Child Okeford Village Hall
The venue for meetings for 100 years
Child Okeford Village Hall was 100 years old in 2009. More details on the Village Hall Centenary page >>
History of Child Okeford Village Hall for sale now >>
- Where is it?
- Who runs it?
- What is it for?
- Fund Raising
- Who uses it?
- What does it cost?
- What facilities do we have?
- Licensing Laws
- Moviola
- Future Plans
- Contact Us
Where is it?
The Village Hall is situated in the Hollow, Child Okeford, a few hundred yards down the hill from the centre of the village. For almost 100 years the hall has been the favourite venue for clubs and societies to hold their meetings, and villagers to host their private occasions.
Who runs it?
It is managed by a voluntary committee of village residents who are also trustees of Child Okeford Village Hall, a registered charity. The officers are; Chairman (John Nash), Treasurer (Malcolm Allen), Booking Secretary (Kate Swinfen) and Secretary (Hazel Swain). Trustees of the Hall are: John Nash, Malcolm Allen, Walter Ransome, and Ronald Martin. A representative member of each village organisation is invited to attend our bi-monthly meetings which are advertised in 'The Hill'.
What is it for?
The Village Hall is used by a variety of organisations for their members to take part in their activities. The Management Committee are responsible for letting the premises, for maintaining the building and paying the running costs.; The hall has to be self sufficient and derives it's income from letting charges, donations and occasional charity events. We are a registered charity and answerable to the Commissioners for the good management of the hall.
Fund raising
Our main sources of income are rentals from organisations and private individuals, events organised by the V.H. Committee, and donations. Fund raising events are held which produce useful additional income.
Who uses it?
We have a number of regular users who meet at the Hall including:
- Table Tennis club.
- Badminton club.
- Wives group.
- Gardening club.
- Flower arranging
- Art class
- Dorset Moviola [see below]
- Short Mat Bowls
- The Hall is also used for family occasions, elections and other events.
What does it cost?
Charges for Hire of the Village Hall 
[42kb] Adobe Acrobat document
What facilities do we have?
- Main hall;
- fully fitted kitchen
including:- large oven,
- fridge/freezer,
- wine glasses,
- crockery and cutlery;
- toilets,
- disabled toilet
- store rooms.
- Long and smaller tables are available,
- a portable stage.
- A car park completes the facilities.
Licensing Laws
We are not licensed for the sale of alcohol, so if you wish to sell alcoholic drinks at your event, you will be responsible for obtaining and paying for your own casual drinks licence. You can obtain a licence either by direct application to the Village Hall or by obtaining a 'Temporary Event Notice' from the NDDC, subject to application to the Village Hall Committee. An early application is advised. The Booking Secretary will advise on procedure to be adopted.
Moviola
Films are shown monthly during a season from September to May. Each film is chosen by our committee with input from our film-goers. Films are shown on a large screen employing projected DVD, giving very high definition images and high quality sound. Audiences are generally 50-80 people, and current entry is £5. Refreshments are normally available including wine. For more details on films and venues check out the Moviola website
Dates for 2011/2012 are:
2011
- 10th September - Mao's Last Dancer [PG tbc] - Born into a peasant family in a Chinese village during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Li Cunxin (as child Huang Wen Bin, as teenager Chengwu Guo, as adult Chi Cao) is selected by Communist Party officials for special training at the dance academy in Beijing. He grows into a talented and powerful young dancer, making a cultural exchange visit to the Houston ballet, where the artistic director Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood) recognizes his potential. The student soon becomes a star, and he discovers that America is not the dark, downtrodden place that was the propaganda dealt out by the party in his village school. More on the Moviola website www.moviola.org/MaosLastDancer.htm
- 8th October - The Conspirator [12A] - In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks. With public outrage running high, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) wants a quick conviction, and hands the assignment of defending Mary to Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson). In the ominous atmosphere of post-Civil War Washington, Johnson, a Southerner, feels unable to take the case, and hands it to a newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), a 28-year-old Union war-hero. More on the Moviola website www.moviola.org/TheConspirator.htm
- 5th November - Bridesmaids [15] - Annie (Kristen Wiig) is delighted to be asked by her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) to be the chief bridesmaid at her wedding. Apart from anything else, for a while, it takes her mind of her smarmy lover, Ted (John Hamm); for her, it’s a relationship but for him, she’s no more than a no-strings-attached friend-with-benefits – without so much of the friend part. More on the Moviola website www.moviola.org/Bridesmaids.htm
- 3rd December - Jane Eyre (PG) - 10-year-old orphan Jane Eyre (Amelia Clarkson) is mistreated and then cast out of her childhood home by her cruel aunt (Sally Hawkins). Packed off to Lowood, a charity school run by the harsh and hypocritical Mr Brocklehurst (Simon McBurney), Jane encounters further unkind treatment but makes friends with Helen Burns (Freya Parks), a fellow pupil who impresses Jane with her spirituality and contentment. When Helen falls fatally ill, the loss devastates Jane, yet strengthens her resolve to stand up for herself and make just choices in life. More on the Moviola website www.moviola.org/JaneEyre.htm
2012
TBA
Future plans
A Village Hall AGM has authorised the Management Committee to proceed with the building of an extension to lengthen the hall to improve facilities for some activities. To this end the footings were installed in April 2006. A considerable sum of money will be required to complete the work and more intensive fundraising will commence in due course.
Anyone who can provide ideas for fundraising will be welcome to approach the Committee. We will be most grateful for ideas and help with our task.
Contact Us
Contact the Village Hall by email via the Village website. villagehall@child-okeford.org.uk OR
If you wish to contact the Village Hall by post please write to the Secretary as follows:
Mrs Hazel Swain
26 Homefield
Child Okeford
Blandford Forum
Dorset.
DT11 8EN.
Please do not write direct to the Village Hall.
