Considering the size of our village, Eynsham is fortunate to have such a large, well-appointed and modern Village Hall in the heart of it.
Some of our residents may remember the Hall being built after decades of discussion about it (Eynsham Parish Council News: New Community Centre / Village Hall (1 Feb 1998). Oxfordshire (eynsham-pc.gov.uk)). To this day, the Village Hall is well-equipped, well-kept and well-used.
Who’s at the Hall?
The Village Hall is Parish Council property and is under our management. We have an office at the Hall and host our meetings there.
Many local groups make regular use of the Hall, such as the Cadets and the Bartholomew Players, and there are classes such as yoga and pilates. The WI uses the space weekly, as does an embroidery group, and there is a monthly film club in the main hall.
One of our long-term bookings is by the Day Centre, which books the main space and kitchen each Monday. Director Jane Johnson says that they simply “could not operate anywhere else in the village”. The hall provides “plenty of space for all our activities” and the kitchen and toilets (including the disabled one) are key when hosting older people each week. “We cannot and would not want to be anywhere else!”
Claire Maden has been holding her childrens’ martial arts classes at the Hall since 2011 has found the space to be “ideal. It’s clean and of good size. Also, we’re able to store our mats on site, which helps in terms of logistics. The hall is central in the village, so people who live in Eynsham can easily walk and there is parking nearby.”
Claire mentions how much she continues to enjoy seeing children progress and achieve, and has been able to build up her classes over the years. Importantly, she says, “the team has always been helpful with my bookings and the staff have always looked after me and understood that I'm providing for the local community.” Find out more about Claire’s classes on her website: www.clairemaden.co.uk.
What’s available?
Although mainly used for regular bookings, the Hall can be booked for one-off events, such as weddings or special parties. There is often good availability over the weekends and party-planners welcome the central location and nearby parking.
One local resident who can attest to this is Lucy Merry, who organises the Eynsham community New Years Eve party in the hall each year. We’ve got a photo of her last party at the bottom of this article, and she told us:
“The hall is a great central location to host the community’s NYE party. It gives parents with young families an opportunity to celebrate in a safe space where children are welcome, and can have fun dancing the night away. The facilities offered tick every box for our annual event.”
Lucy makes use of the large main hall (where there is a stage) and the attached kitchen. For smaller events, there is a smaller hall with doors that open onto a small patio. There are also a number of small meeting rooms – one of which serves as a Parish Council office. There are male, female and disabled toilets. The building is connected to Wi-Fi.
Parking directly outside the Hall is limited to those with disabilities, but just across the road is Back Lane car park where there are free spaces and EV chargepoints.
In need of a space?
If you think the Village Hall may be suitable for an activity, event, lesson or meeting you have in mind, get in touch with Steph, who is responsible for room bookings, on bookings@eynsham-pc.gov.uk
More detailed information on the Village Hall and the costs of hiring the various spaces, visit our designated webpage for the Hall: Eynsham Village Hall - Eynsham Parish Council, Oxfordshire (eynsham-pc.gov.uk)