Simpson Hall is run by a committee of up to a maximum of 12 trustees who are all volunteers. We also employ a Hall and Bookings Manager. The committee have business meetings two or three times a year and also have an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Members of the community are welcome to attend the AGM and also the business meetings that are partially open to the public. We welcome the views of our community in relation to the running of the Hall and events and activities that may be of interest to the community. Do please attend or get in contact with one of the trustees or the Hall Manager to share your views.
Become a trustee
If you live in the area and would like to know more about becoming a trustee then do please get in touch. If your organisation uses the Hall regularly then you might wish to send one of your members forward to help run the Hall. If the trustees are in agreement then you will be elected onto the Committee.
There are a number of tasks and responsibilities associated with running a village hall and the trustees seek to divide these tasks between them. The Charity Commission offer as a guideline that prospective trustees should look to offer around 2.5 hours per month of their time to the workload of their chosen charity. Anecdotally, most trustees report spending around 6 hours per month.
Responsibilities include chairing meetings, taking minutes, finance, health and safety, DIY, building maintenance, fundraising, IT/social media, dealing with the Charity Commission, running events and initiating activities – we run a cinema, a Pool club and quizzes and parties alongside numerous activities run by other members of the community.
Why not give it a go? The benefits are that you will enjoy the feeling of working with a team, feel a sense of achievement and become a valued member of your community.
Hall Origins
Albert Simpson originally came from Lancashire but settled in Herefordshire over 100 years ago. He was High Sheriff of Radnorshire and a JP for both Hereford and Radnor.
He lived at Burghill Grange as well as in Eardisley. He was very generous to Burghill Village. In 1890 he gave the parish money to buy the land and build the Men’s Club. He also presented a new organ to the church in 1905 and land for a cricket field in Burghill.
Albert Simpson was concerned that the only recreation the local men had was to drink in pubs. By providing a Men’s Club which included a billiard table and an Upper Reading Room, there was now a place where men could go and relax without drinking alcohol. In 1974 the Reading Room became a properly managed constituted Village Hall and was renamed Simpson Hall. Over the years many improvements have been made to the hall by the parish but it was his original gift that allows us to hold so many events here today. Because he felt so strongly about the evils of alcohol, there was a covenant that prohibited any alcohol from being sold in the hall until as recently as 2016.
