The building that now houses the Community Centre was built in 1857, and opened as a Church of England School in 1863.
When it was closed in the 1970s, local people formed a Charitable Trust with a view to retaining the building as a community resource and focal point.
In 1980 it re-opened as a Community Centre. By the main door, there is a plaque installed to commemorate this event which was unveiled by famous local sculptor and artist Josefina de Vasconcellos whose works include Reconciliation ) at Coventry Cathedral and the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan.
The building is currently leased from the Diocese of Carlisle on an annual rent, this cost along with the maintenance and upkeep are paid for through community fundraising and usage fees.
Today
The future of the Hall as a centre for the Skelwith Community is in question. Even before Covid, usage was down, and rent, maintenance and utility costs are rising. Last year, the Trust Committee came to the reluctant conclusion that there is not enough income from fundraising and regular bookings to justify the substantial long term cost of maintaining the Hall.
At the Annual General Meeting, the community was asked if the Hall should be closed and the lease given up.
The strong feeling of that meeting was that a final attempt should be made to re-invigorate the Hall and several new members joined to committee with a view to making that happen. In 2022, we intend to do our best to assess and, if possible, enhance the value of the Hall as an asset for our community.
How to help
2022 will be a crucial year for decisions about the Hall and the most important thing is to use the hall for as many events as possible, follow our Facebook page to find out more about forthcoming events.
If you have ideas for new uses for the hall, or would like to hire it for a private event or run a community event please let us know. Any current member of the committee: Jess, Geoff, Giles, Martin, Neil, Rachel or Rob would be really happy to talk to you about any ideas you have - new committee members are also always welcome!
Alternatively, you can email us at: trust@skelwith.community
