Helpston & Etton Village Hall is a village building which offers space for hire for by individuals and organisations and is managed by Helpston & Etton Village Hall Committee.
Curry & Quiz Night Fun
Curry & Quiz Night Fun
The Village Hall was packed on Friday night (despite the awful weather) for a night of curry & quizzing. Delicious food was the backdrop for a suitably fun & challenging quiz presented by Quizmaster Ian Halstead, efficiently supported by his ‘lovely assistant’ Sue !
It was a great start to our fundraising efforts towards the purchase of land and the build of a new village hall.
Thanks to everyone involved, including Prakash Nair and his catering team who had travelled from Kings Lynn both to support him, and us in our cause. We can’t thank you guys enough 🙂
Over £1k was raised, thank you to everyone who attended, enjoyed curry, took part in the quiz, bought drinks at the bar, donated via raffle tickets and had a generally good time!
Thanks also to the fundraising team who made this happen and the army of helpers who made sure it was all cleared up by Saturday morning…
And finally………. please do keep a look out for future events.
The next one scheduled is Wreath Making on 13th December, a few places are still remaining.
Proposed New Village Hall Frequently Asked Questions Updated April 2025
We hope the questions & answers below may go some way to helping resolve any concerns or questions you may have. Please email us with any comments or questions: helpstonvillagehall@gmail.co.uk
Q: Who are the committee members of the The Helpston & Etton Village Hall Trust?
Anne Bennett – Chair, Helpston Resident over 37 years Trustee
Alison Henthorn – Deputy Chair – Helpston Resident over 20 years Trustee
Andrew Strand – Treasurer – Helpston Resident Trustee
Helen Farmer – Secretary – Helpston Resident
Caryn Thompson – Bookings Secretary – Helpston Resident over 23 years
Laurence Pike – Helpston Resident over 7 years Trustee
Helen Morton – Etton Resident over 23 years Trustee
Kate Hinchliff – Helpston Resident over 40 years Trustee
Eric Siecker – Helpston Resident over 10 years Trustee
Alex Langford-Pollard – Helpston Resident Trustee
Each of the committee members give their time freely to help maintain and develop the village hall as an asset for our community. More details can be found on our new website: http://www.helpstonvillagehall.co.uk
Q: What is the purpose of the The Helpston & Etton Village Hall Trust?
Our Objectives: At the heart of our mission lies a commitment to enhance the lives of residents in Helpston, Etton, and the surrounding area. We operate under the following charitable objectives:
• Community Inclusivity:Without discrimination, we strive to provide recreational facilities and leisure-time opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds and circumstances. Whether it be due to age, disability, financial hardship, or other factors, our doors are open to all.
• Volunteerism:We heavily rely on the generosity and dedication of volunteers. If you have a few hours to spare and wish to contribute to our cause, we warmly invite you to join our volunteer team.
• Our Charitable Aim:Through a diverse range of activities and services, we aim to enrich the lives of our residents by:
o Combatting Isolation: By fostering a sense of belonging and connection, we seek to alleviate rural isolation and strengthen community bonds.
o Promoting Well-being: We prioritise the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of our community members, providing access to resources and activities that promote health and happiness.
o Supporting Local Businesses: We provide essential facilities that enable local businesses to thrive and grow, contributing to the economic vitality of our area.
o Affordability: Our commitment to providing cost-effective facilities ensures that our services remain accessible to all members of our community.
Q: Why have discussions around a new village hall been conducted ‘in secret’
A: Discussions regarding the siting of a new village hall have been going on for over 20 years. During this time, some of the discussions have taken place in public such as at Parish Council meetings and others, such as the more recent ones, have been with local landowners. Many of these recent discussions with the local landowners weresensitive and concerned commercial conversations which they stipulated must not be in the public domain.
Q: Why do we need to build a new Village Hall?
A: The lease has expired on the current land, and Milton Estates have informed us that they wish to have the land back, therefore the current Hall can no longer exist in its current place and is too old and dilapidated to be moved anywhere else.
Q: When did the lease expire?
