History of the Hall
The hall was opened as Gurnard WI Hall in 1938 on land given to the ladies of the village, by Mr. Westbrook, a local builder. In the years that followed, the hall became a central part of the life of the village and, although it was owned and run by the Women's Institute, it was used by many other groups.
By 2005, the Afternoon WI was concerned that the hall needed fundamental repairs. The running costs were barely being matched by the income and fundraising, so the potential for future investment looked a little bleak. This, coupled with an increasingly ageing membership, led the Members to consider how they could relinquish the responsibility and worry of managing the building itself.
In early 2006, local residents became aware of the problem with the long term sustainability of the hall and were alarmed at the possible loss of such a valued community facility. Representations were made to the Parish Council in the hope that intervention might be possible - there was the obvious fear that the site might pass to a developer, and so be lost to the community.
In March 2006, the Parish Council officially heard from the WI of its intention to sell the building and land, and requested a meeting to try to find a solution that would satisfy the interests of both the WI Membership and the local Community. In the meantime, a Community Hall Group was set up to work with the Parish Council to develop a plan.
The meeting with the Afternoon WI finally took place on 11th May and proved to be very worthwhile. The Parish Council's proposals to take over the running of the hall were well received and later approved by the membership. At that point, the legal formalities began: surveys were carried out, a lease was drawn up and a management structure was worked out. .
The Rural Community Council were provide valuable advice and assistance in setting up the Gurnard Village Hall Association to run the hall and training its volunteer members. The Association has charitable status and includes representatives of several of the groups who use the hall.
The lease of the hall began on 1st September 2007. The Management Committee marked the event with an official handover ceremony on Saturday 8th September, to which about 100 people were invited. With the legal situation sorted and Gurnard Village Hall Association up and running, the future of the hall seems safe for the foreseeable future.