From Village School to Community Hub

A building at the heart of village life

Stixwould Village Hall has a story that reflects the spirit of a small Lincolnshire village: a place shaped by changing times, sustained by local determination and brought back to life through the commitment of its community.

Originally serving as the village school, the building has witnessed a considerable part of Stixwould history. Its earliest role was to provide a place of learning for local children. In later years, as its purpose changed, it became a place where the wider community could meet, share interests and maintain the traditions that help bring village life together.

Today, Stixwould Village Hall continues that tradition. Following a major programme of restoration, it has entered a new chapter as a welcoming community centre for Stixwould, Old Woodhall and the surrounding area.

From education to community life

The hall's origins as a village school are an important part of its identity. Long before the building became a venue for community activities, it played a role in the everyday lives of local families, providing a setting in which children learned and friendships were formed.

As village life changed and the building's educational role came to an end, the need for places where people could come together remained. The former school took on a new purpose, becoming a village hall and providing a valuable meeting place for residents.

Over the years, the hall has hosted a variety of activities and events, helping to bring people together across generations. These have included craft classes, coffee mornings, quizzes, the much-loved Harvest and Burns Suppers, as well as serving as a polling station for the local area.

Such activities have made the hall more than simply a building. It has become part of the social fabric of the village: somewhere to meet neighbours, share experiences, celebrate traditions and strengthen the sense of community.

A community determined to preserve its heritage

Keeping an historic village building in use is not always straightforward. Over time, the hall's condition deteriorated, and securing its future required sustained effort, fundraising and practical support from local people.

The restoration story stretches back to the 1980s, when work to secure the hall's future began. Across the decades that followed, residents and supporters contributed through fundraising events, volunteering and other efforts to keep the building available for community use.

Progress was not always easy. Questions surrounding ownership of the building and land, together with the work required to establish a charitable organisation and secure a long-term lease, presented significant challenges.

The commitment of the hall committee and the wider community nevertheless continued. Their efforts reflected a shared understanding that the building was worth preserving, not simply for its historic interest, but for the role it could continue to play in village life.

A major step forward came when the hall secured a 35-year lease from the Lincoln Diocesan Trust. This provided the foundation for further fundraising and grant applications, helping to unlock the support needed for a substantial restoration.

A new chapter: restoring the hall for future generations

The restoration project represented a major investment in the future of Stixwould Village Hall. With an award of £240,460 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project was able to undertake extensive work to the building.

The programme included repairs to the roof, floors and drainage, together with improvements to the interior and facilities. The result is a renewed space designed to be welcoming, practical and accessible, with an improved kitchen, toilet facilities and a community garden.

Importantly, the project was about more than repairing a building. It was also about reconnecting the village with its heritage and ensuring that the stories associated with Stixwould could be shared with future generations.

The hall officially reopened at a private ceremony on Saturday 17 May 2025. The occasion marked the culmination of years of work, patience and perseverance, and offered an opportunity to recognise the contribution of the many people who had helped bring the project to fruition.

Remembering one of Stixwould's remarkable residents

The heritage project has also helped bring attention to the life of Major Jim Almonds, a Stixwould resident whose remarkable wartime service forms an important part of the village's history.

Major Almonds was a founder member of the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1942 and received the Military Medal and Bar and the French Croix de Guerre. His wartime experiences have attracted wider interest, including through the BBC television series SAS: Rogue Heroes.

As part of the hall's heritage work, residents prepared an exhibition exploring his early life in Stixwould and his subsequent military career. A commemorative plaque was unveiled on 17 May 2025 by his daughter, Gloria, in the presence of members of the Almonds family.

This aspect of the project illustrates another important role for the village hall: preserving local memories and providing a place where the lives and achievements of people connected with Stixwould can be remembered and shared.

Looking to the future

Today, Stixwould Village Hall stands as a reminder of what a community can achieve when people work together towards a shared purpose.

Its journey from village school to community hall, and through years of fundraising and restoration to its renewed life today, is a story of continuity as much as change. The building's purpose has evolved, but its underlying value remains the same: providing a place for people to come together.

The restored hall offers opportunities for community meetings, classes, social activities and events, supported by the volunteers whose time and commitment remain essential to its success.

There is also an ongoing opportunity to build a record of the village's history. Photographs, school memories, recollections from former pupils, accounts from residents and records of past village events can all help fill in the details of the hall's earlier years.

We would welcome contributions from anyone who has memories, photographs or information about the former school and the hall's development. By collecting and sharing these stories, we can help ensure that this important part of Stixwould's heritage is not lost.

"From its beginnings as a place of learning to its role today as a centre for community life, Stixwould Village Hall belongs to the story of the village itself. Its restoration has secured not only a historic building, but also a place where new memories can be made for generations to come".