.
Some of the key findings highlight the challenges that many halls face, as well as the areas that have potential for Village Halls to play a bigger role in supporting village life in rural areas across Devon.
Areas such as lack of good quality Wi-Fi and people with limited digital skills are putting the halls at risk of not being able to keep up with digital trends to adapt and move forward as businesses.
Many halls are heavily reliant on bookings for income, however 67 per cent of Halls audited said they are currently unoccupied for over 50 per cent of the time, often seeking grant funding to plug the gap in this area.
Halls also often struggle to find volunteers, particularly from a younger audience, which again leads to fears for the longevity of the traditional Village Hall as a community hub.
A total of 41 per cent of Halls said that they would be interested in offering space for online medical appointments and telehealth services, which is something that could help people in rural communities to access health services where they are either limited or too far away to access regularly.
When asking about green credentials DCT found that unfortunately, funding and finances are often a stumbling block; 10 per cent of Devon’s Village Halls have openly stated that they are unable to improve their environmentally sustainability due to lack of funding.
Whilst an encouraging 24 per cent expressed an interest in getting solar panels, many are unable to currently, due to finances.
Despite the many challenges, there is, however, clear drive and determination from the hardworking volunteers seeking to overcome challenges and with ambitions to do even more for their communities.
Charlotte Squire, Project Manager who led the Village Halls Audit at DCT, said: “It has been a real privilege to be part of the Village Hall Audit project.
“We’ve met so many amazing volunteers and visited some fantastic venues across Devon.
“The message that comes across loud and clear is that Village Halls really are the beating heart of so many communities. With rural isolation and loneliness a very present health issue in today’s society, we have a lot to thank our Village Halls for. Now that we have this evidence, we hope that a more structured approach to funding and training support can be achieved in order to keep Village Halls at the heart of their community.”
UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT OUR VILLAGE HALLS
A key achievement from DCT undertaking the Village Hall Audit has been using the data to create a brand new, first-of-its-kind Community Asset Map; an online interactive service that allows users to search for Village Halls and Community Buildings in districts across Devon, choosing certain criteria and filtering results based on their facilities available here.
Launched alongside the report, it is hoped that the wealth of data gathered can support the rural proofing of these vital community assets, informing strategic decisions, policy development and future planning.
The map will also allow people to understand the facilities that are available, putting halls at the forefront as an option when searching for a venue for their next event, party, wedding or community group meeting, in turn boosting awareness and income for the halls.
Nora Corkery, Chief Executive at Devon Communities Together, said: “I am thrilled to be able to present the key findings from this exciting audit project and launch our new Village Hall database and online, publicly accessible Community Asset Map.
“It has taken our dedicated team many hours, and indeed miles, to pull this all together and we’ve uncovered some amazing community facilities and volunteers along the way.
“As we look to the future and how we will continue to support our Village Halls, this report gives us a clear indication of where they need our support and what other opportunities there may be.
“At DCT we provide a dedicated specialist support team for all Village Halls and Community Buildings across Devon, funded by DEFRA and Devon County Council, who advise on areas such as funding, governance, legal and environmental sustainability.”
A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Devon Communities Together has a rich history of working with community buildings, having supported their creation, redevelopment and operation for over 60 years, through a dedicated Village Halls support service. Nicola Gurr, Chair of the Board of Trustees, is positive about the future of Village Halls; “As the Rural Community Council for Devon (DCT's official name), we have witnessed over the last six decades how important Village Halls are for our communities across Devon.
“These buildings, often operated by volunteers, offer so much to their communities.
“Having undertaken the audit across Devon and now having a clearer understanding about the challenges that Village Halls are facing, the support from DCT couldn’t be more vital. We hope that funders and policy makers give Village Halls the priority they deserve to ensure that these assets remain pivotal in our communities.”
For more information about how DCT supports Village Halls, or the Village Halls Audit itself, please contact Charlotte Squire by emailing: [email protected] or telephone 01392 248919.
For further details, visit the website: www.devoncommunities.org.uk .