Summer 2023

Renovated Village Hall
Opens in Frittenden
OUT & ABOUT
If you are looking for a venue with
a difference, Frittenden Memorial
Hall has just been given a £340,000
makeover to provide top-class facilities
in an enviable village setting. The
original hall, built to commemorate the
men from the village who fought and died
in the Second World War, had served it well
for over 60 years. However, the space was
looking tired, was hard to heat and in need of
modernisation.
The biggest decision the village faced was
the remove or keep the old stage, a useful
asset, but one that took up a huge amount
of space and blocked the beautiful views out
of the back. It was decided it would go and
be replaced with portable staging, making
the whole hall far more versatile. This,
together with the dedicated lighting and
new sound equipment, still makes the hall a
fabulous place to put on shows and musical
events, with the added bonus of being able
to enjoy the magnificent vista of the Weald
countryside.
The revamped hall interior is now lightfilled
and contemporary with a separate
multi-use meeting room. It also boasts a fully
equipped professional level kitchen, new
cloakrooms with disabled access, together
with custom-built storage space for local
societies. External upgrades have included reroofing,
a new entrance, picture windows and
an exterior deck at the rear to make the most
of the views. A large, free car park provides
easy access. It’s now an ideal setting for
weekly clubs, special events and celebrations.
Funds for the renovation were secured
through several national and local grants
including the National Lottery and Action
with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).
Additional money came from individual
donations and enthusiastic village fund
raising.
To book the hall visit its website https://
frittendenmemorialhall.co.uk
or call the bookings secretary on
01580 852563.
The Cake • Summer 2023 19