History of Comberton Village Institute Trust
A small committee of far-sighted individuals worked through the post-war depression of 1919/1920 to realise an ambition to provide a village recreational centre in Comberton. In October 1920 a public meeting approved the scheme for the Comberton Institute which was to be housed in a ward hut formerly part of Cherry Hinton Military Hospital and purchased by auction and erected on land in Green End leased from the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds Friendly Society.
The provision of the Institute building was achieved following great co-operative efforts across the village: the building was transported with “the kind co-operation of the farmers and tradesmen of the village (and) the whole cartage of the hut was done gratis”: it was erected with the “great assistance of many helpers”; and the purchase and erection costs were covered by a loan and villagers’ subscriptions together with a considerable sum raised on the day of the official opening on the 8th February, 1921.
The Institute provided a community centre for the village. It accommodated three billiard tables and in its first year there were “games”, dancing classes, whist drives, a concert and numerous “Socials”. For an annual subscription members could use the facilities without further payment. The ladies provided canteen facilities which in turn provided funds for the Institute as well as a service to the members. A rota of members attended the Room each evening to maintain discipline and good conduct! Daily newspapers were purchased for members to read. The wooden building was heated by coal-fired stove and lit by oil lamps so it was just as well the committee spent money on fire insurance.
In the 1950’s with the advent of television there was a loss in interest in the Institute as a community centre and the Trustees found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. By 1961 the Billiard Room was let out for commercial purposes.
In 1966 the property and ground lease belonging to the Institute were transferred into a new charitable trust, the Comberton Village Institute Trust. The objects of the Trust were to hold “property and assets .... upon trust for the purposes of a Village Institute for the use of the inhabitants of Comberton and the neighbourhood: without distinction of sex, of political, religious or other opinions and in particular use for meetings, lectures, classes, recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.”
From 1966 the Institute building became increasingly exploited for business use, particularly from 1975 when the Institute had access to an adjacent building, the disused former school annex purchased by the Parish Council in 1973.
The mid-1980’s marked a watershed for the Institute. By 1985 the Trustees believed that the original Institute function hall was no longer safe for use by large numbers of people and the Trustees took out a lease on the former school annex and let a larger proportion of the Institute building for commercial purposes to cover increasing maintenance costs. In 1989 the Institute signed a lease to formally adopt the annex as the 'New Village Hall'.
From 1986 the commercial space was reorganised as 'The Commercial Centre' and eventually the layout and organisation of the building took their present shape with what remains of the original Institute, occupying just under 50% of the original hospital hut, hired to Comberton Players, the local dramatic society.
By the early 2000’s the 'New Village Hall' was in turn deemed unusable. There were problems of maintenance and access for the disabled and its facilities did not meet the requirements of the village. A project team was assembled to raise money and design a more modern hall. Eventually 'Comberton Village Hall' was built in 2006 and first used in November of that year.
It is ironic that the original 'New Village Hall' no longer exists as it was demolished to make way for the car park of its successor while the original Institute building survives as 'The Commercial Centre'.
Fundraising to build and equip the current Village Hall
A New Village Hall Steering Committee was established in 2002 consisting of volunteers from the village, members of the Parish Council, Village Hall Trustees and ‘experts’ from the village.
After many meetings a plan was agreed and quotes for construction costs were obtained from three builders. Fundraising then commenced in earnest – over £400,000 was required for the construction with a further amount to equip the hall.
Appeals were made to many organisations, companies and charitable trusts offering grants. The successful ones were as follows: Comberton Parish Council, Waitrose, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Age Concern, Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Help the Aged, Wren (Waste Recycling), Awards for All, Donarbon (Waste Recycling), Virgin Retail, Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, Rugby Cement, The Hedley Foundation and The Batty Charitable Trust. A donation was made by the Le Vaudreuil Twinning Association (Le Veudreuil in Normandy has been twinned with Comberton since 1999) and private donations from Jeffrey Archer and Francis Pemberton.
A personal appeal was made to every household in Comberton and numerous fundraising events were held in the village including – open gardens, quiz nights, coffee mornings, lectures, a fashion show, brass band concert, choir concerts, orchestral concert and Easter and Christmas fayres. The total amount raised was almost £500,000. A low interest rate loan was taken with the Charity Bank to complete some internal works.
The superb effort by the steering committee, many people of Comberton and the kind generosity of other organisations and individuals has given us the hall we can enjoy today.
