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YOUR VILLAGE HALL NEEDS YOU

(to become a Member) Apply Here

When Ashford Carbonell residents pulled together to purchase the sports field next to the village hall, many donors were keen that it and the hall be guaranteed as a village asset, owned by and run for the benefit of the village community.  This has now been achieved by setting up a new charity – Ashford Carbonell Village Hall & Recreation Ground (ACVH&RC) – which now owns the hall and field and will run and manage them on behalf of the village.  This charity needs to be managed well on behalf of the village to make sure it offers the greatest benefit for the most residents, that it remains solvent and that funds raised are accounted for and spent wisely.

To ensure this happens, the charity has been set up to be controlled by its Members - anyone living in the parish of Ashford Carbonell is eligible to become a Member.  There is a lengthy constitution that sets out in detail how the charity will be organised and run for the benefit of Members.  Copies are available for those with the time to wade through it, but the most important points on Membership and management are as follows:

  1. Members will elect the people they want to manage and run the charity on their behalf (Trustees).  Trustees will be elected by the Members voting at an Annual General Meeting of the charity.  At this meeting, the Trustees will report on and be held to account by the Members about how they have been running the hall and field. 

  2. There will also be up to 5 Trustees appointed annually by key stakeholders – initially the PCC, the Parish Council and the School.

  3. Members must be consulted on important decisions like any plans to make significant changes to the hall and field and the facilities offered. 

  4. Members need to agree to support the objectives of the charity – The provision and maintenance of a village hall and recreation ground for the use of the inhabitants of Ashford Carbonell.  The use of these facilities includes meetings, lectures and classes, as well as other forms of leisure and recreation with the aim of improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries.

  5. A board of up to 15 Trustees will run the charity on a day-to-day basis making decisions about maintenance, operations expenditure and policies on behalf of the Members.  They will serve for a term of up to 3 years.  They have a legal responsibility to make sure the charity is run to achieve its objectives, and that it is run professionally with published accounts and records. 

  6. The Charity Commission will also monitor how the charity is run and has certain standards that must be adhered to.

The first Trustees were elected by the villagers who attended the AGM of the old Village Hall Committee in May 2021.  Now we need to sign up as many residents as possible to become Members.  Only by having lots of Members from all types of household in the village will we be able to make sure the hall and field benefits our whole diverse community.

Please email secretary@acvh.uk for a copy of the full constitution to wade through.

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There is no fee to join, and the only Membership requirements are that you are over 18 and live in the parish of Ashford Carbonell.  As well as being able to have a formal say in how the charity is run, Member benefits include:

  • A discount of 10% on the published public fees to hire the hall and sports field

  • A free event every year for Members only, to coincide with the AGM

In return, Members just need to undertake to support the objectives of the Village Hall & Recreation Ground and to keep their membership information up to date within 28 days of any change. 

You need to apply to become a Member of the Ashford Carbonell Village Hall and Recreation Ground, provide specific contact information and agree to keep that contact information up to date.  This is because the Charity Commission requires us to:

  • keep a formal register of Members that must be up to date (within 28 days of a change) and which they can ask to inspect at any time

  • ensure we notify Members of any consultations

  • give Members formal notice of the AGM and any other meetings where decisions need to be made by Members

  • have a quorum of a percentage of Members voting on significant decisions at the AGM and any other meetings where Members need to be present

We had hoped we might be able to enrol everyone on the electoral or a parish register automatically, but sadly, the information they contain does not provide all the information we need to satisfy the Charity Commission.

If you decide not to become a Member, you can still use and hire the hall and sports field at public rates and attend events there just as you always have done.  Events, clubs and facilities such as the bar, bowls club, playground and field etc. will remain open to all residents, their guests and our regular visitors e.g. from Ashford Bowdler and Caynham, regardless of Membership status.

If you need further information or have any questions, please contact the ACVH&RG Secretary by email at secretary@acvh.uk.  The secretary is currently Margaret de Lattre.

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Separate applications are required for each household member.


On behalf of the Trustees, I look forward to you becoming a Member.

Katy Rose, Chair of Trustees, Ashford Carbonell Village Hall and Recreation Ground

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