The Village Halls Podcast

It’s time to announce the village hall and photographer that won first prize in our Allied Westminster sponsored 2021 ‘Wonderful Villages’ photo competition.

The winning image captures everything about community spirit and togetherness and the incredible service that village, church and community halls provide. This episode features the winning hall and photographer and also explains what’s happening with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places. Listen in and discover our winner. There is also a video version of this episode you can access on the Photo Competition page of our website.

There's few things more important than food! But have we lost this idea of people coming together to grow and provide food for themselves and others around them? Well, certainly not in South Milford in North Yorkshire, where my guest Nadia Lindsay and other villagers have developed what's known as an 'Incredible Edible' group - an 'off-the-shelf' project with online support that's spreading rapidly across many parts of the UK. Listen in and find out more. Perhaps you could start your own Incredible Edible group in your community?

Knocking down your village hall and starting again is a bold move. However, the community in Aberforth in West Wales has spoken and it would like a brand new £1m plus 'hub' that's fit for the 21st century. Trustee and project officer Sue Lewis tells us about their plans, the challenges they're facing and covers some of the key lessons-learned so far. Essential listening, if you too think your community building needs bringing up-to-date.

Behind every village there are often intriguing stories to uncover. Peter Power, a trustee of Emery Down and Bank Village Hall, joins us to talk about all kinds of local connections from Alice in Wonderland to a notorious snake-catcher! He also paints an inspiring picture of contrast between village life, past and present and major historical events. His fascinating tales demonstrate how life goes on and the kind of joy that can be felt from being "a caretaker between generations past and generations to come."

Volunteering within your community can be hugely rewarding. But let's be honest, it can also mean there's sometimes a little too much to cope with. And with lockdowns and opening-up and everything else we've all been through recently, it can even become overwhelming at times. Our guest, stress and well-being expert Dave Algeo, offers useful self-help and advice that can be passed on to others. Listen in as Dave entertains with memories of children's madcap TV show Crackerjack and some odd vegetable metaphors to get some of his ideas over. Are you carrying too many cabbages?

Village hall trustee Steve Barnes recalls the incredible community spirit that kept the villagers of Downe going during the worst moments of the pandemic. His heart-warming tales of care and contribution, in an unusual rural location, are a strong reminder that communities everywhere matter. Listen in and feel a little bit better about the world!

Fiona Sinnott is a former TV and theatre actor who starred in shows such as Jupiter Moon, The Tudors and Les Miserables. Fiona recently moved to the beautiful village of Bennington in Hertfordshire and immersed herself in village hall activity, soon becoming part of the committee. She talks to us about what it's like being the 'newbie' in the village and how this post-lockdown period is a real opportunity for village, church and community halls to attract new people of all ages and skills to their communities.

When it works, insurance helps communities build back their village, community and church halls if something bad happens. However, as our guest Will Molland reveals, there is a big problem affecting 4 out of every 5 community buildings which can mean your insurance won't payout anything like the amount to cover a claim. Find out more, including how to fix this problem, by listening in today.

Some people make health and safety sound complicated. However, our guest Teresa Budworth explains how it doesn't have to be the burdensome and bureaucratic thing it's often made out to be. Teresa also reveals why dressing up as a sugar-cube in a village hall can be a dangerous thing! Listen in and find out more!

Our guest for this episode is TV and radio presenter Pam Rhodes, best known for the BBC’s Songs of Praise and for her many interviews with celebrities such as Sir Ian McKellen, Dolly Parton and Marcel Marceau. Pam talks about her career and a trilogy of books she's written about Hope Hall, the centre of a fictional community packed with all kinds of intriguing and hilarious characters. Pam explains how the books represent all kinds of unsung heroes and wonderful people she's met over the years. Listen to the end and discover how you can win one of three copies of the first two books in the Hope Hall series.