Raise the Roof for Victoria Hall Theatre

Aim

Raise £70,000 for vital roof work at Victoria Hall Theatre by August 2027, keeping Harlow’s community creating and performing.

Raise the Roof for Victoria Hall Theatre

Help protect a home for the arts in Harlow and the surrounding areas.

Victoria Hall Theatre is a place where people come together to create, perform and belong. It brings audiences, performers and volunteers together through a shared love of live theatre.

Now, this community space needs your support. We are raising £70,000 to address the theatre’s roof, with essential work needing to take place in August 2027.

A theatre built on community

At the heart of Victoria Hall is a community of people who give their time, energy and creativity to keep local theatre alive.

A committee of volunteers, working alongside the theatre’s user groups, helps support the building and the activities within it. From organising productions and rehearsals to welcoming audiences and working backstage, their collective effort makes the theatre possible.

Our community reaches across Harlow and the surrounding areas, bringing together people with different backgrounds, experiences and talents.

Whether someone is stepping onto a stage for the first time, returning to a lifelong passion or simply enjoying a performance, Victoria Hall offers somewhere to connect.

Why we need your help

The theatre’s roof needs work. We face a choice between a short-term repair and a long-term solution. One of these options must be carried out in August 2027.

A short-term repair would address immediate needs but offer a more limited lifespan. A long-term solution would aim to provide greater protection for the building’s future. Professional advice, confirmed costs and the funding available will guide that decision.

Without the necessary funding, the theatre could face significantly higher hire fees, making it harder for local groups to use the space. If future safety concerns prevent the building from remaining in use, there is also the possibility of closure.

By acting together now, we have an opportunity to protect this space for the community.

Our vision

We want Victoria Hall Theatre to remain a welcoming home for the arts—a place where local creativity can grow and people can experience the joy of live performance.

Our vision is for user groups to continue developing their work, volunteers to share their skills, and audiences to enjoy the talent found across Harlow and the surrounding areas.

We want future generations to experience their first rehearsal, their first opening night and their first round of applause here.

Protecting the roof is essential to making that future possible.

How we will use the money

Our £70,000 fundraising appeal will support the work needed to address the theatre’s roof.

The final scope of the work will depend on professional advice, confirmed quotations and the funds available. As these details are established, we will explain the chosen approach and share a clear breakdown of how the money will be used.

The volunteer committee will oversee the campaign and provide updates on fundraising progress, decisions and the timetable for the work.

If the amount raised means the proposed approach needs to change, we will explain what that means and outline the next steps.

Working together to reach our goal

This crowdfunding appeal forms part of a wider community fundraising effort.

Alongside public donations, the committee and user groups will work together on:

• Grant applications and suitable match-funding opportunities.

• Local business sponsorship and partnerships.

• A Christmas fundraising show.

• Community events and activities led by user groups and supporters.

• Publicity that shares the theatre’s story and encourages people to get involved.

Every donation, event and introduction can help move the project forward.

What does Victoria Hall Theatre mean to you?

Perhaps it is where you discovered the confidence to perform, made friends backstage or watched someone you love take their first steps onto the stage.

Perhaps you have spent evenings building sets, organising costumes, rehearsing lines or enjoying a show from the audience.

These experiences are why the theatre matters. We invite our user groups, volunteers, performers and audiences to share their memories and help show what this space means to our wider community.

How you can help

Make a donation. Whatever you can afford, your contribution will help us move towards our target.

Share this appeal. Help us reach people across Harlow, the surrounding areas and beyond.

Offer your skills or time. Help with fundraising, events, publicity or practical organisation.

Get your group involved. Organise an activity, support a fundraising performance or encourage members and audiences to contribute.

Introduce a business or sponsor. A local connection could open the door to valuable support.

Help keep our community creating

We have a significant target and a clear deadline. We also have a community full of creativity, commitment and ideas.

Together, we can help protect Victoria Hall Theatre as a place for people to perform, participate and belong.

Help us protect the roof above our stage—and the community beneath it.

Thank you for supporting Victoria Hall Theatre.

The volunteer committee and user groups of Victoria Hall Performing Arts Association

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 7th December 2026 at 12:00pm