3rd February 2024
Siân Berry, Green MP candidate for Brighton Pavilion, has shown her support for Patcham Memorial Hall and all community spaces through attendance this morning of the centenary celebrations for the hall.
Today, Saturday the 3rd of February, Siân joined local residents of Patcham to celebrate the hall’s opening 100 years prior, on the 2nd of February 1924.
Patcham Memorial Hall was opened by Colonel Campion, then MP for Lewes, after the local community raised £750 to build it. What was a great example of local fundraising efforts then, remains a vital part of the Patcham Community today.
Siân Berry says:
“My grandparents lived in Patcham in the 1960s and I can only imagine what they’d think if they knew one of their grandchildren would be here today cutting cake on the occasion of the hall’s centenary. It’s one reason why I am delighted to be here to celebrate this hall and what it means.
“But I also feel these spaces shouldn’t just be celebrated, they should be guarded. There are community groups and charitable organisations crying out for somewhere like this and it’s both fantastic that Patcham has this building, as well as reassuring that so many people rightly see this for the asset it is. There’s no doubt why it’s still going strong and will be a loved community space a hundred years from now.”
Siân said in her speech that Patcham Memorial Hall is at the heart of the Patcham community, and that we must celebrate and safeguard this space that has continued to bring people together for 100 years. She concluded by congratulating its trustees and adding best wishes for another century of being at the heart of the community as she cut the Hall’s 100th birthday cake.
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Notes to editor
- The hall hosts a range of yoga and other exercise classes, the Women’s Institute, as Patcham was one of the WI’s first chapters in England. As well as the U3A (University of the Third Age) who actively use the hall weekly, alongside dance groups from Scottish Dance, French Dance to Jive Devotees. In addition, the Patcham community’s local residents utilise the space to celebrate their lives: from weddings and christenings to children’s birthday parties, Patcham Memorial Hall has been bringing people together for 100 years.