About us
Our
history
Cantley Village Hall charity was established in 1926 to manage the hall, following the gift of the land from Johannes Petrus van Rossum, the founder of the Cantley Sugar Factory. The hall was to be appropriated and used in perpetuity under the name of “Cantley Village Hall”, as a Reading Room and Club for the use of all persons residing in the village of Cantley, or within a radius of 6 miles.
The charity was registered in 1931 utilising an existing charity number for Limpenhoe Village Hall, from the same Parish. This was amended in 1997 when we registered with the Charity Commission with registration number 1085313. It was agreed then that the existing committee would become the "Management Trustees" and Cantley, Limpenhoe and Southwood Parish Council, the "Custodian Trustees".
The adjoining 0.4 hectares of playing field have been protected by Fields in Trust and their Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields Initiative since December 2012.
Cantley Village Hall today
We registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO|) on August 13th, 2024, with CIO registration number 1209574. This transition means we now have an independent legal identity that allows for improved legal protection of our Trustees, proportionate with the construction costs of our new village hall project.
The Parish Council stepped down from their role as Custodian Trustees and the previous Management Committee became the Trustee Board. We aim to close the old charity before 31st March 2026.
Today, the hall provides a space for groups to run regular activities and events. Our hall is available for hire at affordable rates, making it an attractive option for the community. We stand out for our practical and convenient options, making it easy for locals to organize and host events at our hall.
New development
We are currently fundraising for the development of a new village hall for all members of the community to enjoy. Benefits of the new, multipurpose building hope to include facilities to enable large gatherings, sports events, meeting rooms and consulting rooms to enable medical clinics to be run from the hall.