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Parish Magazine July 2018
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Category Archives: News
Pittington Village Hall secures over £100,000 of funding
Pittington Community Association has secured a £50,000 grant from Biffa Award; a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund.
Together with a further £50,000 from Durham County Council as part of the asset transfer process this funding will allow the replacement of the ageing central heating system that many will know has become very temperamental! Not only will the new system be more reliable, it will be more efficient and more controllable leading to lower running costs.
The work will take place during the Summer holidays, starting on 20th July and lasting for eight weeks. The work will also include the removal of asbestos from the boiler house and other areas of the building.
The work will be carried out by RM Myers and Co based in Belmont Industrial Estate and is being managed by Boxx Consultants.
During the Summer holidays we are also hoping to undertake the installation of an accessible toilet and refurbishment of the existing toilet facilities. This work has been paid for, in part, by a grant from Carol Woods and Maureen Wood when they were county councillors for Sherburn Ward and was dependent on completion of the asset transfer process.
Due to the extensive nature of the work, the hall will be closed to all users from Monday 20th July until Friday 11th September. This means there will be no summer activity program this year but we hope to be able to repeat it next year. We have also taken the decision not to hold an Autumn Fair this year as we would have liked to hold it in early September.
The hall will also have restricted use for three weeks from Tuesday 29th September until Friday 16th October due to the Field House Farm opencast public inquiry.
Autumn Show – Saturday 27th September 2014
Following the success of the inaugural Autumn show last year, Pittington Village Hall will be holding it’s 2014 Autumn Show on Saturday 27th September.
Competition entries should be brought to the hall between 9:30am and 11am, the show opens at 1:30pm and the presentations will be held at 3pm. Entry to the show and all competitions are free of charge!
Competition Categories
All entries must be brought to the committee room by 11 am on Saturday morning.
Vegetables
All vegetables to be grown in the parish
- Best Leek – freshly pulled, maximum two, any size
- Best Onion – white onions, freshly pulled, maximum two.
- Best Carrot – maximum of 3, any size
- Longest Runner bean
- Best Bloom – single flower.
- Funny shaped vegetable – single item, any vegetable.
Baking
- Best sponge cake – not iced.
- Best scone – maximum of 3.
- Best home-made jam – single jar, any flavour.
Childrens’ competitions (prize for each entry)
- Painting – a picture in paints, on paper.
- Decorated paper plate – own choice of decoration.
- Decorated cup cake
- Decorated sponge cake
- Vegetable sculpture
- Handwriting – sheets available in village hall. Primary school children only.
Photography
- Best Photograph – can be mounted, unframed.
- Best Parish Photograph – can be mounted, unframed.
Entries for the gardening categories must be grown in the parish. Children’s classes will be split into primary and secondary age groups and are open to children living or attending school within the parish.
Judging will take place from 11am.
Activities and Entertainment
Pittington Brass Band will open the show with a 45 minute concert. Competition entries will be available for viewing, along with the results.
We will be running children’s crafts in the canteen from 1:30 – 3pm.
There will be a range of refreshments available in the hall. There will also be a raffle in aid of the Village Hall.
Thanks Joan!
After almost 30 years of keeping Pittington Village Hall in the best possible condition and keeping it running smoothly our caretaker Joan retired last week. Tonight she received a special thank you from Pittington Brass and from current and past committee members.
Thanks for everything Joan! Enjoy your retirement!
Children’s Summer Activity Programme – Free of Charge!
Pittington Village Hall will be offering a programme of activities aimed at children of all ages for the full duration of the Summer holidays, and what is even better, thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund through Awards for All and from Durham Area Action Partnerships through their small grants fund the programme will be free of charge!
There will be family play for toddlers and children up to and including 5 years old three mornings a week from 10am – 12 noon. Sessions will be led by qualified workers from Durham County Council’s One Point Services.
For children aged 6-12 there will be activities led by a qualified play ranger from Inspire Youth every weekday afternoon from 2-4pm. Children under 8 will need to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
For 13-16 year olds there will be activities led by a qualified youth worker from 6-8pm three times a week. For the first three weeks of the holidays these will be held on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. For the second half of the holidays the Thursday session will move to Wednesday. There will be no session on Friday 8th August.
