A new era for a much-loved Sutton Coldfield venue has commenced.
Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, which has been under Birmingham City Council stewardship since 1974, transferred ownership to a charitable trust at a well-attended and enthusiastic hand-over ceremony. Royal Sutton Coldfield Community Town Hall Trust will now assume responsibility for the building on behalf of the people of the Royal Town.
The transfer is essential for the Trust in order for it to raise the necessary funds for future development of the Edwardian theatre and community event space, which is expected to require in the region of £3-4 million. The Trust has been working closely with the City Council over the past two years to achieve a smooth transfer.
The Board of Trustees is made up of local volunteers passionate about arts and heritage. It has been overseeing the running of the new bookings and operational team since November 2016, which has successfully created a full programme of new shows and events at the venue, from Northern Soul dances to live bands. A newly refurbished bar, using money donated by the late Sir Doug Ellis, has completely refreshed the lounge area of the venue and has resulted in the number of private hires rising dramatically.
The ceremony was attended by local community leaders and users of the Town Hall. It opened with a medley of songs from ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ performed by the new Sutton Coldfield Musical Youth Theatre, which is based at the venue. The ceremony also included speeches from Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council and Richard Mason, Chairman of the Charity Trust, who accepted the keys from the Council leader. The proceedings were launched with a speech by local Member of Parliament, Andrew Mitchell, who is Honorary President of the Trust.
Guests were given a personal tour of the Town Hall’s feature exhibition by Birmingham micro-sculptor Dr Willard Wigan MBE, which launched on Monday and is on display until 26 April. The exhibition, titled ‘Through the Looking Glass’ contains 24 sculptures in microscopes, including a brand new Alice in Wonderland, smaller than a newspaper full stop, with eyes the size of blood cells. The Town Hall hopes to attract visitors of all ages over the Easter season and to raise awareness of forthcoming events and fundraising efforts.
The transfer has resulted in a reconstitution of the Board of Trustees, made up of Chairman Richard Mason, Claire Bridges, Russell Ludlam and Kevin Boyd. They have been joined by Councillors Janet Cairns and Ewan Mackey representing Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, plus David Pears, nominated by Birmingham City Council.
