Christleton Parish Hall (situated in the picturesque rural countryside on the outskirtrs of the Roman city of Chester), began in its current building as the local boys' primary school in 1885 and continued in this role until 1974 when the new (mixed) school was built in the village. It then became the Parish Hall managed by St James' Church and owned by a board of trustees. The hall is managed and funded entirely by volunteers from the local community and is used for a wide-ranging programme of activities ([pilates, yoga, community lunches, cultural activities, crafts, talks, local history, RSPB groups, WI, Parish Council information days, Polling station).
The obsolescent heating system broke down last year following several years of breakdowns and has been updated at considerable expense. Heat dissipation needs to be controlled by ceiling insulation. This in turn will help us to comply with commitments to reduce our carbon footprint.
We would also like to point out that energy costs are becoming overwhelming - exacerbated by the 10 metre ceilings, with no insulation, large 19th century single glazed windows. There are continued complaints about the noise levels due to the wooden floors, uncovered walls, and high ceiling causing echoes. We urgently need to address this with sound damping measures.
The washrooms do require a certain level of refurbishment. The sanitary-ware in one washroom is falling off the wall, which could pose a hazard because the plaster is rotten.
There are on-going fund-raising efforts to maintain the amenity with the co-operation of the local community. However, we are struggling to fund improvements from these efforts alone. This is why we are seeking external assistance.
