On Saturday 8th October the hall was filled with a group of wonderful people raising funds for the ECDS (Essex Children’s Deaf Society). Carol Cook from ‘Don’t Shout Out’ hosted a quiz night with members joining from her BSL signing classes and her signing choir Hands4Voices. As you can see we used our new tables for the first time and how wonderful do they look? 96 people seated comfortably with plenty of room to move around. 

Making connections with the community is paramount and 1st Ashingdon Scouts have provided and made these stunning soldiers. Something we envisioned last year, that they have bought to life.  This… this is what’s it about. To say as a team we’re proud. Very proud! Thank you 1st Ashingdon Scouts for making this possible!  
Go to our Remembrance Day page to see the community’s Trubute!  

The Room of Requirement is gradually getting there. Once the much sought after door was installed we realised the most beautiful breathtaking view that is St Georges Park. We still need to plaster, change the internal doors, paint, do the electrics, get the light fittings up, draw the mural, get the floor replaced and buy comfy furniture. It will be worth the wait. 

There was a nice surprise for one of our new hirers this weekend, Nee Naw Parties which hires our hall on a Saturday had a visit from a real Nee Naw vehicle in the guise of a rapid response Police car which parked in the car park, PC Adam Hollingworh and his colleague kindly popped in the see the children and allowed them to sit in the car and activate the siren and blue lights. With a wave goodbye from all the children they were soon back on duty protecting the public.

We now have natural light and decent ventilation in the kitchen. I went in and thought someone had left a light on. Such a difference. 

The work has started. Yippee… what a difference already. Natural light playing in the loos and Room of Requirement is so welcoming. The toilets look, well, like toilets but now you can see yourself in the mirror in natural light.  One more window to go. The kitchen. I will post that soon. 

As an ongoing commitment to bringing the hall up to standard for the community the committee have been at the hall clearing cupboards, fixing chairs and getting rid of broken furniture and equipment. 

The committee have been working hard to bring a new room for hire online. This room will have new double glazed windows and a new door installed, it will eventually have new infrared heating coming from the ceiling. Plus new cafe sized tables and chairs. This room can be used for a cafe environment using The Little Honesty Coffee Shop next door, it can be used as a meditation room, class room, meeting room and a club room of any sort. There has been much interest in the intimate feel this room brings. So for fun we have called it ‘The Room of Requirement’