Village Halls Week Spotlight – Frome Valley

Historic West Stafford is situated east of Dorchester and has important literary connections.

It was setting for part of Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Tess or the D’Urbevilles’, during the period when Tess works at the Talbothays Dairy.

The village contains the popular Wise Man Inn, and St Andrew’s Church which dates back to the 15th century. The River Winterbourne runs beside the village and something which also flows here is culture.

West Stafford’s lovely Grade II listed village hall was originally used as a school in 1846. Today it is a thriving community hub.

NRTF spoke to Jacquie Walton who has been volunteered for Artsreach for more than a decade.

Tell us who you are and what you do?

I’ve been a volunteer for Artsreach for over 12 years and within my village community for over 20. It is very rewarding.

We are a rural village with our Victorian Village Hall the heart of the community, it brings people together providing, and also keeping, the community alive.

What kinds of events do you put on?

The Village Hall really is a hub to experience new things especially the brilliant Artsreach events. There are also many village clubs and activities and village celebrations here.

Tell us more about the Artsreach shows you have?

Artsreach is an amazing charity and is a privilege to be able to support their incredible work. We have a mix of audiences with 85% from our local area.

We have had the pleasure of hosting theatre companies, lots of different music, comedy, and more recently an award-winning poet.

The quality of the artists is of the highest calibre and tickets are made affordable for all.

What is the volunteer team like?

They are brilliant! We are a team of four and it runs very smoothly – most of the time.

The community and indeed Artsreach could not survive without the amazing volunteers who support the upkeep and also the events that are hosted here in West Stafford.

It does give a sense of pride in your community to see the impact that it has and the joy when it is experienced.

One of our volunteers said: “My practical skills are put to good use. I like to provide opportunities for village residents to enjoy performances in their own community and Artsreach is a way to see brilliant performances on our own doorstep.”