FRIENDS OF ARELEY KINGS VILLAGE HALL

History
In 2003 Areley Kings Village Hall Association was formed to raise money to build the new Areley Kings Village Hall. Each member contributed £100 and their donations were commemorated in the form of decorative tiles, each with an inscription chosen by the donor. These tiles can be seen in the main room of the hall as two large diamonds on either side of the large window. A substantial sum was raised and went to good use in the building of the hall.

In March 2004 the New Areley Kings Village Hall was opened - Members of the Association were invited to a reception to celebrate its opening.

In May 2004 a meeting of Associate Members was called to discuss the possibility of continuing support for our new hall. An invitation to attend this meeting was extended to everyone in the village of Areley Kings and was well attended.

The result was the formation of the organisation known as 'The Friends of Areley Kings Village Hall'.

What do we want to achieve?
The aims of the group are amongst others:
               - to make the Village Hall a real community hall;
               - to organise events for the community such as craft fairs, coffee mornings, barn dances and evenings with various artists; 
               - to raise funds for the enhancement of the Village Hall and charities that are accessed by local people;
               - to produce a yearly newsletter for everyone in Areley Kings; 
               - to have fun doing all those things.

How much money have we raised?
Over the last 5 years, we have raised thousands of pounds for the Village Hall and other charities, such as Acorns. The last major donation we made was £1,400 in January 2009 that was used towards the installation of ventilation sweep fans in the main hall.

Reports on events in 2009  Our regular Coffee Mornings, held on the 4th Wednesday of each month (except December) between 10am and 12pm, have become part of life in Areley Kings for many people. They provide a welcome opportunity to meet and chat whilst consuming delicious home-made cakes with their coffee and tea. Funds raised from these go, for the most part, towards purchasing items for the Hall’s general use, with the occasional one being for a specific local charity                                                                                                        

14th February: An Evening with comedian Doug Parker and guitarist Steve Ashcroft - Valentine’s evening show A sell-out evening of music and humour organised by the Friends was enjoyed by an audience of more than 120 on Valentine’s night. Friends of AKVH and their guests enjoyed a lively and even uproarious performance by Wolverhampton comedian Doug Parker and local musicians Steve Ashcroft and Martin Lewis. A medley of popular songs helped along by the audience combined with Doug’s engaging humour ensured the evening was a hit. Indeed, some of the audience were deftly incorporated into the comedy to make it a memorable occasion for all concerned! A tasty supper and a well-supported raffle which raised more than £164 completed what was agreed to be an excellent night. 

17th May - A Walking Treasure Trail was organised by Stan and Joan Gibson, and was well attended despite the wet weather. A quiz was provided in the Hall for those who preferred to stay dry.

7th June - Sunday Fun Day. Unfortunately the weather was against us yet again as we used both the Hall and Recreation Ground for stalls, music, games and food. Despite the elements, a profit of £1,290 was raised for the benefit of the Hall.

23rd September MACMILLAN Coffee Morning - What a wonderful two hours spent in the company of so many kind and generous people; we were able to give MACMILLAN  £562.34 Derek Walker from Little Larford generously donated plants, and his time to the morning raising over £100 of the total. The allotment holders generously donated surplus fruit and vegetables, freshly harvested that morning, (one gentleman brought his wheel barrow full of goodies to the hall to unload) and many people donated jams, and pickles. We had a home made cake stall loaded with the most delicious looking, and tasting, selection of cakes and pastries; and of course we had our usual tea or coffee served with a slice of home made cake for a donation (£1minimum). There were several raffle prizes, all donated, which, when everything was totalled gave us this magnificent £562.34.Our hall was teeming with people in a very happy, friendly atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported us, too many to mention by name, but you are all equally important to the continued success of our coffee mornings and our hall.

3 October Sixties Nite -  The Friends recreated the golden age of rock and pop with an evening of live music provided by the local band "Addiction".The audience was soon on its feet dancing to a lively medley of classic numbers from the past.The entertainment included a hot supper and raffle. Over £300 was raised for the Hall and we are grateful to all those involved

10th October - Coach Trip to Bath. This was a great success with excellent weather, and enjoyed by all who went. This seems to have turned into another of our regular ‘must do’ events. 

14th November - Christmas Craft Fair. Another very successful ‘regular’ in our calendar. As usual it was very well attended, with visitors enjoying looking at, and purchasing examples of the varied arts and crafts on display. Food and drinks were also on sale from the kitchen, provided by the Friends. The profit raised from this event - always our most successful - was £1,352. 

As a result of these various events, the Friends have been able to provide the funds for new car park gates, as the old ones had been damaged, a new CCTV camera, and a new cooker hood for the kitchen.

2010

16th January - Already we have started the year off with an event for members of the Friends, at which we were very impressed by the dexterity of Kris Krendo the Magician, and also enjoyed a buffet meal. In addition, £107 was raised and donated to the local Dial-a-Ride. The winner of the draw for the Winter Hamper was Julia Smith.

Future Events
What have we got planned for 2010? We have already had our first Coffee Morning of 2010 with the next on Wednesday 24th February. Profits will go to the Hall and there will also be a tombola in aid of the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Wednesday 24th March - Coffee Morning with profits to the Hall.
Saturday 10th April - Kidderminster Male Voice Choir. The concert starts at 7.30pm, until about 10pm. Tickets are £7.50 for members of the Friends, and £8.50 for non-members. Enquiries for tickets, contact Mo on 01299 826005.
Wednesday 28th April - Coffee Morning with profits donated to Kemp Hospice.
Sunday 9th May - Treasure Trail (walking). Hopefully with drier weather. A fun afternoon for families.
Thursday 13th May - A.G.M. of the Friends of AKVH at 8pm. Please come along to hear what we have achieved with YOUR help during the past year. Open to all, with tea and biscuits provided.
Saturday 22nd May - Coach Trip to Cardiff. Leaving at 8am and returning at 5pm. Tickets are £10 for members of the Friends, and £11 for non-members. They are already selling quickly so please contact Rose on 01299 827389.
Wednesday 26th May - Coffee Morning with profits to the Hall.
Sunday 13th June - Fun Day. Details for this are still being finalised, but we hope to have various stalls and demonstrations both inside and outside the Hall, as last year but with better weather!
Wednesday 23rd June - Coffee Morning.
Wednesday 28th July - Coffee Morning.
Wednesday 25th August - Coffee Morning.
Wednesday 22nd September - Coffee Morning.
Wednesday 27th October - Coffee Morning.
13th November - Christmas Craft Fair.
Wednesday 24th November - Coffee Morning.

How can I become a member of the Friends?                                                                                                                                                                         It is easy to become a Friend of AKVH; the cost is just £5 per person per year. The membership year runs from September 1st every year so renewals are due every September. The benefits of membership are;
• Each membership household will receive a quarterly newsletter with news of events and regular meetings of organisations at the hall which often means advance notice of forthcoming events. 
•  Every member is entered in an annual draw for a luxury hamper. 
• Members are often given a reduced ticket price for events which are organised by the Friends of AKVH.
Contact our membership secretary Pauline Baldwin on 01299 871004.

Where can I get more information?
By checking this website regularly or by phoning Bob Cox on 01299 877897.