A popular community hall has been given a boost by getting a new roof.

Exeter Street Hall in Brighton was facing a fight for survival when it was put on the market by former owners St Luke’s Church.

It was bought by a group of determined locals, keen to see it restored, who raised £180,000 in just 12 weeks last year to save it.

The new roof is one of the big pieces in the jigsaw.

Susan Corlett, 50, of Hamilton Road, Brighton, is the director and hall manager of the once-ailing building.

Ms Corlett said: “It’s exciting, to be putting on things that have a broad appeal and hopefully to get new people into the hall.

“It’s a huge relief to get the roof done, and it’s an amazing legacy that in the first year of owning it we have done something that will last in perpetuity.

“The community has a huge role in keeping these church halls alive.”

The initial £180,000 was raised through a community share offer comprising more than 800 local shareholders.

Shares ranged from £50 up to a top donation of £10,000.

The money was spent on buying the hall and carrying out £30,000 of improvements.

An additional £50,000 was won through ITV show The People’s Millions last November, with 11,325 phone votes, and this was used to fix the roof.

Another £6,000 was raised in six weeks recently to fix the drains.

Ms Corlett added: “People can rally together to do amazing things. You just need to have a groundswell to do it. The community has to want to do it.”

Volunteers are now putting the finishing touches to the roof.

The team is now looking to draw on helpers’ skills and experience for the remaining internal works.

Ms Corlett said: “There’s masses more work to be done inside the building, including better disabled access.”

She anticipates another £70,000 or £80,000 being necessary to bring it up to scratch.

She added: “There are very few places in the community for people to convene in the old sense of the word.

“People feel a sense of connection and see these buildings as a place of safety.”

 

Exeter Street Hall runs events to help raise money.
Highlights for November include a sports panel on November 14 including a Q&A session with sports journalists from national newspapers, a French soirée dinner on November 22 and a food market on November 30. Visit <&bh"http://www.exeterstreethall.org">www.exeterstreethall.org<&eh> for details.