All sessions will include drinks and healthy snacks provided for children.
Keep an eye out on here and on our Facebook page for more information and updates.
Job Vacancy – Village Hall Attendant
Pittington Community Association are looking to employ a Village Hall Attendant. The job will be part time, for 20 hours per week including some weekend and evening work. Some of the work will be suitable for working from home but the majority will require regular visits to Pittington Village Hall.
The salary will be £15,000 per annum pro rata (approx. £8,100 per annum or £7.75/hour actual).
General Duties:
- To oversee the running of the hall and manage hall bookings
- To ensure that the village hall is an attractive property for hirers
- To open and close the Village Hall as required both during the week and at weekends
- To maintain the cleanliness of the village hall and deal with running repairs and maintenance
- To provide a positive experience for all hall users
Download the full job description here – PCA Hall Attendant Description and Conditions
Download an application form here – Hall Attendant Application Form
Questions can be emailed to the treasurer at treasurer@pittingtonvillagehall.org.uk
UPDATE – Closing date for applications is now Friday 13th June 2014
Interviews are expected to be held during the week beginning 16th June 2014 with a proposed start date of 1st July 2014
Asset Transfer Update
Last month Pittington Village Hall Association agreed to a timetable for Asset Transfer with Durham County Council. The first stage was to commit to the process through a letter of intent which was also completed last month.
The next stage is to submit a five year business plan to show the Council that we can make the Village Hall an independent, sustainable organisation for the foreseeable future. The business plan needs to be completed by 17th January. Also by this date we need to have identified sources of funding for any necessary capital works, for example repairing the roof!
Pittington Christmas Market – Saturday 24th November 10am – 1pm
In support of the Asset Transfer of Pittington Village Hall from Durham County Council to a new community organisation, we are holding a Christmas Market to help raise funds for the refurbishment of OUR Village Hall.
We have secured some really lovely, top quality stalls selling unique items at exceptionally good prices, including homemade soap, homemade candles, personalised gifts and decorations, jewellery, personalised word art, jams & preserves, wreaths & garlands, Usbourne Books, hand knitted baby and children’s wear, ‘on trend’ fingernail art (perfect for fashion conscious girls and women!) Perfect gifts for even the most discerning. There will be a cafe selling beverages, bacon butties, cakes etc.
Letters from Santa can be requested and we have ordered some Reindeer Food/Dust from our suppliers in the North Pole – in order not to upset the Reindeers’ tummies or harm the environment the dust is made from edible, non-toxic glitter. There will also be face painting, a raffle and much, much more.
Check out the event on our Facebook page for some great pictures from stall holders – http://www.facebook.com/events/516643881698189/
Please come along and help our fund-raising. Pittington is a great village, with a lovely community – we now have a wonderful take-away, the shop we have always wanted – lets try to have the nice and comfy Village Hall we deserve!
Kids For Kids Film Festival 17th November
Pittington Village Hall will be hosting part of this years Kids for Kids UK Film Festival on Saturday 17th November.
The event starts at 2:30pm with a free film – ‘Once upon a time in Asia’. The film suitable for ages 5+ features a selection of some of the best animated shorts from Asia.
Following the film at 3:30pm is an Animation Workshop suitable for ages 8+ to give children a go a creating their own Asian inspired animated feature. The workshop will run for 2 hours and costs £2 per person. Booking is essential for the workshop – email info@kidsforkidsuk.org to book.
Southbrook House to Close
The final report by Durham County Council into Community Rooms has proposed that Southbrook House, High Pittington be closed with immediate effect and that Durham City Homes will be allowed to redevelop the property as they see fit.
The full report which can be found here considers the future of 55 communal rooms in County Durham goes before the DCC Cabinet on 24th July. While most of the rooms will continue to be maintained by housing providers, and some will even receive extra support from providers, Southbrook House is one of two currently active properties where “the housing provider would wish to take immediate action to convert into living accommodation to help meet the high levels of housing demand, to demolish or find an alternative use for the benefit of local tenants.”
Unlike the original report into Community Buildings which proposed asset transfer for both Pittington Village Hall and Southbrook House, this report gives no option of asset transfer. DCC justify their decision bases on the relatively low usage of Southbrook House and it’s proximity to an alternative venue.