It is rare to find a sprung dance floor at a village hall, but the one at Bicker illustrates the significance of the venue to the surrounding rural community. Situated conveniently next to the beautiful parish church of St Swithun’s, the 150-capacity building serves Bicker’s 1,000 residents and approximately 2,000 more in nearby hamlets who have no hall of their own.
But it had not been realising its potential due to issues with drainage, exterior landscaping and disabled access.
Thanks to a £30,000.00 grant from the Triton Knoll Community Fund, its future has been secured and the dance floor (which had already been restored following a recent flood) will be used at some of life’s most significant celebrations for generations to come.
The money is being used as part of a plan to create a space that has good enough facilities to host weddings, parties and charity balls. It will also be hugely appreciated by the many people who use it on a weekly basis for activities such as dance class, gardening club, keep fit and bingo.
Alan Chapman, chair of the management committee, said: “The entire village was made up when we were awarded the grant. The news spread like wildfire!”
The funding is for phase one of their ‘future-proof’ plan and comprises: connection to mains drainage to secure it against septic tank failure and flooding; improvement of paths around the bowling green to allow disabled access; new lighting in the car park and entrance; stabilisation of the ‘mud islands’ that house protected trees at the front of the premises (collapse of which would result in the hall being inaccessible), and replacement of cumbersome bi-fold doors between the main hall and adjoining room to make the space more versatile and to improve it for wheelchair users.
The next phase will see upgrades to the interior with new furniture and décor.
Alan added: “As our village grows, so do the hopes and dreams of our residents. We are well on our way to making the hall a venue that they will be proud to use for their special events, the money from which will help to secure it for decades to come. Simply put, this will be the haven for residents that it was always intended to be.”