CALSTOCK Hall that has been the centre of the village for over 30 years and a resource that is run by the community for the community.

Calstock Hall is a busy hall nestled in the Tamar Valley that offers a range of activities throughout the week that serve many in the community. The Tamar Valley Pre-School is run from the hall most weekdays and there are other activities through the week including: ballet, short mat bowls, Tai Chi, yoga, pilates, belly dancing and all sorts of other activities and events. The hall is busy at weekends with private parties and wedding bookings and the venue is also host to some vibrant music events.

Matt Taylor, Calstock Hall administrator said: ‘Since lockdown the village hall has quickly bounced back and is now busier than before lockdown. I think this is a reflection of the communities need to reconnect and make the most of what is on offer. It does feel like people have recognised the need for community through the experience of having that taken away and the vibrancy of the hall at present is a reflection of that.’

However, Matt also spoke of the struggles facing village halls due to the current cost of living crisis.

‘The present cost of living crisis has hit the hall hard as well pushing up our running costs by 40% in the last 6 months. I know many halls are facing closure siting financial pressure as the main reason and this is something that we are very aware of and spend a lot of time ensuring that the hall is run effectively and on a good business model to ensure that we can fund all our running costs plus plan for maintenance and future up grades. We have a great committee who take the running of the hall very seriously and want to make sure that the hall is in good shape to serve the community for many years into the future.’

The next event at the hall will be a night of funk as Freshly Squeezed will be performing on Saturday, February 25.