The Hall Management Committee:

The Hall site is leased from the Parish Council for 70 years from 1965. The Village Hall Management Committee with its Trustees and representatives of the Village organisations undertakes the maintenance, upkeep and insurance of the property.  Currently the Trustees are: Peter Newell; Joyce Williams; Lisa Smith; Terry Jones and Bill Phillips. 

 

The statutory officers are currently: Chairman: Peter Newell;   Vice-chairman: Terry Jones; Secretary: Position currently vacant; Treasurer Dorothy Sharpe, Fundraising Officer: Robert Crocker and Booking Secretaries: Jane Foster and Rebecca Coyne.  Additional member (and former Treasurer) of the Committee is Lisa Smith.

The organisations are represented by,  Parish Council: Bill Phillips and Gardening Club: Terry Jones.  All organisations that use the hall are welcome to send representatives to the meetings of the Committee.

Secretary needed for Hall Management Committee:

After many years of service on the Freeland Village Hall Management Committee, Joyce Williams has retired from the position of Secretary.  The Committee is immensely grateful for all her hard work on behalf of the Village Hall over so very many years.  They now seek a replacement: could you fill this vital role?

The skills needed are: an ability to take minutes at meetings (roughly every six weeks) and write letters on behalf of the Committee. Familiarity with a computer and an ability to correspond by Email are essential.  Support and advice will be provided by the other Committee members (Peter Newell, Terry Jones, Lisa Smith, Bill Phillips, Robert Crocker, Rebecca Coyne, Jane Foster and Dorothy Sharpe).

This is a voluntary, unpaid, position (as for all the members of this lively Committee) and its rewards are those of satisfaction in helping to provide a valuable amenity for our Freeland community.

Please respond to Peter Newell, Chairman,

(by 20 December at the latest) at:

witney42-villagehall@yahoo.co.uk

Drawing by artist Susan Woolley of Freeland Hall and the planned CRF

When sufficient funds have been raised, a Community Recreation Facility (CRF) with modern sports changing rooms and a community recreation room will be added behind the new hall. 

The car park (which is jointly used with the Yeoman Public House and holds about 36 cars) is positioned on the Southern side of the new hall.

Freeland Hall is the new Village Hall in Freeland. It is situated in the centre of the Village opposite the Yeoman Public House on Wroslyn Road.  Its Postcode is OX29 8AL.

It was officially opened on 16 September by Rt Hon David Cameron, our local MP and Prime Minister. 

The Hall was built by Hyatt Construction Ltd., Unit 3, Station Lane, Witney, the Architect was Ray Tollady,dip arch (Oxford) 43 Ducklington Lane, Witney, the Quantity Surveyor was Rowland Butt of Brading Butt, 3 Meadow Court, High Street, Witney, and the Health & Safety Consultant was Brian Leech of B & L Associates Ltd., Freeland.

Funding came from a £100,000 grant from West Oxfordshire District Council, a £50,000 grant from Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN) and local fund-raising, including £9,100 raised by Freeland Open Gardens as well as generous private anonymous donations.   The remainder of the £500,000 project has come from a loan from the Public Works Loan Board repayable over 25 years from the Precept.

The project was organised by a Working Group set up by the Parish Council consisting of: Bill Pinkerton (Chairman),  Mary Ann Canning, Robert Crocker, Peter Newell, Martin Shann and Colin Smith. 

Attached is a history of the development of the project with minutes of the Working Group meetings.