THE SPILSBY AND DISTRICT PUBLIC HALL- FRANKLIN HALL

Spilsby Franklin Hall is a large community building (similar to a village hall) which is hired out to charities, groups, businesses, individuals for the purposes including fund raising, education, socialising, fitness, meetings etc.  Franklin Hall is a registered Charity and relies on hiring income to maintain the building.  Space is also hired out on a lease to Spilsby Town Council and to a Kindergarten.  Franklin Hall employs on a part time basis a Hall Manager, a Caretaker and a Cleaner and is managed by an active group of Trustees who work on a voluntary basis.

The Hall was built in the 1890s and was a military building until 1964 ( a hospital during WW1 and used for training etc at other times) when it was purchased by some local people for Spilsby and District and has been used as a community building since then.  It is a very unique building which underwent major renovation about 25 years ago and has a large main hall with a capacity for 300 people and a conference room (ideal for meetings) with a capacity for 50 people.  There is also a lounge area and good purpose kitchen.  The Hall has good disabled access and has disabled toilet facilities.

A building of this age and size obviously takes a lot of upkeep and we have recently had a great deal of expenditure  which includes having to install  a new central heating boiler costing in excess of £8000.  This was after replacing central heating valves.  To keep the building in good shape we have dry lined several old walls, relacquered the main hall floor (£2000), replaced old lighting with LED  (£3500) and this is alongside annual expenditure of six monthly fire inspections/services, annual gas safe and legionella testing, annual PAT testing, roof inspections and repairs and insurance (£3500)  and annual PRS/PPL music licence (£600).  Along with many others the cost of electricity and gas has more than doubled.   We have recently had to install CCTV owing to theft of lead flashing from the roof (cost £1800).   With good budgeting we want to keep the Franklin Hall in good repair and viable for today and for future generations.  Since the Covid pandemic there has been a decline in the number of regular groups still actively using the hall (for example the weekly luncheon club and W.I., Tai Chi, a gym, and some badminton groups).  Alongside hirings we actively have developed some local history displays and organised an area for local leaflets and posters of "what's on".

We are now looking to the future of a building in a good state of repair but with the need for ongoing regular costs and  maintainance and where possible further improvement and encouraging new and existing hirings to be successful.  We want to maintain a clean and safe environment for hirers to hold the variety of activities already happening as well as encouraging new ideas and events.  Any donations you make would be well managed to preserve the future of this beautiful unique building in a very rural market town for the benefit of existing and future generations.  Funding will go towards heating, lighting, cost of insurance and repairs that may arise.