Woolsach Hall Committee
Woolsery Sports & Community
Hall
Woolsery
BIDEFORD
Devon
Tuesday July 8th 2014
Mr
Jonathan Downes
Mytle
Cottage
Woolsery
BIDEFORD Devon
Dear
Jonathan
Thank you for your e-mail dated
17/06/14 to notify your intention to cancel this year’s event booking. In reply the Hall Committee would like to put
matters into perspective as regards the unfortunate misunderstanding re your
Weird Weekend yearly booking fees and the catering.
It seems that some very
unpleasant and unflattering/untrue facts have been circulated in the public
domain regards the community hall and running fees.
We would like to take this
opportunity to put facts right.
As already made clear, the group
who usually accommodates you in this regard had actually put in place plans for
this year without the assistance of Mrs Bennett who had resigned as a trustee
of the hall. In retrospect we should
have contacted you personally but were given to understand that David
Braund-Phillips was acting as event co-ordinator.
Hall Charges: According to our September 2013
hall minutes you were made aware that the charges for your next event in 2014
would not be discounted and would be charged at the going rate, as we cannot be
seen to give preferential rates and need to adhere to the charges as set out.
·
The
charging rate for this year was to be £270, (£216 in 2013) – a £54 increase.
·
The
rate given for camping £10 per unit per
weekend. (This includes full use of
shower/WC facilities within the hall and kitchen use for refreshments).
·
The
kitchen rate to any user is £15 per meal, and a extra charge for the usage of
the crockery cupboard if required or, £50 all day/night usage, ie £150 per your
weekend break. This kitchen rate is
universal, whether charity event, conference, wedding or party.
This kitchen charge covers use
of oil, gas and electricity as well as all kitchen equipment, ie, ovens,
fridge, freezer, dishwasher, electric water urn and at that rate gives the user
opportunity to use these items all day.
Plus of course kettles/toaster, microwave, crockery, cutlery and
utensils etc.
I am sure you will appreciate
the costing involved in our kitchen set up, and the running costs
involved. We do try to keep our charges
fair and they are well below the charges in other similar local facilities.
We may have given the impression
that the kitchen charge was because the Small School
was not a local charity but in fact this is not so, and even if, Woolsery School, for example, were to have
booked this type of event the charge would stand.
The hall has over the years been
absorbing the cost for the gas usage due to the fact that WE, also
support the hard working ladies and their groups that use the hall on a weekly
basis over your weekend. We feel that it
would be inappropriate to do the same for a group that has no connection with
the hall nor does any fund raising to help with the upkeep. I’m sure you can
see where we are coming from. We do feel that any responsible caterer one hires
in would realise that fees would be payable for service items used and, profits
made would be after this cost; we are sure from past experience that they would
still make a substantial profit for good causes.
We have also in the past, as you
know, been more than obliging with regard to providing specialist lighting and
sound systems which are expensive to purchase.
Our voluntary staff has also been very lenient as regard the opening and
closing hours of the social club and hall which has opened very early in the
day and has remained open until the early hours of the morning to accommodate
your guests.
Apart from all this, it has been
a pleasure to accommodate your community weekend in the past and we have been
much troubled by the unfair comments by the followers on your blog &
facebook without having the opportunity to answer said comments.
We would like to, despite this
unfortunate misunderstanding, wish you and your followers a pleasant weekend
and trust that the 2014 Weird Weekend in Hartland will be a profitable and
successful affair. Please note that
despite this unfortunate occurrence as a gesture of goodwill the hall would be
willing to consider host venue accommodation in the future if you have any
problems in this regard.
Lastly we would be obliged for
this letter to be posted onto your website so that all can read the
reasoning behind why all this has been raised/aired and for us not to be posted
as a village Hall committee that is without a heart.
Kind
regards,
Trustees
of Committee Woolfardisworthy Community Hall
What has Corinna's column of fortean bird news got to do with Cryptozoology?
.JPG)
