The Village Hall
FORDCOMBE COMMUNITY HALL / SPORTS PAVILION
The new Village Hall, which was built in 2021, has promoted social cohesion, encouraged and nurtured social, physical and sporting activities for all, from the very young to the elderly and lessened social isolation for those without transport. This enhanced new facility has not only attracted new users but also retained existing ones to ensure a sustainable future for the building and improve the overall quality of life within the village.
Downstairs we have one large and one small hall, both have kitchens attached and we have excellent toilet facilities Including a disabled toilet/ baby changing facility.
The first floor is accessed by a metal external staircase, and there are two rooms and toilet facilities but no kitchen.
VILLAGE HALL PHOTOS AND DETAILS ARE BELOW, FOLLOWED BY THE BOOKINGS CALENDAR AND ‘HOW TO BOOK’ INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF LATE NIGHT EVENTS DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF SEVERAL HOUSES IN THE CENTRE OF THE VILLAGE AND REGRETTABLY WE CANNOT TAKE BOOKINGS FOR ANY TYPE OF FOOTBALL PARTY, THESE ARE MORE SUITED TO A SPORTS HALL.
The Oak Hall
The Oak Hall is the largest hall at Fordcombe Village Hall 14.2m x 7.0m with a double height vaulted roof.
Available for events, meetings and parties on weekends and evenings with a capacity of 70. Please note that we have to limit the number of late night events due to the close proximity of several houses in the village centre. As this is a Village Hall run by volunteers, if there is exceptional demand, we have a limit on the number of events we can cope with at weekends because inspection of the premises is carried out after each event to ensure it is in a clean and tidy condition ready for the next event.
Facilities include access to fully equipped stainless steel kitchen oven, dishwasher, crockery, cutlery, hot tap, cooking facilities, with serving hatch to the kitchen, disabled toilet and toilet facilities. 50 cushioned chairs, 20 plastic chairs and tables are also available. An inventory of kitchen contents is available here:
OAK HALL KITCHEN INVENTORY PDF
Bouncy castles are allowed in the main hall providing they are of standard size, weighted down and matted underneath so the floors are protected. Please ask for our preferred providers list.
Acorn Hall
The Acorn Hall is 8.7m x 5.9m, with a capacity of 30.
Available for some weekends for small parties or in conjunction with the Oak Hall.
Facilities include kitchen with serving hatch, instant hot water tap, dishwasher, fridge and access to a free flow fenced-off outside garden area.
30 plastic chairs and tables are also available.
ASH ROOM
Approx 6 x 5m the room overlooks the village and car park, and is accessed by the outside staircase. Suitable for meetings or small group exercise classes with up to 15 people; there is no facility for tea or coffee making but access to upstairs toilets.
WILLOW ROOM
Approx 6 x 5m the room has a balcony overlooking the cricket ground, and is accessed by the outside staircase. Suitable for meetings or small group exercise classes with up to 15 people; there is no facility for tea or coffee making but access to upstairs toilets.
VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS
FVH Terms and Conditions for hiring
Please read our Terms and Conditions for Hire (link above), then access the calendar below for availability (and the notice beneath it regarding availability of the field). We regret that we cannot accept bookings for Football parties of any kind. If you would like to book the village hall, please click on the + sign on the calendar below, selecting the date and room you require. Any booking that you make will be on the basis that you have read and accepted our Terms and Conditions for Hire. We recommend booking a 4 hour slot for children’s parties:
1 hour to set up the party
2 hours for the party
1 hour to say goodbye to the guests and to clear up leaving the hall as found
To contact the bookings secretary if you have any queries please email bookingsclerk@gmail.com – this is a voluntary post so you might not get an immediate response. ALL email correspondence, INCLUDING CANCELLATIONS, must be sent to bookingsclerk@gmail.com because the ‘noreply@hallmaster.co.uk’ is an un-monitored email address, so if you email them it will not be forwarded to us.
BOOKING FEES (IF VIEWING ON A MOBILE PHONE BE SURE TO SELECT THE HALL/ROOM FROM THE DROP DOWN SELECTION BELOW TO SEE AVAILABILITY)
| Hall (per hour) | Standard rate | Regular/local rate | Charity rate | Both halls rate | Both halls regular/local rate |
| OAK HALL | £25.00 | £16.00 | £16.00 | £35.00 | £20.00 |
| ACORN HALL | £15.00 | £12.00 | £12.00 | £35.00 | £20.00 |
| Room (per hour) | Standard rate | Regular/local rate | Charity rate | ||
| ASH ROOM | £10.00 | £8.00 | £8.00 | ||
| WILLOW ROOM | £10.00 | £8.00 | £8.00 |
IMPORTANT BOOKING NOTICE
The playing field and Acorn Hall are in use for cricket matches from May to September each year (mostly Saturdays). These fixtures are shown in the Acorn Hall calendar above.
Therefore, the field is NOT available on fixture days for events in the main Oak Hall.
Fordcombe Village Hall Build Project Gallery and Why We Needed A New Hall.
NEW COMMUNITY HALL / SPORTS PAVILION 2021
The original Fordcombe Village Memorial Hall was built in 1921 to remember the fallen in the First World War.
Exactly 100 years later in 2021, we celebrate the completion of a new village and sports hall on the same site.
Fordcombe community raised an amazing £60,547 over five years from a multitude of events, including Quiz Nights, a Christmas Ball and village teas, plus a village lottery. £185,000 was granted from Sevenoaks Council’s Community Infrastructure Fund, £40,000 from Penshurst Parish Council and £90,000 from The National Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund, along with a number of personal local donations. Significantly, we received a large bequest from the will of one of our Action Group members which helped achieve the total needed for the project.
The old Village Hall had served its purpose well and hosted many wonderful community events and functions over the years, from village fetes and cricket matches, to ballet classes and innumerable children’s birthday parties but now we have excellent modern facilities within the new Village Hall.
The Charitable Trust
The Fordcombe Village Hall is a registered charity (number 235361), and is managed through a Village Hall Committee and five Trustees who monitor the work of the Committee. The Committee and Trustees are all unpaid volunteers.
The Village Hall is a charitable organisation, held in Trust for the use of the inhabitants of the village of Fordcombe and the surrounding neighbourhood. The hall and surrounding land was gifted to the ownership of the Official Custodian of Charities so that the land and building will be safe from other development in perpetuity.
Its use is for meetings, education, recreation and leisure occupations with the object of improving the conditions of life in the above area of benefit – promoting and facilitating community spirit to those individuals and organisations linked to the village.