History
A village hall is more than a meeting place – it’s the centre of a community where a world of different things happen.
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The Rooms performs that role in the heart of Penrith’s historic market town. Built in 1894 from local red sandstone the building formerly known as St Andrew’s Rooms, was the idea of the Rev T P Monnington.
A few years after being built, it was realised that the church could not maintain the upkeep of the building, so in 1903 a Charitable Trust was set up that made the rooms totally independent of the church.
There were 8 individuals appointed to the board of trustees. Their role was defined by the Charity Commission as to serve on the governing body of the charity, have and accept ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it was set up
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After 1903 the rooms were still very much part of church life but the local community began to use them much more. One notable use was during the First World War, when they became a hospital for men that had been injured in the war. Upstairs the main hall was used as a ward for 20 patients with the adjoining room being used for operations, whilst downstairs there was a day room and administrative offices.
The rooms remained largely untouched until the approach of the 100th anniversary of their being built. They were then renovated and reopened as the new Parish Centre. At that time St Andrew’s Church rented part of the building and installed a coffee shop to serve a full range of home cooked food and a wide range of drinks prepared by professional cooks and served by volunteers as part of its outreach in the community. It was opened on the 1st September 1993 by the Bishop of Carlisle. The coffee shop was a tremendous asset for the rooms providing a warm and friendly atmosphere much valued by locals and visitors to the town alike. It was a welcome port of call after a session of yoga or pilates, or as the provider of refreshments to the many meetings and training events that take place in the centre.
Although much has been done to improve the facilities over the past few years much still needs to be done. The building running costs can be covered with the room hiring fees but to finance major improvements we needed to attract grants. When a Lottery bid to refurbish the rooms failed in 2000, one of the reasons given was insufficient community involvement. In 2004 deeds were altered to allow a wider participation in the management. Penrith Parish Centre Ltd was formed with directors representing various users of the Rooms. It is hoped that this will place the Centre in a better position for attracting much needed grants.
In June 2011 we had an official opening of a new toilet facility. This was kindly performed by Councillor Patricia Bell, who has given us much encouragement and support over the last few years. The work is ongoing and plans are in had to become more energy efficient. A new heating system was installed in Summer 2012 and this will be followed by fitting new double glazed windows as soon as the funds become available. Future projects include re-slating the roof and installing voltaic panels.
The Directors are determined to work hard to ensure that the facilities of the Rooms are preserved for the community of Penrith and the wider population for many years to come.
* from ‘Devon – The Place To Be.’