Our History

our history.

how it all started

In February 1949 a village hall committee met for the first time. Among the items discussed were plans to convert the sick bay of the wartime RAF building into a village hall. 


Dances and whist drives were held to raise funds for the renovation as well as a Garden Fete which took place on July 9th in the grounds of Firbeck Hall. The fete included side stalls, novelty races and Anston Silver Band. Admission was Adults 1/- and Children 6d.


The fete was followed by a whist drive at the Village Hall at 6.30pm and dancing from 8 until midnight to a local orchestra.

There are few photographs of the site from this period. This one shows the RAF hospital and decontamination unit opposite the Black Lion.

Hubert Cecil Nicholson of Lake House owned the site and generously gifted it to the Village in March 1951. Despite difficulties with the building, committee minutes show that the hall was well used by the community. Dances were held weekly during the winter and the hall was hired by various groups at the rate of 10 shillings per hour (the equivalent of £12 today)


The Village Hall became a Charitable Trust in 1963, Charity Number 523603 and is now owned by The Official Custodian of Charities, on behalf of The Firbeck Village Hall Charitable Trust.  

   

In 1970 the old RAF hospital was demolished and a new hall built. The building costs were borne by a grant from the Department of Education and local fundraising.  At the opening ceremony on 26th March 1971 the chairman of the Village Hall Committee, Mr Ward-Jones said that the opening was “the culmination of some 20 years of effort by the people of Firbeck and the surrounding district to raise sufficient funds to enable a permanent hall to be built at the centre of the community.” The amount raised by the community was £2400 (equivalent to £31,000 today).

Photo. by kind permission of Mike Eggenton

In 1969 and 1970 Lord Scarbrough had allowed two motor shows to take place at Sandbeck to contribute to the fundraising efforts.

UPGRADING THE HALL


In 2008 the Village Hall although basically sound was in need of an upgrade and refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards and enable it to continue to be a focal point for the village.

Firbeck Hall in 2008

In 2010, following considerable planning and thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery and other funding from the Landfill Communities Fund (WREN), the Hall was substantially renovated and extended. 


The hall was cleared ready for the builders to move in at the beginning of January 2010. Unfortunately there was heavy snowfall but work soon began.


Improvements included the installation of an energy efficient ground source heat pump, disabled facilities and a new car park.

On 14th June the hall was handed back to the village. The mothers and toddlers were the first group to book followed by Yoga, Line Dancing, Dinnington Art Society and the W.I.

The hall was officially re-opened by The Earl of Scarbrough on 26th August 2010 at a ceremony attended by the representatives of the firms involved in the building work, the Mayor of Rotherham and Firbeck Residents.

Today the Hall is used on a regular basis by groups and individual hirers. The committee continue to make improvements. In 2021 a new Audio visual system was installed and the renovation of the garden is currently underway.


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