Throw back Thursday – Old Basing Village Hall

Old Basing Village Hall

For Village Halls week 2020 we are celebrating the contribution that some of our members have to their community by sharing the history of their hall/community space!

The village of Old Basing, just to the east of Basingstoke town, has a thriving and bustling village hall.  The charity that manages it was registered in 1980 and the hall itself (replacing a much older building) was completed in 1982.

As is often the way, the whole process took some time.  Finding a suitable site, raising the funds needed, getting people on board as charity trustees – all this took 5 years and a great deal of effort from many local people.  Betty Holmes and then Trevor Dyer led these efforts, although Trevor sadly passed away before the new hall was opened.

Grants were secured for much of the costs, with fundraising events making up the balance.  These included a medieval banquet, a barn dance, carol singing, a half marathon, and plenty more besides!

Since the hall was opened in 1982, it has become established as a popular venue for many different events and activities.  There have been several improvements along the way, including a front porch, an extension to create a new committee room, and an additional kitchen and toilets.  The management committee has kept the building in great condition over the years, with several people serving on the committee since the charity was founded.

To read the full history you can download the Old Basing newsletter article here