Massey's Folly - What happens now?

RESIGNATIONS AT THE FOLLY - Updated 4th April 2007

Repercussions of the recent acrimonious meeting of the Village Hall Management Committee at the Royal Oak continue with the resignation of Chairman (or Chair if you are feeling politically correct) Donna Corbin from the Committee of Trustees of the Farringdon Village Hall Charity

In her letter of resignation Donna states that " ...I have reached the conclusion that it is impossible for me to continue in my role as the duly elected Chair following the events of the last two months.."

No one can dispute the initial commitment Donna gave to the project and her success in bringing the plight of the Folly to a wider audience via the "Restoration Village" programme and setting up the new Committee of Trustees provided a focus for those who wished to see the Folly preserved as a centre for social activities in Farringdon.

The projected plans for refurbishment included most of the features that the majority of residents felt a viable Village Hall required and the inclusion of a few exotic extras was accepted as necessary window dressing for the Restoration Village project.

More recently, there have been differences of opinion within the Committee on the the direction the project was taking and the lack of public consultation which came to a head at the Royal Oak meeting last month. (Thanks for the graphic, but sadly unpublishable, report of the meeting received by email this morning)

So what happens now? The Committee will be meeting within the next few days but under the constitution of there will have to be an Annual or Extraordinary General meeting to elect the new officers to fill the vacancies.

Hopefully these problems can be resolved in the near future and the Committee will be able to concentrate their efforts on preserving and restoring the building for the residents of Farringdon and no doubt Massey's Folly will be one of the subjects under discussion at the Annual Village Meeting on the 12th April.

The recent promise of cash support from East Hampshire District Council will be welcome but there will have to be some serious fund raising to if the Village Hall is to reopen in the near future.

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