A Short
History of the Hall
The Hall was built in 1937 on land sold to the Parish Council by a local
farmer for £20. Money for the construction was provided by a variety of fund
raising efforts held in the Village. The official opening ceremony on 18th
October 1937 was performed by R.A. Butler M.P. who kindly donated a clock,
still running today.
The Hall and its adjacent land is held in a Trust, registered with the
Charity Commission, under which the Trustees are representatives appointed
by Village Organisations together with up to 7 co-opted members. The current
Organisations appointing Trustees are:
Clavering Bowls Club, Clavering Cricket Club, Clavering Cub Scouts,
Clavering Horticultural Society, Clavering Jubilee Field, Clavering Mothers
and Toddlers Group, Clavering Over 60's Club, Clavering Parish Council,
Clavering Parochial Church Council, Clavering Players, Clavering & Arkesden
Playgroup, Clavering Branch of the Royal British Legion (Men's Section).
The Trustees aim to provide first class Hall facilities at an affordable
cost to local organisations and individuals with the scale of charges
designed to be sufficient to meet the normal running costs of the Hall,
including the cost of employing a part time Caretaker. To fund major repair
and redecoration costs, Hall improvements and the cost of new equipment, two
major fund raising events are held annually – an Eastertide Exhibition of
Art and Crafts and – jointly with Village Organisations – a Fete held on the
Jubilee Field on the second Bank Holiday Monday in May.
The Trustees are rightly proud of the significant improvements which have
been made to the Hall over the past 70 years and many visitors consider it
to be best Village Hall in Essex.
Except when major building projects have been undertaken which entitle the Trustees to obtain Grants from Uttlesford District Council, the Trustees receive no financial support from Government funds or the Council Tax. £3,500 was received from Uttlesford Community Project Trust in 2005 to assist in financing the £22,000 cost of the extension to the Hall required by Legislation which provides toilet facilities for the disabled.