Here is a message from the Acting Chair /Admin of Camber Memorial Hall:
Over the last month, we have had two resignations from the current Trustees and committee. We much appreciate the efforts and assistance that Mark Bristow and Louisa Simmons have put into the running of the Hall and we give thanks to both for their stalwart efforts over the period they were on seat. We also lost another key member of the committee.
Sadly, one of our long-standing Trustees, John Parsons, passed away at the end of August. We send our condolences to John’s family and friends, and acknowledge with thanks the amount of time and dedication John put in during his tenure as Chair and, subsequently, Trustee.
Unfortunately for committee, both these resignations were from key positions within the management and running of the Memorial Hall. As such, the future of the Memorial Hall and its continuance is somewhat in dire straits, once more.
To this end, we have taken a look at the way the hall could be run in a way that is not detrimental to the voluntary team in continuing to manage the venue. Hence, we are looking at the following in our quest to keep the Memorial Hall going.
We currently have a list of volunteers from a request, back in May 2025, for additional (and essential) help. We are grateful to those who came forward. With this in mind, and in addition to those Trustees, existing volunteers and existing committee members, we are looking to create a ‘Camber Memorial Hall Team‘ of local community residents.
The team would have shared responsibilities for breaking down and targeting different aspects pertaining to the running of the hall. In this way, the shared responsibility would be based on, and best resolved by, a month-at-a-time rotation of designated persons.
In this way, each person on seat, (as nominated in the rota), gets the support and back-up of their rotating partner/s, thus giving each team member a break from the continuous responsibility of a particular volunteer position.
All participating team volunteers will be part of the Memorial Hall’s committee and, as such, have the right to attend all committee meetings (normally held 6 times a year). Members will be able to have input on any findings or improvements in the managing of the hall. It will also benefit in building a good Camber Memorial Hall Team community spirit.
The following designated positions and an outline of their relevant job scopes (so volunteers have an idea as to what is involved) are deemed essential to running Camber Memorial Hall. Every position is as important as any other, and all are open to ‘job-sharing’, so if you feel you can fulfil one part of a role but maybe not all of it, please do get in touch.
Admin / Chair Person
- To review daily email messages and respond accordingly, filing away within the Website system those of operational interest
- To monitor Hall phone messages and respond accordingly
- To monitor CCTV in respect of any incident
- To manage the team of rostered volunteers to ensure that the hall operation is running as per expectation, being adequately maintained, and in a good hireable condition
- To organise meeting dates, formulate and send out meeting agenda, ensuring committee members opinions and suggestions are input ready for discussion and chair each committee meeting
- To gather minutes of meetings and ensure these records are input on the latest Camber Memorial Hall website (new website currently being designed) – so as to maintain a record for Charity Commission annual submission along with the annual accounts of the Camber Memorial Hall Charity
- To ensure contractor quotes / invoices for maintenance and improvements are submitted to the committee for review and approval prior to request for the Treasurer to submit a payment
- To generally monitor that Camber Memorial Hall is up to standard and is being operated in and for the interests of the Camber community
- To maintain the key-box code numbers and ensure responsible hirers are aware of key-box code changes as well as monitoring of essential hall key cupboards
- To liaise with the whole team, ensuring everyone is aware of any day-to-day developments
- To remain aware and up-to-date on all financial accounts relating to the hall
Bookings Secretary
- To take and monitor the bookings
- To send out relevant documentation for perusal by potential hirers and obtain hirer signature on hire agreement form
- To ensure entry in the bookings calendar (relevantly colour coded) and, in liaison with the Treasurer, to ensure that paid-for bookings are shown as such (colour coded to reflect this) in the booking calendar
- To ensure that the Meet and Greet personnel are fully aware of expected hirers opening times and closing times for them to enable Meet & Greet
Funding Organiser
- This position can be shared but would normally be one person with this designated responsibility
- To source funding for the Memorial Hall via organisations such as Rother District Council, The National Lottery, local charities, and other funding opportunities, etc.
- To obtain the correct documentation to enable applications
For this role, there is no target to achieve, it just requires determination to source funding outlets , discuss any such findings with the committee and help apply if thought suitable.
Events / Media Organiser
- To search out and advise on any events that could be of interest for potential hirers
- To look at the potential of finding local residents who may be interested in organising or running special events at the hall (for example, darts, pool, table tennis or games / card playing nights, wedding receptions, birthday parties etc.
- To be responsible for the hall advertising, and notice boards affixed to the exterior walls to ensure these are continuously updated and pertaining to local businesses and events
Maintenance Supervisors
- To ensure maintenance is kept in check – heating, painting, building condition – internal and external
- To ensure winter heating system is in operation and monitoring oil tank refills when necessary
- To arrange quotes, preferably from local contractors, submitting quote options to the committee for approval and overseeing the works to ensure the hall is kept in as pristine and safe condition as possible
Hall Exterior Area Environment Persons
- To undertake gardening, clearing and maintaining, cut back bushes around hall and car park
- To install / remove car park entrance locked chain Camber ‘Red’ days
Hall Interior Cleaners
- To monitor and ensure interior is up to expectations and ready for hire and report back to maintenance supervisor any findings needing repair
Meet and Greet Personnel
- To open the hall to non-repeat hirers as confirmed by booking secretary
- To show hirers around the hall and its facilities, re-emphasise rules and regulations, and point out safety exits, fire extinguishers, kitchen utensils, etc.
- To ensure, after hire, the hall has been cleaned by hirer and everything is back in order, including rubbish, etc., and ensure lights are off and the hall is locked up
- To report to the Treasurer / Acting Admin / Chairperson the result, for the return of deposit – or not – as the case may be
With the above in mind and the positions and job scopes detailed as shown, we would like all existing community volunteers and any new community volunteers to contact us detailing the position you definitely feel you can be part of and assist with, so that we can potentially formulate a rota fit for purpose.
Our email address is enquiries@cambermemorialhall.org, you can send us a message via Camber Community Newsletter cambernews@hotmail.com, or speak to any existing Memorial Hall team member, who will pass your details to the committee.
Thanking you in advance of your help!
Acting Chair/Admin