A: It expired in March 2020 and was extended for a further 5 years to March 2025, which has now also expired. Milton have been generous in allowing us to remain on the site until we have a suitable new location
Q: Why did you not renew the lease?
A: The owners of Milton Estate (the Fitzwilliam family) who own the land, would like their land back and did not want to renew the lease. Instead, they offered us a five-year extension on the existing lease to March 2025 to give us time to locate a new site.
Q: Why do you not buy the current site and rebuild there?
A: The land has not been offered for sale to us, the site is too cramped for an upgrade facility and there in no space for car parking.
Q: If the Hall cannot stay in its current position, what options do we have?
A: To either build a new one somewhere else or have no Village Hall or community facility at all.
Q: Where might you build a new Hall?
A: All the land in and around the village was reviewed but only four sites were considered potentially viable. The owners of the four sites were approached but only two were interested in selling land – Heath Road site and one other, who subsequently withdrew their potential offer of land, leaving just the Heath Road site.
Q: How was suitability of any site considered?
A: Some factors immediately rule out a site. Such as the site is simply not for sale by the owner or it is too expensive (commercial development land) or it is too small (even though exact size requirement is yet to be established, some sites were simply too small to even start contemplating). Some sites have restrictive covenants related to gas mains and electricity lines crossing the site.
Q: What criteria has been used in assessing whether a location might be suitable?
A: The Village Hall Committee used the following criteria when they were assessing land options
• Owners willing to sell
• Financially viable
• Large enough for a hall and car parking
• With reasonable access off a road with wide enough entry points
• Fairly central to the village so that people can access on foot
• Would not be dependent upon additional housing as part of the deal
• Would not act as an enabler to open other land for housing development
• Would minimize inconvenience to existing residents
Q: What about pieces of land that will be conditional on additional housing developments?
A: This is a contentious issue where there are many diverging opinions. The Village Hall Trust has historically not entertained sites that will enable housing developments which was in line with the Parish Council’s continued position against all new development sites at that time.
Q: Is there any land currently being considered?
A: Yes, it is an almost 5 acre site on Heath Road which has recently been offered for sale to the Village Hall Trust at a reasonable price. The whole site would be owned by, and for the villages, and we can confirm that it will guarantee there will never be housing development in that location.
This landwill also secure a large area of green space to conserve for nature and for Community Gardensto be enjoyed by everyone
Q: Has a decision already been made on this site for a New Village Hall?
A: Recently the owners of the Heath Road site have confirmed that they are willing to offer the land to the Village Hall Trust and we are delighted to to have a confirmation of their intent. We aim to move forward with the purchase and to build a Hall on a small portion of the site which will of course be subject to support from the community, the Parish Council and the City Council.
Q: Will you definitely be able to build a new hall on this land?
A: This will be subject to planning permissions being given, and will be subject to full and open consultations with the residents of Helpston & Etton.
Q: How much is the new hall going to cost?
A: That really is dependent upon the design and the facilities we require. What we do know is that we have looked at other recently newly built halls in our region that have cost between £650,000 – £1.2 million – so we are anticipating that it will be somewhere within this range.
Q: Where are you going to get the money to build it?
A: There are several options available to communities such as Lottery funding, grants from businesses, Govt grants, commercial loans, or a ‘Public Works Loan’ which is a low interest government-funded loan, which would require the support of the Parish Council and the villages as a whole.
Q: When will it be built/finished?
A: If we are successful getting the land, we will have to apply for planning permission have a design agreed and apply for funding. We hope that the build will commence during 2026 at the earliest.
Q: What about the Scout Association Building – is that suitable or available?
A: The Scout Association Building is currently very well used by the Association four nights per week, and likely to become every weeknight soon, there is no available storage, limited toilet facilities and is overall a smaller space than the current Hall, with no parking.
Q: Could we consider using the John Clare School building as a joint-usage Hall?
No. the hall is already well used by the school. There would be problems with access during the school day, before and after school and in the holidays when activities are run. There would be issues with child safety and safeguarding. There is limited parking in the evenings and no parking during the day. The kitchens are set up for school use and must be operated under their standards. Toilet facilities are limited. There are no storage facilities other than for school use. Hiring is at a commercial rate and would also entail caretaking and cleaning fees.
