Newsletter 230330 Mission Hall
The Mission Hall's Beetle Drive on 24th March was well attended by a good mix of people, and seems to have been hugely enjoyed by everyone, with people particularly appreciating the opportunity it gives for mixing and meeting other people. A really delicious and very substantial Ploughman's Supper was provided, and there was a raffle. Including the raffle, the event brought in a profit of just over £240 for the Mission Hall, which is a great start for a fresh round of fund-raising that the Mission Hall Trust and its helpers are intending to organise. Our thanks especially to Sue Davis whose idea this was, Caroline Crisp who organised the raffle, and Yvonne Emery and helpers who did the catering. We are also very grateful to all the people who came along to the event and helped to make it really good fun.
The next event will be a Soup & Roll lunch on Good Friday, 7th April, from 12 noon. £5 per person (no tickets - first come, first served). We are intending to organise a garden seed exchange, so bring along any packets of seeds that you have started but don't expect to finish, or that are now surplus. There will also be a raffle.
Also don't forget the Coronation Lunch on Sunday 7th May. Tickets will go on sale this Friday 31st March, at £5 (£2 for under-16's). Bring your own lunch and drink, but we will provide an opening celebration drink, puddings, and a cake.
The Mission Hall Trust are thinking of having the floor of the Mission Hall replaced - when it was last revarnished we were warned that the boards would not take another sand-down, and we fear some of the joists (which we think are about 130 years old!) have more bounce than they should. We have asked for professional advice, but hope that if and when we get the floor renewed, we will be able at the same time to reduce the gap below the main doors, and improve the draft-proofing, to make the Hall altogether snugger. We have already commissioned some work to the windows for a similar purpose. We are also starting to look into more modern heating technology that will directly heat the people in the hall rather than the air (which then ends up near the ceiling). With measures like this, we hope to be able to make the building much more energy-efficient, and hence keep costs for our hirers under control.
We are fortunate to have a cash reserve which will allow us to make a start at these jobs, but we always need to keep a reserve against future rainy days, so we will need to run a number of events over the next few years. We thought the Beetle Drive was a really good start.
With thanks and best wishes from the Mission Hall Trust