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The Village Hall

The archives of our Village Hall emanate from 1946 when Miss Mabel Stanley of the Mill House provided the land for the premises under a Trust Deed with the Parish Council of Thurlaston.  The facilities were to be held in trust to permit them to be used in perpetuity as a non-sectarian and non-political place for recreation, without distinction of sex, politics or religion.

In 1947 permission was granted to build premises by the Ministry of Works and Rugby Rural District Council under various Town and Country Planning Acts. A licence was granted in February 1947. Subsequently two second-hand army huts were purchased (for a price not exceeding £200) from Ryton on Dunsmore, and erected by a local builder (at a cost of approximately £330). The hall was opened in November 1948.

Today, over seventy years later, the hall along with the church, provide the hub for our community and it is important we continue to care for it. Our Village Hall Committee oversees all aspects of the hall, including its maintenance and the planning of new facilities. By necessity funding is from contributions from numerous events and other fund raising initiatives run by villagers.

Facilities available within the Village Hall are documented on this website, including how Bookings may be made, and in doing so the associated charges, and terms and conditions.

Who actually owns the Village Hall?

Unlike many village halls, Thurlaston village hall does not actually belong to the local Parish Council. The village hall building belongs to the THURLASTON VILLAGE HALL (RUGBY) Charity on behalf of the people resident in the village of Thurlaston, Warwickshire. On behalf of The Village Hall Charity The Village Hall Committee pay for the upkeep and insurance for the hall from funds held in a bank account supervised by the committee treasurer. Funds are raised by hiring out the hall and by various fund raising events. For residents of Thurlaston itself, the hire of the hall and the loan of some items from the hall is free, though often a donation is made.

For administration reasons, the Village Hall title was originally vested in the Official Trustee of Charity Lands, which was automatically transferred to the Official Custodian for Charities, when that came into effect in 1961.  So the land will be registered with the Official Custodian for Charities.  It means that if the Village Hall were ever to be sold etc, two current trustees of the hall can sign the appropriate paper work.  This avoids the problem of the title being registered with trustees, who could then die or move away to whereabouts unknown.

The Trustees of the hall, known as the Village Hall Committee come from the local community of Thurlaston.  They are normally elected by the people of Thurlaston. However, there are usually only sufficient people standing, so elections are seldom held.  Anyone resident in the village is eligible to join the committee.