Q: Could we use Botolphs Barn as a joint usage Hall?
A: Botolph’s Barn is a lovely but small facility with a capacity of a maximum 20 & 30 in the 2 rooms, with the upstairs room having no disabled access. Minimal parking and a shared driveway.
Q: Could the Church become a joint-usage Hall?
A: Church facilities have become more & more multi-purpose in recent years, and we have seen live events being held in Peterborough Cathedral, but there are several issues associated with using the Church as a community facility and restrictions which maybe insurmountable. Working with a Heritage & Diocesan Building will always present challenges and additional costs, which ultimately may mean it is unviable to share. Currently the Church has no toilet facilities and a kitchen which is unsuitable for any form of regular use.
Q: Will the villages be involved in consultation?
A: Yes, we encourage participation, and have already had responses from our initial interaction with the Village via the Survey (results are on the village hall website https://helpstonvillagehall.co.uk) and from our open weekends held in February, there will be much more to come
Q: Who will make the decision about the location?
A:Whilst The Village Hall Trust have confirmed their intent to move ahead with the purchase of the land in the Heath Road location following positive feedback from the recent open weekend, ultimatelyapproval to build a Hall there will depend upon the support of residents of the two villagesand the City Council to whom a planning application would be made.
Q: How will you communicate progress?
A: We will continue to regularly update questions & answers (FAQ’s) on the Village Hall website and will always try to answer any feedback which you have raised.
We can be contacted easily either via our village hall email address: helpstonvillagehall@gmail.com or social media outlets, such as our Facebook page (link below):
The Village Hall Website will post updates to questions & answers and any other news items which we will also update via Facebook, and regular news items in the Village Tribune
Q: Have you considered the Neighbourhood Plan?
The current Neighbourhood Plan is an important document and underlines the key principals of what we want our villages to look like now and into the future. The
Neighbourhood Plan, created by a working group on behalf of the village, gives residents a much greater say in how they want the villages to be for future generations; including how new development is integrated and what it should look like.
The provision of a new village hall to enhance community facilities is supported in principle in this plan.
Our Neighbourhood Plan mentions the village hall in several areas:
Policy A2 a) The development of community amenities such as those set out in Policy C10 of this Plan will be supported in principle.
Focus C 3.37 The lack of parking for facilities is a recognised problem in the village with Woodgate often restricted to one way traffic flow due to visitors parking on the road (John Clare Cottage and the Bluebell pub being located on this road).
3.38 The local Village Hall is also recognised to be at the end of its useful life having been constructed as a prefab in 1916. Proposals to replace and/or relocate the hall are widely supported by the community.
3.42. The Neighbourhood Plan therefore recognises that if new amenities are to be built, or existing ones improved sites may need to be made available outside the Village Envelope. For specific amenities, identified during consultation, support for development outside the Village Envelope is given.
Policy C
C4 Community Facilities and Parking for Existing Amenities
1. Planning applications that enhance existing community facilities or provide new
community facilities are supported in principle.
1. Reasonable new parking provision for existing amenities in is also supported where
this is in accordance with other policies within this plan.
C5 New Village Hall
Development for a new village hall is supported provided the applicant can demonstrate, through a proportionate consultation exercise, that there is community support for the development and that neighbouring residents have been consulted and any planning concerns raised have be mitigated to the satisfaction of Peterborough City Council.
C 10
The Neighbourhood Plan supports development outside, but adjacent, to the Village Envelope for the following amenities:
Helpston and Etton Village Hall Trust Announce Community Project
The Helpston and Etton Village Hall Trust CIO is thrilled to announce that we have been offered the option to purchase 4.85 acres of land on Heath Road, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both villages.
This transformative project aims to enrich the lives of residents by creating a new village hall, a vibrant community garden, and an enhanced space for nature. This initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a communal space that will benefit generations to come. Huge thanks to the Wordsworth/Quincey family for enabling this opportunity.
What Happens Next?
