Chairman

Mr. Marcus Hill MBE FRICS

Marcus is a retired Chartered Surveyor. In 1971, in his own village of Staining he became a founding member of a charitable fund raising association that aspired to one day being able to build a Village Hall. Though his village did not have a hall, he started attending Lancashire Village Halls Meetings in the mid 1970’s . gleaning much knowledge from those meetings and the halls that hosted them, which he put to good use when he designed the hall for Staining.

In 1997 on information from Lorraine Wilson who was the main speaker at the AGM of this Association, he applied for and was successful in obtaining a grant of £300.000 from the National Lottery Charities Board, towards the building of Staining Village Hall. He then completed the working drawings and wrote the specification to obtain tenders, all of which were within the budget. The contractor commenced work on site in April 1998 and the Hall was opened by the Rt. Hon Michael Jack MP in April 1999.

Marcus joined the Executive Committee of this association in 1996, from 2001 to 2009. He has served as Vice Chairman initially to the late Steve Gaunt and more recently to Audrey Weatherill. Early in 2010 he was elected to the position of Chairman. In the year 2000 he was awarded the MBE for services to the community of Staining in Lancashire.

Secretary

Mrs. Audrey Weatherill

Audrey has been a member of Barley Village Hall Committee for many years and organises all the bookings for the Hall. She was County Chairman of the Lancashire Federation of Women's Institutes for four years and I joined the LAVCH committee after finishing her term of office with the WI.

After many years of part time employment whilst bringing up her family she trained as a tour guide at Lancaster University and now continues as a voluntary guide at Houghton Tower.

As a result of her involvement with Barley Village Hall she assists in many local activities in the village.

She is the Immediate past Chairman of the LAVCH, and has been a leading light in organising many educational courses for trustees of our member halls.

Treasurer

Mr Harry Robinson MBE JP C.ENG

Harry has been the Hon. Secretary, Treasurer and Booking Secretary for the Freckleton Village Memorial Hall Charity since 1974. He has also been associated with the Community Council of Lancashire now Community Futures since 1974. Serving as a magistrate on the Fylde bench, he was chairman of the bench for 5 years , Chairman of the licensing committee for 16 years and a vice chairman of the juvenile panel.

As a Parish Councilor for 26 years he was chairman of the finance committee for 15 years He also served on the following :- Chairman Freckleton Old Peoples Welfare Committee 25 years Secretary Welding Institute Northwestern Branch 20 years For services to the community in Freckleton he was awarded an MBE.

Mr. Peter Benson

Peter has been on the committee of Lancashire Village Halls since 1973, serving as Vice Chairman for quite a number of years.

He has lived in Warton all his life and has been involved in village activities since he was at school, when he operated the lights for the Drama Group.

In 1955 the Men’s Institute, which is now known as the Village Hall, ran into financial problems and other groups joined together to use the Hall. These groups elected a Management Committee, to run the Hall, Peter being one of that committee.

He was elected treasurer in 1969 and has held that position ever since. He also eventually became booking secretary and looks after the Hall on a day to day basis, and playing a major roll in the committee running the Best Kept Village Awards for Lancashire.

Mrs. Ann Case

Mrs. Jacqueline Gaunt

Jaquie has been:

Mr. Geoff Forrest

30 Broadlands Drive, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth Lancaster, LA5 8VH
Tel:  01524 824346  

Mr. John Willis

John is a retired Chemical Engineer and ex round tabler, he has lived in Mawdesley for over fifteen years. During that time he helped produce both the Mawdesley Parish Plan and Village Design Statement and has been involved in other Village activities. With his wife (now Vice Chairman), he has been a Trustee of Mawdesley Village Hall for the past five years with responsibilities associated with maintaining, improving and financing the Hall’s "house and grounds."

Some 18 months ago he was elected to the executive committee of the LAVCH and believes strongly in the importance of using the Association to communicate with, as well as provide services, to its members.