Three village halls have been recognised for the important role they play in the lives of people living and working in the area in the annual Ryedale Village Hall Awards.
Ryedale District Council chairman Bob Gardiner ended his year in office by choosing the winners before presenting special commemorative plaques to each of the venues.
Wombleton Village Hall scooped the Village Hall of the Year award, following a nomination from local resident Sharon Gamble. The hall has recently undergone a major refurbishment. The committee has worked tirelessly to restore the Hall – re-roofed the hall, made internal updates and will be replacing windows, a major and successful undertaking to preserve the building for future use by the community.
This couldn’t have been undertaken without the Hall’s many loyal supporters both from the village and surrounding areas.
Thixendale was awarded the Village Hall Committee of the Year prize for the excellent range of events put on to benefit the whole community. Keith Bristow, Chair of Thixendale Village Hall Committee was delighted to gain recognition.
He said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our committee for all their commitment to meeting the diverse needs of not just our villagers but those from further afield who utilise and enjoy our facilities.”
Cold Kirby was presented with the ‘Striving and Thriving’ Village Hall of the Year after turning the venue from one threatened with closure a few years ago to a thriving centre today with a bright future.
Becky McMurray, the new Chair at Cold Kirby village hall added: “The hall enables people in the community to get together in all kinds of different ways – at our community library, at the monthly luncheon club and at film nights as well as more one-off events such as tea dances and ‘Enterprise on the Moors’ – our annual event to showcase some small local businesses. So, we are thrilled to receive the award.”
Councillor Gardiner was very pleased to reward the work of the local village halls.
He said: “I am delighted to have run a Village Hall Awards scheme during my year as Chairman of Ryedale District Council.
“Village halls increasingly provide the only place to meet in a rural community as shops and post offices close. They offer vital and diverse support to those in rural communities in Ryedale, and we’ve seen how they can help to support local businesses and well as people living in the area.”