The Helpston and Etton Village Hall Trust will now move ahead to complete all of the required due diligence normally associated with such a transaction and are committed to making this vision a reality, but we cannot do it alone. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be holding public meetings, planning sessions, and fundraising events to gather input and build momentum for the project.
We invite all residents to take part in shaping the future of our community. Your support, whether big or small, will make a tremendous difference. Together, we can create a space that enhances village life, promotes well-being, and ensures a legacy for future generations.
If you would like to get involved or learn more about the background to this village hall project and the journey so far, please visit our website: https://helpstonvillagehall.co.uk or contact us via email at helpstonvillagehall@gmail.com
Let’s work together to build something truly special for Helpston and Etton!
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Two 4-hour ‘open house’ sessions at Helpston Village Hall on Sunday 9th February and Monday 10th February were attended by over 150 residents of Helpston and Etton.
12 ‘story boards’ told the history of the village hall and background into the work undertaken by the Helpston & Etton Village Hall Trust (CIO)in trying to find a suitable location for a much needed new village hall.
Visitors were encouraged to give the village hall team feedback and to share their thoughts, views and suggestions via a short survey.
The storyboards will be available to view at St Botolph’s Church from Wednesday 12th February until the following Wednesday.
PDF versions of the story boards are available to download here:
Residents of Helpston and Etton are warmly invited to share their views on plans for a new village hall. For several years, the trustees of the current hall on West Street have been working diligently to identify a suitable location for a new facility.
To ensure the new hall meets the needs and aspirations of the community, the Helpston and Etton Village Hall Association is hosting a consultation event at the existing village hall. This is an opportunity for villagers to learn about the progress made so far, provide feedback, and contribute to shaping the future of this important community resource.
Event Details:
Dates:Sunday, 9th February (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM) and Monday, 10th February (3:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
Location:Current Village Hall, West Street
Refreshments:Tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided
At the consultation, there will be the opportunity to:
Hear about the journey to date, including the challenges and achievements in identifying potential sites.
Explore the vision for the new hall and its role in the community.
Feedback ideas on the design, location, and services that the new hall could provide.
Local input is invaluable to understand how the village hall can best serve the community now and in the future.
Our very grateful thanks to everyone in Helpston, Etton and our surrounding villages who supported the Village Hall through the Silent Auction at Helpstonbury this Summer. The auction raised a staggering £6,500 which will contribute towards the build of the new Hall. If you were a successful bidder for an auction item, we hope you enjoy your purchase, we have had some lovely feedback from residents including Jo Stott and her husband who recently had a fantastic time at Mel Elliot’s holiday home in West Mersea…. we very much enjoyed seeing your pictures thank you Jo, it looked amazing.
Congratulations go to Claire Spooner, Emma Scarborough & their team, for holding a very successful Macmillan coffee morning at the Hall on Saturday 21st September which raised over £1,000 for this very worthwhile cause, the cakes looked amazing .
Annual Maintenance
The Hall has recently had it’s required annual asbestos check and is approved as compliant for another year…. always good to see that completed.
New Hall Progress
Progress continues to be slow, not helped by recent news that the next stage in the development of the Peterborough Local Plan (which approves or denies available land to be built upon in the villages) has been pushed back to February 2025 (this was due to be in October) because of changes in the national housing policy.
However, we continue to progress the potential option to purchase of land on Heath Rd in Helpston and remain hopeful that it will become a reality (subject to planning approval at the appropriate time).
One other offer of land which we had been in discussions with a landowner about has since unfortunately been withdrawn.
Helpston & Etton Community Association Conversion to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is a modern structure recommended by the Charity Commission.
It is beneficial that Helpston & Etton Community Association change charity status from an Unincorporated Charity organisation to Incorporated Charity status.
The following Resolution was put forward at a public meeting held on Wed 12 June 2024:
To convert from Helpston & Etton Community Association to a CIO
To change the name to Helpston & Etton Village Hall Trust CIO
To amend the Constitution to comply with becoming a CIO
A vote on the above Resolution was taken and carried unanimously by all those present
Utterly fabulous news.