Minutes, 2026

Chairman’s report to the AGM held on Tuesday 14th April 2026 at 7.30pm

As Chair of Hougham & Marston Village Hall & Playing Field Committee, I would like to use the 2026 AGM to report on the 2025/2026 year.

Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to say thank you to all the members of the Committee that have served in the previous 12 months, their continual hard work and enthusiasm in looking after the hall maintains the facility as a key and important hub for the parishioners of Hougham & Marston. I would also like to thank Berni Chalklin who stood down through leaving the area. This year, we welcomed Christina Joachim to the committee as a new member.

Regular users of the Hall continue to be the WI and both Marston and Hougham Parish Councils. Marston Parish Council are renting the former doctor’s surgery room as a parish office and storeroom. Tim Deal, as bookings secretary, continues to grow the utilisation of the hall. This year we saw a baby sensory class trying to establish itself along with a children’s holiday club company organising play days during the school holidays. Ballroom dancing is back in the Hall on a Friday evening which is making use of the freshly polished floor.

In the last twelve months, we have also seen the hall used for a wedding weekend, hosted in excess of 20 parties, The Stroke Club, The Thorold annual meeting, regular visits from the Grantham Tamils, the Lincs DogOscar ceremony, Marston Thorold School for their sports day and Hough Community Hub held their inaugural HoughFest here last summer with a follow up event in May 2026. Great Gonerby Youth Football Club continue to use the playing fields on a regular basis which is good to see. We have also welcomed back the Brownies having sleepovers as well as some mini gaming.

The play equipment also is well utilised, especially for older visitors that play on goal area.

Two fundraising events were held at the end of 2025; a dance in November which raised in excess of £400 and the Christmas Fair in December, which raised a magnificent £2,000. My thanks go to Judy Byrom and Caroline Brown for putting on the dance and to all the Trustees who contributed to making the Christmas Fair so successful. The 150 Club has also been well supported again, supplying a regular income. Even though the Hall has seen massive improvements which have incurred some expense, the level of lettings along with these fundraisers has ensured that the hall kept a positive balance sheet this year. The financial results will be available as a separate report.

We again managed this year to receive some more grant funding which has been put towards replacing the last of the shabby fire doors. We are seeking some further help from the same source in this financial year.

A community spring clean day was held in April to spruce up the hall.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the ‘grounds team’ of Karl Ballaam, Richard Pearson and Nick Sauer for their unstinting input into keeping the grass in respectable order. The mower continues to give cause for concern, but Karl and Richard have done sterling work this year in keeping it running. Richard has also cleared up fallen trees, levelled out the mole runs and weed killed around the building. I would also like to thank Lucy & Nik Jones for keeping the hall clean and tidy on a regular basis, a soulless task at best.

In 2026/2027, we hope to continue investing in the hall with potentially a kitchen upgrade to add value to the hirer experience.

We will also be holding a ceilidh and a Quiz supper in the months to come which we hope will be well supported as usual.