Help us reach our fundraising goal! ​​

 

Hall Redevelopment Project Update

Many thanks for your support for the Hall Redevelopment Project. As we start what will be a critical year for the project, this is just to bring you up to date.

 

The Hall had a busy December. The Events Team ran several successful events, the Property Team completed the detailed design phase of the Redevelopment Project, and the Fundraising Team submitted the application for Community Infrastructure Levy (‘CIL’) funding to Waverley Borough Council by the 22 December 2025 deadline.  

 

The good news is that the detailed design is now complete and provides a basis for seeking tenders from four local builders this month. Additionally, the Bernard Sunley Foundation recently gave us a grant of £15,000. 

 
The detailed design phase is the chance to work through all of the design and engineering issues and it is common, as in our case, for this to result in cost increases. But there are good reasons for this: the drainage survey shows that we need to replace drains that we had not expected; the water table is high and this means we need deeper foundations; we have opted for air source heat pumps which have a higher initial cost than the alternatives but are better

environmentally and will be cheaper on running costs than the alternatives; labour and material costs have risen.

 

As a result, the cost estimate based on the latest report from our Quantity Surveyor has increased by £191,000. The Management Committee discussed this on 17 December 2025 and agreed that it is prudent to make an additional contingency of £50,000 given the uncertainties revealed during the detailed design, thereby taking the total costs to £1.782m.

 

Even with this increase our project remains good value for money using the metrics (comparing the costs and benefits) that Surrey County Council applied to our successful Your Fund bid. 

 

In view of the above, we have increased our CIL application to £360,000, which, if successful, would cover the balance that we now need to fully fund the project. This represents the £241,000 increase identified above plus the current outstanding funding shortfall of £119,000. We think we have a well-argued case and should pass Waverley's eligibility criteria. We understand that they have about £14m to allocate and have previously offered £650,000 to a similar

project in Rowledge. We have good supporting letters from our MP and

Councillors. It is a competition, and decisions are due to be made in March 2026. We will continue to look for other options, but CIL is definitely the best available for the amount we need. 

 

The next three months will be crucial for the project. We will keep you informed of news as and when there is some. Lots of donors, including some of the bigger institutional donors, have said they would pay in when the project is fully funded and they are sure the project will go ahead. We very much hope to be able to declare the project fully funded in the spring so that work can start around 1 July 2026. 

We do now need more than we thought and so are considering the alternatives if we do not get the full amount from CIL. If you have ideas or can offer more help, or know people who might, then please contact Jon Watson: chair@arbuthnothall.org or Jim Drummond: jim.drummond2000@gmail.com.

 

The Management Committee would like to thank everyone for their support. Our community has really pulled together in many ways, and we are immensely grateful.

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'Buy a Brick', Build a Legacy​

The Shamley Green Village Hall 'Buy-a-Brick' Campaign has launched!

In 2025 bricks are the perfect Christmas, birthday or anniversary gift, a lasting way to remember a loved one. Donating a brick creates a real legacy in the heart of Shamley Green and shows your support for the Arbuthnot Hall redevelopment. 

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Donating a brick ensures your name is registered and displayed in the Hall. Every gift makes you a Friend of Arbuthnot Hall (except for donors who’d like to remain anonymous). Please follow the link to find out further details. 

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Hit the link Donate to Support Shamley Green Village Hall redevelopment Buy-a-Brick and click to gift £50 to 'Buy-a-Brick' ensuring you send a message if you would like a different name displayed as the lucky brick’s recipient on our register. Of course please donate whatever you would like, but for this particular campaign we’ll register brick donations in multiples of £50. See the Hall’s website for T&Cs.

 

But perhaps you’re thinking bigger than a brick or two? If you’d like to adopt an area of the hall for a more sizeable donation the Chair would love to discuss what might be possible, please contact Jon Watson at: chair@arbuthnothall.org

 

Spread the word by spreading the link to your friends and contacts. Thank you for supporting the 'Buy-a-Brick' Campaign for the Arbuthnot Hall redevelopment.

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More Donations

We know that more people in the village are considering making a pledge of support. We still need you. And if you would like to leave the Hall a bequest, as some kind people have done, we would be very happy to talk to you. Please contact Jon Watson on chair@arbuthnothall.org

 

Trusts

We already have a generous pledge from the Wonersh Foundation and will apply next to the Bernard Sunley and Garfield Weston Foundations, both of which support community projects like ours.

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Friend of Arbuthnot Hall

Become a Friend of  Arbuthnot Hall. This is a scheme preferably for regular donations, which attract Gift Aid at 25% as the Hall is a registered charity.  Follow link for details including benefits . Since its launch in 2023, this scheme has raised over £30,000.​

Please contact our Secretary, Paulina Bayliss, by email: secretary@arbuthnothall.org for more information.

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Fundraising Events

The proceeds from some new and some previously planned events will contribute to the Hall Redevelopment Fund. These include:

Valentine Dance

Spring & Autumn Brocante Fairs

Quiz Nights

The Village Fete and Fun Dog Show (all 2025 proceeds to do to the Hall Redevelopment project)

Barn Dance

Sponsored walk

Bingo Night

Film Festival at Cranleigh Arts

Comedy night

Celebrity Cricket Match (most likely in 2026)

We aim to raise an additional £50,000 through these events. Please support our efforts by attending them and spreading the word.

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We need your help!

If you would like to join our Fundraising team or have ideas for fundraising please contact Jon Watson on chair@arbuthnothall.org.

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