MRS P J CALLARD, of Faulkner Close, Townstal, Dartmouth, writes:

In response to your recent article regarding Townstal Community Hall facing a crisis, as one of the original voluntary members of the Townstal Community Hall Association I am extremely upset to hear that the hall is failing to keep its head above water.

There are a number of discrepancies in this report but I do know that if one were not in at the beginning, one would not be aware of the true facts.

The Townstal Community Hall is not owned by South Hams Council but by TCHA.

The council did not give the land to TCHA, as promised, but changed it to a 130-year lease – after a succcessful National Lottery bid – at a peppercorn rent.

Before the hall was built, TCHA raised over £15,000 – three times the required contribution. Tor Homes, the Guinness Trust and Hadley Trust gave £10,000 each, with some local businesses and local residents contributing as well.

To keep the costs down, certain changes were made to save on costs.

The only monetary contribution from the council – in tandem with Tor Homes – was to employ a community worker.

Simon did a very good job but he wasn't only working for the hall.

Dartmouth Town Council put a charge on its contribution and virtually, through a support committee, took over the management of the hall once it was built, with the voluntary committee doing the work and a caretaker/cleaner was employed. All other positions were unpaid.

I was secretary/treasurer at the time and the chairman of the management committee felt that I should not be doing both jobs, so I gave up as secretary. He then advertised that position with an honorarium. He then decided he wanted to update the treasurer's position to be more technological, ie computer based with all the graphs etc.

Unfortunately I felt that I was not able to compete on that level, having only learnt my bookkeeping on the income/expenditure/balance method, which had worked very well and I passed it over leaving quite a good balance in the bank accounts.

The chairman, once again, proffered an honararium for the treasurer and also one for a booking clerk, something I had done automatically as secretary.

The chairman didn't really defer to the voluntary members at committee meetings, those who had really worked hard over many years to get the hall.

He felt they weren't capable to understand the running of the hall, so they formed a subcommittee to carry on fundraising but with the proviso that the money they raised would not go for running the hall only for extras. They felt the hall had to pay for itself through bookings, which were quite good at the time.

Although this sub-committee was still counted as members of the main committee, mainly to keep the numbers up, they lost heart and three years after the hall opened, three of them resigned.

TCHA does not have a recognised secretary – usually the hub of any organisation – only a minutes secretary, who does do a good job. I don't know who actually does the work of the secretary.

Once fair rates have been set for hiring the hall, they should be kept and no variations should occur whatsoever. All utilities are included such as use of kitchen and heating also set up of tables and chairs not always included in hiring other premises. The only users not having to pay are TCHA themselves when fundraising or for committee meetings.

Townstal has never had any affluent patronage nor full backing from any council, it has only had broken promises and interference when an objective has been achieved but not the responsibility that goes with it.

Over the last 30 years Townstal has been turned into a deprived area and, with allocations of properties going to many people from far and wide, it is very difficult to engender community spirit. Many of the incomers just don't want to know and some would rather be elsewhere.

TCHA must realise it is running a business and rectify its mistakes.