To all users of Forncett Village Hall – August 2016

Written by Brian Frith.

Update (December 16):

Most of the improvements mentioned below are now complete - just some work on the car park is still to come.  New floor, chairs, cooker, electrical systems, outside lights, railings and gates all serve to improve the appearance and functionality of the Hall.  Thanks to everyone who has helped in any way!

Original Article (August 16):

As you will be probably be aware, we have just had new floor covering installed in the Village Hall, and in the coming few weeks there will be new chairs, upgraded electrics and a new, larger, cooker and hob. Outside we will also be ‘re-grading’ the surface of the car park and installing railings around much of the edge of the car park, along with improved lighting. These changes follow the works a couple of years ago, which saw the arrival of new doors, windows, fascia, guttering, septic tank, lights and internal and external painting.

All these improvements are possible because of the hard work, over several years, of the Management Committee and fundraising group at the Village Hall, which has generated funds through special events and secured grants from National Lottery, South Norfolk Council and other grant providers, along with monies held by Forncett Parish Council - and, of course, the support of our users and the wider community.

The main purpose of this letter is to draw your attention to, and seek your cooperation with, the guidelines for use of the flooring, which have been passed on by the manufacturers and installers.

The floor is commercial quality vinyl sheet, meeting all the latest ‘non-slip’ regulations. It is very durable and has put an end to the inherently dusty surface of the old plywood sheets, but we need all users to follow these few guidelines:

• Do not drag items across the floor – lift them! The possibility of a deep ‘gouge’ caused by dragging a sharp, heavy, object is the main problem we have been warned about, as it would be with any new surface.
• Do not allow any cleaning chemicals / polishes to get on the floor.
• Any spillages (e.g. a drink) should be mopped up as quickly as possible and the floor wiped (not flooded!) with clean water, with perhaps just a trace of ‘Fairy Liquid’ if there is any ‘stickiness’ to be removed. If you do have a ‘terrible accident’ (e.g. with a pot of paint!) please let us know without delay so that we can take professional advice on how to clean up.
• Sand should not be used in the Hall, as this is especially difficult to remove and will quickly damage the surface.
• Footwear likely to damage the floor should not be worn.
• At the end of your use of the Hall sweep the floor with the large brush or ‘scissor mop’ to remove dust, grit etc.
• We have new chairs arriving in September, which will have ‘safe’ feet. In the meantime, the chairs currently in the chair store have all been checked and have protectors fitted so are safe to use. If you notice that a chair leg loses its ‘foot’ please take the chair out of service and label it as such. If you bring any other tables or chairs they must be checked for sharp, open, tubular legs and set aside if there is a problem.

Thank you.

If you have any queries or observations about the contents of this letter or any other aspect of the Village Hall, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Brian Frith, Chair of Forncett Village Hall Management Committee
01953 789882 email: