Update to Parish Council
April 2022
The Hall was built 100 years ago on land gifted to the village by the Nichols family in honour of those who returned to the village after the First World War. Following our election by the parish in October 2021, the Trustees are working to restore it as a community hall for the benefit of the whole of the Parish - making it a Hall for All. Our mission is to ensure the Hall and the grounds around it are seen as community assets for the benefit of all members of the parish. We want the Parish to be proud of the Hall and its grounds, and for it to be central to the wider community's benefit. For those unfamiliar with Hall, we are the large whitish building on the corner of Hollow Lane, in the centre of the village. We have a large car park, and grounds which we have reclaimed from nature over the last few months. The main pride and joy of the building is the high ceilinged hall, which is on the Hollow Lane side. There is also a kitchen, toilets, a bar, other large social rooms and a lower floor with storage and utility rooms. It is an impressive building, and we would be delighted to show anyone round who wanted to take a look.
As a celebration of the new start for the Hall, we organised a joyful Christmas fare last December, and were thrilled to see so many of you there. Since the Charity Commission confirmed our appointment at the start of 2022, we have been working tirelessly to secure, insure, protect and restore the Hall and the grounds. We are delighted to confirm that, while it needs some TLC, our builders and engineers have confirmed that the building is safe and (now) sound. We have also been working through governance, legal and financial matters, working towards our aim of a club which is transparent, professional and debt and mortgage free. Our goal is to have restored power and other utilities to the Hall in time for the Jubilee celebrations, and to play our part in those celebrations. You will also see the grounds being worked on over the spring - having reclaimed it from being a wilderness, we are working on a suitable jubilee display, fit for the occasion. This event is a perfect chance to show how keen we are to work with all the other community and faith groups in the Parish, for the greater good.
The Trustees have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the Parish, on every aspect of the project. So many people have given their time, money, expertise and enthusiasm to support us. We have been particularly grateful to the 7 young residents who are helping restore the Hall as part of their Duke of Edinburgh volunteering. We intend to reach out even further into the community, and will shortly be sending out a public consultation around the Parish. Our aim is to establish what the Parish wants the future of the Hall to be. We already have a lot of ideas, and want to hear from everyone and to get the message out: this is your Hall - from Haxted to Felstead and all points in between - as Trustees we are holding it on your behalf. We hope that everyone will take part in the consultation. If you have any questions for us, have any ideas for using the Hall, would like to hire it in the future, want to encourage us or tell us off, please feel free to do so. And please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. Our email address is dwmhtrustees@gmail.com .
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The Trustees of the Dormansland War Memorial Hall
Condition Report: February 2022
New Trustees Report Back on the Hall Condition
When we were canvassing the Parish for your support in electing us as Trustees, it was our clear intention that we establish the true physical condition of the existing hall and report back to the residents of Dormansland.
We are grateful to Colin Jones, Bryan Williamson and Peter Kirkness for contributing their time and skills in preparing the contents of this report.
The Memorial Hall has been unused and neglected for approximately 4 years and the condition of the building reflects this. In fact, in most areas of maintenance it has not received the attention it deserved for many years before that. It is quite clear that much of the previous maintenance that had been carried out was done in a less than ideal way with repairs, in various places, being makeshift and lacking the application of professional experience.
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It was claimed by the previous Trustees that the condition of the Memorial Hall was beyond salvation and that it should be demolished to make way for a new building and new housing developments. This is quite clearly not the case - to read more click on the picture below...
The Village Has Spoken!
The Results from Saturdays Vote are in!
The village has once again come out in force to give a clear message as to the direction they want for the memorial hall.
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Following this vote, the new team of 7 trustees will take ownership for the next steps of the project, looking to understand the current financial position of the hall, and whether it can be rescued or if a rebuild is required.
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Thank you to everyone who came out to vote and played a part in these changes - A HALL FOR ALL!
Update 1st October 2021
Dormansland War Memorial Hall
(Registered Charity 205768)
Public Meeting
Date: Saturday 16th October 2021.
Time: 11am
Location: Dormansland Primary School, Clinton Hill, Dormansland, RH7 6PE
Pursuant to the Trust Deed for the Dormansland War Memorial Hall, as a residents group of the Parish, we hereby call a meeting of all the Residents of the Parish of Dormansland to consider the following resolutions:
That the Parish agrees that there should be a full public consultation in respect of the usage of the Dormansland Memorial Hall property.
That the Parish shall appoint the following Inhabitants of the Parish as new Trustees, with effect from the end of the meeting: Lindsey Bell, David Birchall, Sarah Comber, Philip Davy, Tracey Morris, John Herbert Nichols, Nicola O’Riordan; and
That the Parish shall remove the remaining 2 current Trustees of the Dormansland Memorial Hall with effect from the end of the meeting.
Once presentations have been made to the meeting, the vote will be in person, by ballot (bring ID to show that you are a resident of the Parish). The time for voting and the meeting may be extended to allow sufficient time for all members of the Parish to vote.
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Signed: Directors on behalf of the Dormansland Residents Group ltd (Company 13546543)
Update 24th September 2021
Thank you for your patience.
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Late on Friday the 18th September, a short letter was received from the trustees Solicitor. Having reviewed the one page the Chairman of the Trustees 'terms' set out in the letter bore little resemblance to the terms proposed to the Residents Group via a third party earlier in the Summer. They were more a list of demands being made by the Chairman of the trustees rather than an offer.
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We have been advised, and agree, the no reasonable trustee could offer an open ended exoneration of the past dealings, particularly when no evidence has been provided of either the governance surrounding the village asset, and the failed developments, or its finances. What did emerge from the letter were further, previously undisclosed outstanding costs.
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Our next steps are to reply to that letter, whilst we continue to move forward on the avenues to resolution. Whilst the legal process is continuing, it is not possible to be very detailed. If anyone has concerns please do not hesitate to contact the Directors of the Residents group either via the contact us page, button below or emailing dormansresidents@gmail.com
Update 2nd August 2021
The results are in and the village has spoken! Both motions proposed were defeated as follows:
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The appointment of a new trustee - YES 50 / NO 153 votes
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The introduction of co-option - YES 40 / NO 169 votes
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The latest update from the current trustees informs us that "A new meeting will shortly be called to resolve the situation once the trustees decide on their approach to another meeting. Details to follow shortly".
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Whilst we do not know what the next steps the trustees will take, one thing is certain - the people of Dormansland came out in force to support this local treasure - we are determined to support the community in finding its voice so once more the Dormansland Memorial Hall can be A HALL FOR ALL!