Village Halls Week 2025 (17-23 March) will celebrate the many volunteers who help to run our rural community buildings and support local residents, groups and communities.
Halls across Bedfordshire will be taking part in the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) national campaign week, showcasing the vital work that hall volunteers do to keep these local venues running.
Aside from hosting a wide range of social and recreational activities for residents that would not otherwise exist, village hall volunteers help to run essential services such as post offices, doctors’ surgeries and convenience shops.
From grass cutters to event planners, finance managers to drain unblockers, village hall volunteers are the lifeblood of our community buildings, keeping everything running so that local residents can enjoy a local hub.
Did you know?
- There are 80,000 volunteers helping to keep 10,000+ village halls running across England
- 88% of our village halls are charities run almost entirely by volunteers
- Volunteers usually live in the local community and come from all walks of life but there is a need to recruit younger volunteers to help run our village halls
Join in Village Halls Week 2025
Activities begin Monday 17 March and include open days at local halls and an engaging social media campaign that will include touching stories from village hall volunteers.
Stevington Church Hall is holding a grand re-opening on Saturday 22nd. The hall has undergone significant refurbishments, so that all members of the community can share in activities. Local volunteers have lead the project.
Potton Hall for All volunteers has been campaigning for 21 years to build a new hall in the village. A grand opening by the Duke of Gloucester was held on 28th February and the centre provides a welcome space for resident activities.
Tracy Cowan, Chief Executive of Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (Beds RCC), said:
“Village hall volunteers are at the heart of our rural communities, creating spaces where people can come together, support each other and access important services. Over the past few years, their hard work has been more important than ever – helping to tackle isolation, run local initiatives and keep our villages thriving. That’s why I’m really looking forward to Village Halls Week – it’s a great chance to celebrate everything they do and highlight just how vital these spaces are for our communities.”
Find out more about the national ACRE campaign, which includes the launch of a ‘Halls for All’ book, written by Louise Beaton and David Clark, and a video of village hall volunteers reading a bespoke poem about their role and an opportunity for all of our valued committee members to be spotlighted on the Village Halls Week Volunteer Gallery.
Beds RCC provides support and advice to village halls across Bedfordshire, including supporting with governance, policy and other general or maintenance concerns. During Village Halls Week 2025, the charity will be hosting two online meetings to support local village halls committees and celebrating the work of volunteers in the county.
Deborah Clarke, ACRE’s Village Hall Manager, said:
“ACRE is excited about all the activity taking place and would like to thank the Village Halls Week sponsors, Hallmaster and Utility Aid, as well as the ACRE members for their commitment to supporting village hall committees all year round not just during Village Halls Week.”
Village Halls Week takes place from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 January 2025.