The Charity has no independent income. The upkeep and maintenance of the facilities are paid mainly from the income from hires and rent. It means that the Charity can only spend on maintenance, activities and new facilities what it receives in income from hire.

It may seem odd that a local authority such as the Parish or Borough Council doesn’t maintain the hall. After all it would be easier to let somebody else have the responsibility of managing the Hall, but there is a very good reason why we are a Charity.  The hall was originally given to the Parish Council for the village back in 1911. Eventually the parish council determined that the only way to ensure that the hall would remain forever available to the residents was to form a Charitable Trust set up for this purpose. In this way, whatever changes may occur in local government organisation in future, the Hall remains at the heart of the village and will always be there for you to use and enjoy. The hall can never be sold off or moved, or its use changed without the consent of the Charity’s trustees, the Charity Commission and you, the beneficiaries.

We are all sometimes guilty of taking what we have for granted and taking an interest in your Village Hall and its management is really about making sure your Village Hall will survive into the future for you, and future generations. The Charity’s future could be in jeopardy without the injection of new volunteer trustees and fresh ideas for the future. Without this the organisation could fail or become moribund and what we take for granted today could tomorrow cease to exist due to lack of interest by the people for whom it exists. So, this is an appeal for your help - if you would like to know more about being a trustee of Messing Village Hall Charity and what it involves or if you would just like to help but not be a trustee contact Geoff Jackson or Ros Bryant at the telephone numbers below.