In 2020 the Trustees decided to convert the original Trust into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) while retaining the objects of the original Trust. The CIO continues to manage the village hall and to let out the Commercial Centre to provide funds which subsidise use of the village hall as well as for future development.
The provision of the Institute building was achieved following great co-operative efforts across the village: the building was transported with “the kind co-operation of the farmers and tradesmen of the village (and) the whole cartage of the hut was done gratis”: it was erected with the “great assistance of many helpers”; and the purchase and erection costs were covered by a loan and villagers’ subscriptions together with a considerable sum raised on the day of the official opening on the 8th February, 1921.
The Institute provided a community centre for the village. It accommodated three billiard tables and in its first year there were “games”, dancing classes, whist drives, a concert and numerous “Socials”. For an annual subscription members could use the facilities without further payment. The ladies provided canteen facilities which in turn provided funds for the Institute as well as a service to the members. A rota of members attended the Room each evening to maintain discipline and good conduct! Daily newspapers were purchased for members to read. The wooden building was heated by coal-fired stove and lit by oil lamps so it was just as well the committee spent money on fire insurance.
In the 1950’s with the advent of television there was a loss in interest in the Institute as a community centre and the Trustees found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. By 1961 the Billiard Room was let out for commercial purposes.
In 1966 the property and ground lease belonging to the Institute were transferred into a new charitable trust, the Comberton Village Institute Trust. The objects of the Trust were to hold “property and assets .... upon trust for the purposes of a Village Institute for the use of the inhabitants of Comberton and the neighbourhood: without distinction of sex, of political, religious or other opinions and in particular use for meetings, lectures, classes, recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.”
From 1966 the Institute building became increasingly exploited for business use, particularly from 1975 when the Institute had access to an adjacent building, the disused former school annex purchased by the Parish Council in 1973.
The mid-1980’s marked a watershed for the Institute. By 1985 the Trustees believed that the original Institute function hall was no longer safe for use by large numbers of people and the Trustees took out a lease on the former school annex and let a larger proportion of the Institute building for commercial purposes to cover increasing maintenance costs. In 1989 the Institute signed a lease to formally adopt the annex as the 'New Village Hall'.
From 1986 the commercial space was reorganised as 'The Commercial Centre' and eventually the layout and organisation of the building took their present shape with what remains of the original Institute, occupying just under 50% of the original hospital hut, hired to Comberton Players, the local dramatic society.
By the early 2000’s the 'New Village Hall' was in turn deemed unusable. There were problems of maintenance and access for the disabled and its facilities did not meet the requirements of the village. A project team was assembled to raise money and design a more modern hall. Eventually 'Comberton Village Hall' was built in 2006 and first used in November of that year.
It is ironic that the original 'New Village Hall' no longer exists as it was demolished to make way for the car park of its successor while the original Institute building survives as 'The Commercial Centre'.
Fundraising to build and equip the current Village Hall
A New Village Hall Steering Committee was established in 2002 consisting of volunteers from the village, members of the Parish Council, Village Hall Trustees and ‘experts’ from the village.
After many meetings a plan was agreed and quotes for construction costs were obtained from three builders. Fundraising then commenced in earnest – over £400,000 was required for the construction with a further amount to equip the hall.
Appeals were made to many organisations, companies and charitable trusts offering grants. The successful ones were as follows: Comberton Parish Council, Waitrose, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Age Concern, Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Help the Aged, Wren (Waste Recycling), Awards for All, Donarbon (Waste Recycling), Virgin Retail, Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, Rugby Cement, The Hedley Foundation and The Batty Charitable Trust. A donation was made by the Le Vaudreuil Twinning Association (Le Veudreuil in Normandy has been twinned with Comberton since 1999) and private donations from Jeffrey Archer and Francis Pemberton.
A personal appeal was made to every household in Comberton and numerous fundraising events were held in the village including – open gardens, quiz nights, coffee mornings, lectures, a fashion show, brass band concert, choir concerts, orchestral concert and Easter and Christmas fayres. The total amount raised was almost £500,000. A low interest rate loan was taken with the Charity Bank to complete some internal works.
The superb effort by the steering committee, many people of Comberton and the kind generosity of other organisations and individuals has given us the hall we can enjoy today.
In 2020 the Trustees decided to convert the original Trust into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) while retaining the objects of the original Trust. The CIO continues to manage the village hall and to let out the Commercial Centre to provide funds which subsidise use of the village hall as well as for future development.
