Today it is an important community resource. It is widely used as a performance venue for poets, singers and actors; and for meetings and workshops. People gather there to celebrate special birthdays or mourn someone’s passing. The Aikido Dojo has trained there for the past 12 years.

Loved though it is, the building badly needs repair and improvement. The toilets, in particular, need replacing; the gutters need repair; and numerous leaks and such-like need fixing. As costs are beyond the capacity of the local parish, grants have already been applied for with the hope of getting restoration under way.

Recognising local commitment, the Parish Council believes now is the time to seek greater community involvement in the hall’s future. On advice from the Diocese, the Braidwood Anglican Hall Community Trust has been established.

The Trust will be set up under a formal trust deed developed by the Diocesan legal team. The Trust’s board will be responsible for on-going management of the hall. Most importantly, board members will be appointed from the local community. There will be a parish representative on the board, but the set-up will ensure the wider Braidwood community, not just the parish, will run the hall.

Archdeacon John Barnes, the Parish Council chair, said the Anglican Hall was part of Braidwood’s heritage. “We hope by setting up the Trust the community can be involved in ensuring the hall serves Braidwood for years to come.”