The village hall has a new management committee. At the Annual General Meeting last evening (18th June), using a video conferencing facility, Nick Caw was elected chairman, and Sue Tucker treasurer. Clare Owen takes over the role of booking clerk. Also joining the team are committee members Adam Crosskeyand Dan Brennan.
Nick Caw moved to the village with his family six years ago from Clifton Hampden. For three years he was the chairman of Burcot and Clifton Hampden Parish Council, standing down when he and his family moved to Long Wittenham.
Sue Tucker is a leading member of Long Wittenham’s Twinning Association. The village is twinned with Thaon in Normandy. The new booking clerk Clare Owen has been the editor of The Bridge magazine for the last ten years.
The committee takes over the reins from a team chaired by Barrie Henderson who served in the role for eight years. Martin Mellor was also a long-standing official, serving as treasurer for twenty years. His wife Jill was the booking clerk and she served for thirty years. Committee member Janet Haylett, who represented the PCC, is also retiring after nearly 20 years.
Reflecting on his time as chairman Barrie Henderson said: “It’s been a privilege serving the village for so many years. I and the retiring committee wish the new chairman Nick Caw and his team every success as they and the village face new challenges.”
During the last year 150 members of the Village Hall 200 club raised £1,685 from which £780 was paid out in prizes – a net gain to the village hall of £905. The fund-raising club is run by Richard May.
Over the years the village hall has played host to the pre-school, yoga classes, keep fit lessons, public and parish council meetings, harvest suppers, the Lunch Club, Good Neighbours Group, wedding receptions and drama productions. It’s an integral part of village life but is currently closed for the virus emergency.
The chairman of Long Wittenham Parish Council Gordon Rogers paid tribute to the retiring committee. He said: “We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. For more than one hundred years the village hall has been the centre piece of village life and without it, the community would be much poorer.”
Mr Rogers added: “Our thanks and best wishes go to the retiring committee for laying sound foundations and our best wishes to the new team who will lead the village hall into what promises to be an exciting and challenging future.”
Having once served on a Village Hall Committee I am well aware of the amount of work which is put in by members .I would like to thank all who are retiring and thank them for their service to our village.
We often forget the unstinting ,unpaid work people put in for the Community they live in.Welcome to the new Committee.