18/05/2023
Thatcham Parish Hall update
You may have noticed that the hall had to shut its doors in February 2023 whilst some essential electrical upgrades were completed. So, what led to this and what’s been happening at the hall over the last few months?
Back in Dec 2021 the Trustees had an electrical inspection carried out. It gave a full overview of the condition of the electrics and the Trustees set about creating a schedule of works to bring everything up to current code. The works were split into smaller “projects” spread out over several months. This would allow the Trustees to apply for grants to fund the works whilst maintaining sufficient funds in the accounts for regular outgoings.
Around February 2022 various contractors were invited to quote for the works, some of which didn’t arrive, others came, looked, and promised quotes, which, despite being chased, never appeared. Of those that did respond, one contractor retired, and another had a serious medical issue which prevented him from doing the works. We were back at square one and had to start all over again!
Around April 2022 the Trustees secured funding for the replacement of the outside lighting and arranged for this to be completed. We had made a start!
At the same time, we were still approaching other local reputable electricians. As is always the case, the best electricians are hard to pin down as they are always busy!
As you can appreciate, COVID had a massive affect on many contractors and supplies for all sorts of trades, which had a knock-on effect of increasing costs.
Following a long period where the Trustees were busy managing an internal situation at the hall with their time being spent on this and not on securing quotations, the hunt for an electrician started again in October 2022.
At the end of December 2022, the Trustees shared the original inspection findings and proposed upgrade schedule with the Insurers (this is required at least once every 5 years as part of the cover). The Insurer recommended that works should start as soon as possible and that if they didn’t, restrictions would be applied to the policy.
A new electrician was found who could carry out the works but not until after the new year. He supplied a quotation which was accepted by the Trustees. Due to COVID striking the majority of the contractors’ employees, the start date had to be delayed. At the end of January 2023, the Trustees discussed the situation and agreed that the hall should close as the Insurer had put restrictions on the policy and not all risks would be covered whilst the work was outstanding.
The safety of the hires and the public was paramount, and it was not an easy decision to make, but there was no other choice. Temporary homes were sourced for our regular hires at other local venues, all of whom have been very supportive and welcomed our hires to their venues.
Works were completed in March 2023 in the upper hall, with a full replacement of all wiring, fuse board, sockets, lights etc. Work in the lower hall is scheduled to be completed during the first week of June 2023 with a full replacement of inadequate electrical items. This will bring the whole hall up to current code.
Throughout the time the hall has been closed, regular checks have been made to ensure no other issues have occurred, the heating has been maintained on a low heat (on demand) to ensure it does not get damp. All costs have been monitored and the hall is still financially secure.
It is anticipated that the hall will welcome back hires from the middle of June.
If you have any questions or want to find out more about the hall and how you can help keep it available for the Parish of Thatcham for many years to come, then please send an email to [email protected] or [email protected].
You may receive an out of office notification as the Trustee roles are voluntary alongside day jobs, but you will receive a response as soon as possible.
