Probably the best village in the world
2026 sees the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Bucklesham Village Hall, although there was previously a Village Hall on the land in the form of an old wooden army hut which was built in 1928.
There have been many changes over the years, but this year in particular will see a major change in the way the Village Hall is managed.
The Village Hall is currently managed by a small Committee of unpaid volunteers – they are the Village Hall Charity Trustees. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit sufficient residents who are willing to take on such a responsibility, as we all lead busy lives and often don’t have the time to spare. It is also fair to say that being a Trustee of the Charity is a huge commitment; if there were any issues or problems at the Hall, each Trustee could be held individually liable and could be personally sued, and their own property and finances could then be at risk.
With all that in mind, the Committee unanimously agreed to ask the Parish Council to become what is legally called the ‘Sole Trustee’ of the Hall, and the Parish Council have willingly accepted. This means that the Parish Council as an entity will be entirely responsible for the Hall, not individual villagers. Parish Councillors are democratically elected every four years and this decision will ensure that there will always be a group of responsible residents who are willing to protect the Hall for the whole community.
The Village Hall Charity Trustees and the Parish Council have received extensive advice from the Village Hall’s advisor at Suffolk Acre, and have read widely on the subject and fully researched the implications. Both groups are confident that this is in the best interests of the Village Hall and will secure the future of the Hall for all residents for years to come.
All members of all Village Hall user groups have been consulted, including the Community Council and the Church, and all have unanimously agreed that they will support this action. We now need to consult the residents of the village and ensure that you too are all equally behind the idea. Therefore, there will be a public meeting and a chance for you to have your say on this proposal on
If you cannot make it but would like to comment on the idea, please contact us at buckleshamvillagehall@gmail.com or call 07854 712 734
Although the responsibility and liabilities of the Hall will then be the Parish Council’s as Sole Trustee, the Parish Council will be aided in the day to day management of the Hall by a ‘Working Party’, which they hope will consist of the existing Charity Trustees and any other villager who would be willing to join. The intention of this is to ensure that users of the Hall see very little difference, and the people who have successfully managed the Hall for so many years will be able to continue to do so.
The Parish Council will not need to separately insure the Hall as long as the Council’s own policy provides suitable and adequate cover. This will eliminate the need for two insurance policies, saving the village money. Unlike the Charity Trustees, the Parish Council are allowed to reclaim VAT, and therefore it will then become possible to reclaim any VAT on Hall expenses (VAT on the new roof in 2024 was £8,000), once again saving the village money.
Many other Village Halls around the country have successfully made this change, and both the Charity Trustees and the Parish Council can see no reason why not to pursue this. If you would like to find out more about the process of the Parish Council becoming Sole Trustee of the Hall, we will be happy to signpost you to independent literature from Suffolk Acre.
In this 50th year of the Bucklesham Village Hall, we hope you will join us for many celebratory events and see what the Hall can offer you and your family. Details will be in the Spring edition of the Bucklesham Bugle.
If you could not make the meeting, please read the presentation A Quick Guide to the Parish Council becoming Sole Trustee of the Village Hall.
