About the Riding Mill Village Hall's

Riding Mill Village Hall is a new CIO registered charity set up 9th Nov 2020 (New Charity number: 1192248) which took over from the older charity, (Old Charity number: 501316 started 14 January 1972) and whose purpose is the provision and maintenance of two village halls (the Parish Hall and Millennium Hall) for the benefit of the inhabitants of Riding Mill and Broomhaugh. Both halls host a vibrant community full of many and varied regular activities, Monday and Friday coffee mornings and one-off functions including parties and weddings.

The Parish Hall was built in 1926 with funds raised by public subscription. The Church of England supplied the balance necessary to make the purchase and the hall was built on the old Butts Green on Millfield Road. The owners continue to be the Newcastle Diocesan Society and the Parochial Church Council who leased the building and grounds to the charity on a long lease with a ‘peppercorn’ rent. The building has been extensively extended and renovated in recent years. A foyer was built to the front, which now accommodates the very popular ‘cafe at the foyer’ on Monday and Friday mornings. Sizeable storage areas were built to the side of the hall to house equipment. The kitchen was completely refitted in 2018. Also in that year, a garage was built to provide additional storage space, and what is now the Peace Garden landscaped and re-turfed to the rear of the hall.

The former reading room was gifted by Sir Percy Loraine of Styford in 1948 to trustees for the benefit of the village. Built at the turn of the last century, the reading room has been over the years a local library and games room, a YMCA for troops during WW2, a hall for local dances, a dinner hall for the school, and a youth centre.

At the turn of this century, funds were raised to erect an entirely new building, the Millennium Hall, on the site of the old reading room which was demolished.

Up to 2018, the Millennium Hall housed the Riding Mill pre-school, until this organisation moved to the grounds of the First School. The Parish Council is the custodian trustee.

The management and maintenance of both halls and grounds are mainly provided for by unpaid volunteers.

The charity comprises of trustees who also act in a voluntary capacity for the charity. Regular clubs which are primarily Riding Mill based, may affiliate to the hall's for which they receive special hire rates. Affiliated clubs promise to fund raise on behalf of the charity.

The halls are not publicly funded. Their income consists solely from their hire together with fundraising grants and events.

As a charity, we wish to extend our very grateful thanks to all organisations and individuals who have provided financial support to the charity over the years and made possible its many improvements for this valued village hub. And also our heartfelt gratitude to all past and present volunteers; you make a village into a community!

​