A Stairlift for Wiveliscombe Town Hall

Aim

The Town Hall is at the top of a long flight of stairs which many people can't climb. A stairlift will help them reach the top!

Wiveliscombe's Town Hall sits in The Square in the centre of the town, on the edge of Exmoor in Somerset.

The Town Hall was empty and increasingly derelict for 60 years. But after concerted effort by a charity set up by local residents it reopened its doors in 2023. 

Despite the fact that there is no water or heating and some areas still need repair the Hall has successfully hosted a variety of theatre, cinema, music and comedy performances attracting audiences from Wiveliscombe and the surrounding areas.

However, the Town Hall can only be reached by a long flight of stairs – 24 steps in total. That means there are many people in our community who, for all sorts of reasons, can’t come to see films, theatre, music or comedy. This is something we need to address.

We have been in touch with Somerset Stairlifts in Wellington. They can supply and install a refurbished stairflit for £4,500. That works out at just under £200 per step.

The stairlift will run up the lefthand side of the stairs, giving the passenger an unbroken journey from top to bottom.

To pay for the stairlift we are launching this crowdfunder – seeking donations from local residents and businesses to cover the cost.

Progress towards our target will be displayed in the Town Hall as we paint our way up the steps – a sort of Blue Peter thermometer (if that means anything to you!). 

In recognition of all the donations received, every donor’s name will be displayed on the wall by the stairlift. And large donations can get other rewards.

Thank you very much if you do decide to donate. It will mean a huge amount to  those people with limited mobility who will now be able to reach the Town Hall.

Why a stairlift and not a lift or a lift-platform?

Ideally we would install a lift but our lease does not include any areas on the ground floor so it is impossible, at least for now. One day we might have some ground floor space at which point a lift will definitely be on our shopping list.

A lift platform is a type of stairlift which can take a wheelchair. That obviously makes access much more convenient for wheelchair users. However, the cost would be substantially more (over £10,000) and would probably require building modifications at the bottom of the stairs. That would all take more time to secure, and we’d like to get on with this as quickly as we can.

When will the stairlift be installed?

We have already secured funding from the Town Council to pay for repairs to the stairwell and are planning to appoint an artist to work with local people to design murals for the walls. Once that is completed we can hopefully install the stairlift in the spring 2027.

Is there a disabled toilet at the top of the stairs?

Not yet, but we’re working on it. We have applied for listed building consent to make alterations to the rooms behind the hall and the Coop (our landlord) is due to connect us to a water supply. If all goes to plan there will be an accessible toilet by the time the stairlift is installed.

What happens if you don’t reach the funding target?

Our target is to raise the full amount by December 2026. If we don’t achieve the target by then we will hold the funds raised in a dedicated pot and seek the remaining amount by applying for grants – but it will obviously take a bit longer.

What fees do you have to pay?

We are using the Crowdfunder platform to manage the donations. They make a small charge which, depending upon the amount raised and the number of people donating, is likely to be about £150.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 4th December 2026 at 1:45pm