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Storth Village Hall Committee Meeting 15th April 2026

Attendees: Andrew Skinner, Marie Leadbetter, Tina Bellamy, Paul Mason, Louisa Duff, Alex Heap, Steve Spencer, Jackie Jenner

Apologies: Rob Arrowsmith, Helen Crouchley-Williams, Bill Kerr, Tim Wykes, Grant Ritchie

Minute taker: Google Pixel Recorder App. Minutes analysed by Google Notebook LM

 

The meeting focused on coordinating upcoming community events, specifically the Storth Stampede and the Village Fete, while addressing ongoing facility management and fundraising needs.

 

Key Activity and Budgetary Discussions

 

The committee discussed the need for new audio equipment, estimated at approximately £3,000, though they are reluctant to use savings to cover the full cost. While a Facebook crowd-funder saw little initial interest, we decided to give this another push including the Village Hall newsletter. Long-term sustainability is a priority, with plans to obtain a "Greening Report" to identify costs for solar panels and insulation, which could open doors to National Lottery funding.

 

Event Planning: Storth Stampede

  • Logistics: The event will feature a pop-up cafe serving sandwiches, rolls, and cakes donated by locals, as well as some cold beers if needed. The field can accommodate approximately 50 cars for parking. Setup will take place on Friday – for the hall from 6pm. Promotions are being done in key places to capture the attention of local runners.

  • Entertainment: The band Storth Dimension is confirmed to play sets between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM to create atmosphere as races finish.

  • Volunteers: There are currently 12 volunteers for marshaling, but 20 are required to fully staff the course. Paul working on this.

  • Discussion re: opening up the offer to Walks and Yoga etc, may be better done next year with more notice.

 

Event Planning: Village Fete & Beer Festival

  • Rebranding: The committee decided to rebrand the beer festival as the "Beer and Music Festival" to enhance its appeal. We have had interest from a local band who want to play, and we will confirm Shelly’s Bane for the Friday night.

  • Finances: Instead of a fixed ticket price, which might deter attendees, we will use donation buckets and consider a contactless "tap" terminal for easy five-pound donations.

  • AH will create a new Tombola and Hoopla as the others have broken or gone missing.

  • Catering: Kiwi BBQ has been contacted for daytime food at the stampede, but a second vendor is needed for the evening shift. Super 8 Pizza can do all day at the Beer Festival.

  • We will have a maximum of 10 tables for the tabletop sale at the Fete – to be announced on Facebook well in advance of the Fete.

 

Facility Decisions

  • Urinal Maintenance: The committee approved the purchase of a motion-sensor valve for the gents' toilets to prevent continuous flushing and save on water costs.

  • Signage: New "Heron Hall" branding and car park signage will be installed to improve the building's visibility and clarify parking rules for field users. AH will create a new Heron Hall sign and shared a mocked up version which we agreed looked great. SS will advise on purchased signage.

  • Rental Rates: Regular booking rates will increase from £10 to £12 per hour, though the playgroup will receive a 50% discount. GR to confirm he is happy with this before communications.

  • Field Cleanup: We have arranged Field Cleanup for 19th April at 10am and a call has been put out on Facebook for volunteers. Will need someone to coordinate tea/ coffee/ biscuits. ALL to confirm who is going to be around.

 

Key Actions

  • Volunteer Coordination: Please can everyone confirm who is available to help over the Stampede weekend. PM will activate the field planning whatsapp group. ML will post on Facebook re: Cakes and Café volunteers.

  • Food Prep: TB will locate the previous year's food order to replicate the successful cafe menu and have the order delivered on Friday daytime when PM is around. ML will look on Amazon for paper plates and food trays.

  • Technical Setup: AH will install the outside Wi-Fi extender before the Stampede to ensure card machines work for outdoor sales.

  • Marketing: ML will create a new promotional video of the redecorated hall for the website and facebook as it looks great and makes a huge difference.

  • Funding: LD will contact the Furness Building Society and local businesses regarding potential sponsorships for the audio equipment.

  • ML and SS – to work up some promotions for raising funds for the audio equipment.

 

 
 
 

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