The new Woolaston Memorial Hall opened 1st May 2006
Pictured just prior to opening the new building, this is the Hall front approached via the new affordable housing of Swains Close.
A view of the back showing direct access to and from the playing field.
Photos by Alan Luke
Built to the most recent standards for public use, this hall has seating for 110 people. Oil fired under-floor heating throughout, there is a folding wall divider which can facilitate two separate meetings at the same time.
There is a well equipped kitchen and toilet facilities which include access for any disabled users.
Attached at the far end is a separate shower and toilet facility with its own access to the playing field. This is intended to be used by team players after a soccer match, and for any associations which might choose to book a weekend camping on the field during the summer.
The First Memorial Hall was opened in July 1961 after 15 years of hard work fund raising . Forty years later the hall had clearly run its life cycle. The annual cost of repair and maintenance plus the cost of heating the outdated building together with diminishing bookings of (by then) an unattractive hall, signaled closure.
The enormous efforts of some of the hall committee and a number of dedicated regular users continued to keep the hall in a functional condition from a safety and security point of view, but this could not be sustained for long.
If you would like to know more of how the New Community Centre and Memorial Hall came to be built, please click - Dream becomes Reality.
Footnote:
The land and hall are owned by a charitable trust (Woolaston Memorial Hall & Playing Fields Trust.)
The facility is administered by the Management Committee of delegates from user groups with officers elected from the members.
