Village Halls: St Dogmaels
Neuadd Goffa Llandudoch is St Dogmaels community centre, managed by a team of seven.
Jo Jackman explained to me that the hall is funded by bequests and whatever revenue the hall can generate from bookings.
“We have had two very generous bequests over the last few years which were earmarked for capital projects. One renovated a room that had been used as a creche using local labour. It is a huge improvement and now has a small kitchen area, sink, worktop and fridge. It is accessed from a door behind the stage and is popular for children’s parties and is also used as a ‘green room’ for performances.”
The hall was built in 1951 with funds raised by the community in memory of those who died in the First World War. Building work was undertaken by volunteers. It has undergone refurbishments since. The hall has its own accessible entrance via a ramp at the side and is also accessible from the front. There is adequate parking, and the venue boast two sets of toilets, including separate male and female showers .
It’s a large hall, licensed for 250, with a full stage. The stage is used by a Welsh-speaking drama group for rehearsals and is also used for comedy nights and for bands and other events. It is fully equipped with an up-to-date sound system. There is an additional meeting room that sits 25 to 30 and has a projector. The building is heated with gas central heating and doesn’t suffer some of the problems of other older halls of being bitterly cold in winter.
Jo showed me the kitchen which is full-sized and very well equipped, with everything anyone could need, including a full-sized dish washer. It would be an ideal kitchen for a pop up-café or restaurant, or cookery groups.
“We have a lot of things going on here like Pilates, bowling, badmington and meetings, including council meetings. There are also regular childrens activities but we would like to see the hall used more. We have two rates for hiring, commercial and community, and those rates are very reasonable. We can get an alcohol licence at short notice if it is required.”
Some of the recent activities have been stone-painting sessions and craft groups, which always prove popular.
I asked Jo what plans the hall has for the future.
“We are about to undertake some redecoration work. It’s a large space and, although it is popular with the community, we run at a loss. We would like to see more use made of the facilities and have some ideas, but we ideally need more committee members. Please tell people we would love to meet anyone who would like to be more involved in the running of the centre.”
How should people make contact if they are interested in hiring or in becoming involved in the running of the hall?
Website: www.st-dogmaels.co.uk
Phone: 01239 615298
Or visit the St Dogmaels Hall Facebook page.
