Otterhampton Village Hall re-opens as local ‘social hub’

Renovation work began at Otterhampton Village Hall, located in the Sedgemoor village of Combwich, in April last year.

‘The Big Refurb’ was made possible after £282,400 of funding was secured from local donors,  charitable trusts, and the county and district councils.

A grand opening event was held on Saturday, August 6 to celebrate the end of the project.

Sue Barton, chair of the village hall, believes the refurbishment will help ensure it remains a central part of residents’ lives.

She said: “It’s an old building that was desperately in need of renovation. It means it’s now back to being the social hub of the village.”

Otterhampton Village Hall contains a large meeting and gathering space and the Harbour View Bar.

It is used for several fitness classes including aerobics and Pilates.

The hall also hosts the local Brownies group, the Combwich Crafters, the Combwich Art Group, the Women’s Institute, a choir, and parish council meetings.

Roger Musgrove (retired as the community's postman after 30 years) with and Sue Barton (chair, Otterhampton Village Hall). Picture: Steve Richardson

A weekly coffee morning is held every Friday between 10am and 12pm to encourage people to enjoy refreshments, biscuits, and a chat with other locals.

Construction work took place across two phases.  

The first saw the installation of solar panels, new flooring, double-glazed windows, new toilet facilities, and a hearing loop, plus most of the painting and decorating work.

A new oil tank was installed in phase two, which also saw steps taken to improve the hall’s accessibility such as the introduction of an entrance ramp and a Stannah stairlift.

Users of the Harbour View Bar and the hall will also benefit from new televisions and overhead projectors.

The new-look hall hosted stalls from many of its users at Saturday’s re-opening event.  

“It went very well. We were really pleased with it,” said Sue.

“A lot of the groups did displays to try and get more people to join them and show what they do. The atmosphere in the hall was lovely, very contagious.”

The village hall is currently managed by a group of eight trustees – but other residents with an interest in the facility are encouraged to volunteer.   

“We would still like more people to come on board with new ideas,” said Sue.

“We’ve finished the refurbishment, but there’s always more to do.”  

For more information about Otterhampton Village Hall, visit its website or Facebook page.