THE manager of Mapplewell & Staincross Village Hall has announced that he is to leave at the end of the year.
This follows two years of major improvements to the hall that included a £205,000 investment by the National Lottery Community Fund in 2023 and the recent £350,000 refurbishment as part of the Principal Towns funding carried out earlier this year.
Nick Hibberd is to be replaced by local entrepreneur, Gez Morrall, who will officially take over the role of Village Hall Manager on January 1, 2025.
Nick said: “I have enjoyed working at the Mapplewell & Staincross Village Hall for the last seven years as it has been a challenge, what with the pandemic as well as planning, bidding and overseeing two major refurbishments. But I feel that in this time, with the unanimous support of the Trustees, we have achieved much more than that, making the Village Hall a real hub of the community.
“But, I am also a firm believer that all businesses and charities can only thrive with the introduction of new people. They will bring a fresh drive and enthusiasm to the charity that will take it to the next level. Gez has the vision and skills to do just that,” he added.
There were overt 20 applicants for the role which was advertised in July online, which were finally short listed down to four potential candidates.
The new village hall manager, Gez Morrall, said: “I don’t believe in coincidences but this opportunity came along just at the right time for me. My own business was based at the Village Hall since 2022 and I have worked alongside Nick both as a volunteer and as a colleague with the Darton East Ward Alliance."
“My plan is to continue to build on what we’ve got inside, but look at working with the likes of Berneslai Homes, the Northern College and other contacts to help develop the outside of the hall to enable it to become a community garden as well as becoming a horticultural training area,” he added.
There is to be a three-month transition period where to ensure continuity, as well as using some of the time for documents of historical interest to be digitised and then archived for future reference.
