Why we are fundraising
The community of Stanhope and Weardale more widely were shocked to hear recently that the Church Hall, a beautiful and much-loved building at the heart of our community, is under threat of closure. The building is owned by the Church, and due to rising costs and significant repairs required, as well as lack of capacity to manage the hall, they are seeking to sell it. We are seeking to raise a small amount of money to get the campaign started.
At the heart of our community
The building is home to a huge number of users including:
- 1st Stanhope Beavers, Cubs and Scouts
- Weardale Food Bank
- Root & Branch Community Cafe
- Weardale Makers' Market
- Farmers' Market
- Highlights Rural Touring Initiative
- The Weardale Winter Wassail
- Baby and Toddler group
- Photography Club
- Badminton Club
- Drama in the Dale
- The Weardale Society
- Bread Church
- Weardale WordFest
- Book Group
- Weardale Community Choir
- Tai Chi
And many more events and meetings, including use as a polling station. It is one of the only accessible meeting places in Stanhope, and is the only one big enough for theatre productions, with its own stage and lighting/sound equipment.
The building has fallen into disrepair in recent years and requires significant attention and repair. The Church have recently announced their intention to sell the Hall and there is a significant risk that it will be sold to the highest bidder for development, and lost to the community forever.
We believe that the Hall has a bright and sustainable future ahead of it and should be transferred into community ownership to ensure it is there to serve the people of Weardale for generations to come.
Weardale Together CIC are working with our community to bring this about; seeking capital funding to purchase and restore the building to respond to the needs of our community. We want to hear what the building means to our residents and visitors, and create a forward-looking, sustainable plan for it to keep it open and thriving into the future.
To kick off this campaign we are seeking to crowdfund for some running costs such as print, posters, banners, website etc. Our initial target is £150, and anything raised above and beyond this figure will be put towards future fundraising costs for the building.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Please note, Weardale Together CIC will not be taking a fee for the initial development and coordination of the campaign. Any management costs for the project will be written into future fundraising bids. This Crowdfunder is simply to cover the out-of-pocket expenses incurred as we launch our campaign.
Weardale Together CIC is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning that any surplus generated from our work is invested into future community projects.