About the hall
Broad Hinton Village Hall belongs to the villages it serves: Broad Hinton, Winterbourne Bassett and Uffcott.
It's a registered charity, run by a committee of volunteer trustees, and any surplus goes back into the hall and the community.
It's a registered charity, run by a committee of volunteer trustees, and any surplus goes back into the hall and the community.
The story so far
The first village hall was a wooden hut, moved here from RAF Yatesbury in 1919.
It took 17 years of fundraising to replace it. The £6,000 needed came partly from deductions from farm workers' wages, and the brick hall opened in 1963. It served the three villages for over 40 years.
By 2008 the old hall needed more repairs than it was worth, so the committee launched an appeal for a new one. Michael Ancram, then our MP, became its patron. The 1963 hall was knocked down and the new, larger hall built on the same site.
The appeal reached its £560,000 target in just 16 months. Kennet District Council gave £280,000, Viridor Credits £30,000 towards the build, Hills Group £15,000 towards the furnishings and the Garfield Weston Foundation £5,000. The villagers of Broad Hinton, Uffcott and Winterbourne Bassett raised £150,000 between them, and the hall also took out a £100,000 loan from Charity Bank.
Councillor Gretchen Rawlins opened the hall on 9 May 2009.
The loan was meant to run until 2034. Every spare pound from hire fees, fundraising and donations went towards paying it off early, including an anonymous £1,000 gift in 2015 that went straight onto the balance. We added solar panels to the roof in 2014, and Wiltshire Council helped pay for the patio at the back in 2010. We made the last repayment in May 2017, 17 years early.
It took 17 years of fundraising to replace it. The £6,000 needed came partly from deductions from farm workers' wages, and the brick hall opened in 1963. It served the three villages for over 40 years.
By 2008 the old hall needed more repairs than it was worth, so the committee launched an appeal for a new one. Michael Ancram, then our MP, became its patron. The 1963 hall was knocked down and the new, larger hall built on the same site.
The appeal reached its £560,000 target in just 16 months. Kennet District Council gave £280,000, Viridor Credits £30,000 towards the build, Hills Group £15,000 towards the furnishings and the Garfield Weston Foundation £5,000. The villagers of Broad Hinton, Uffcott and Winterbourne Bassett raised £150,000 between them, and the hall also took out a £100,000 loan from Charity Bank.
Councillor Gretchen Rawlins opened the hall on 9 May 2009.
The loan was meant to run until 2034. Every spare pound from hire fees, fundraising and donations went towards paying it off early, including an anonymous £1,000 gift in 2015 that went straight onto the balance. We added solar panels to the roof in 2014, and Wiltshire Council helped pay for the patio at the back in 2010. We made the last repayment in May 2017, 17 years early.
At a glance
- 1919 First hall, a wooden hut from RAF Yatesbury
- 1963 Brick hall opens
- 2008 Appeal for a new hall
- 9 May 2009 Today's hall opens
- May 2017 Loan paid off, 17 years early
Our vision
In 2026 the trustees agreed a new vision for the hall.
“Placing the village hall at the heart of our community, evolving, improving and responding to local needs.”
We're working towards four objectives.
Hirers and users
More community use of the hall, with booking that's easier, more welcoming, better suited to local needs and as affordable as we can make it.
Volunteers
Finding, keeping and involving volunteers and trustees.
Finance
Keeping the hall financially sustainable, with any surplus put back into the hall and the community.
Operations
Simpler, more automated and more efficient running of the hall.
Get involved
The hall only works because people give their time. If you'd like to help, from running the bar at an event to becoming a trustee, we'd love to hear from you.