The Village Hall celebrated its 25th Anniversary in June 2021.

It replaced an earlier wooden and rather ramshackle hall that had served the villages of Calver, Curbar and Froggatt for many years.

As the 20th Century drew to a close, it was clear to residents of the three villages that the old village hall was no longer fit for purpose. Its site (on the main A623 road where the Jehovah’s Witness hall  now stands) had no space for parking, and access was difficult. The building was in poor condition, and lacked the facilities that users would reasonably expect in a Village Hall.

In the early 1990s, the Trustees of the hall approached Derbyshire County Council (DCC) with a proposal to build a new Village Hall on land that the Council owned. The land had earlier been earmarked for the building of a new school, but that plan had long been abandoned. DCC were unwilling to sell the land but eventually agreed to lease it to the Trustees.

Once the site had been acquired, a period of intense fund raising across the the three villages ensued, spearheaded by local resident Professor Eric Wilkes. As with all projects of this sort, the development had its controversies, but eventually these were put aside. 

In addition to Prof Wilkes, other leading lights of the Village Hall Trustees at this time were Doreen and Philip Gunstone. It is due to their efforts, and the support of the Trustees and of the local community, that we now have this wonderful facility.

The hall was built by local builder Richard Carmen. Many local people and organisations donated time, money and materials to the project. As an example, Sissons, the stainless steel fabricators who were based in Calver Mill, helped with the supply of the stainless steel kitchen which was in almost daily use until the recent refurbishment.

Over the last 20 years the hall has gone from strength to strength. It is very well used by the local community for a variety of events, from weddings and birthday parties to exercise classes and a thriving film club. The local school  holds some classes in the hall, and Calver Parish Council meets there every month.

We are rightly proud of our excellent facilities and the well maintained condition of the hall. This is entirely down to the effort and commitment of our Trustees, volunteers, and paid staff. The Trustees have continued to invest in the hall over the years to ensure that it is kept in good condition and continues to meet the needs of its users. The hall is regularly decorated, and we have invested in solar panels that have substantially reduced our energy costs

At around the time of the Hall’s 20th anniversary, we were pleased and grateful to receive a substantial bequest from the estate of local resident Peggy Hadfield. After much deliberation, we decided to spend the money on refurbishing the kitchen as some of the appliances, after 20 years of service, were at the end of their useful life. In the summer of 2016, this refurbishment was completed, and we now have a catering facility at the hall of which we can be very proud.

As a board of Trustees, we are committed to ensuring that the hall remains at the heart of our communities for many years to come. We hope to welcome you soon!

Margaret Wood
Chair Of Trustees