History
The current Arkholme Village Hall replaced the historic hall just after the turn of the Millennium. The village hall had a long and lively history at its previous site on the village crossroads, but could not be easily modernised. In the late 1990s this prompted a major community project led by a group of local residents to build a modern replacement.
The new Arkholme Village Hall was designed by Paul Duckett of architects, Mason Gillibrand. Building the new hall involved a significant fund raising drive with a major National Lottery grant complemented by funds from the SRB (Single Regeneration Budget); RDP (Rural Development Programme); and the LEF (Lancashire Environmental Fund), as well as many local donors.
Ground was broken on July 19, 2001 by the Rev Dr Gary Bowness, the Arkholme parish vicar at the time. Although delayed by the foot-and-mouth epidemic, which caused many farming communities severe hardship in 2001/2, the main building work was completed by Fred Hall & Son, based in the neighbouring village of Whittington.
The new Village Hall was officially opened by the then MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, Geraldine Smith, and within months had won a Lancaster City Council Design Award. Recognising its importance to the community the hall was nominated for and won the prestigious RICS Community Benefit Award in 2005.
Arkholme Village Hall has been serving the village and surrounding communities since 2002 and continues to host a range of local events and regular community activities, while also continuing to be a popular venue for private parties and weddings.