FRIENDS OF DRONFIELD HALL BARN
The Friends of Dronfield Hall Barn have been a key support since the start of the project. We organise fundraising events including coffee mornings, plant sales and evening talks.
We support the Barn team in the organisation of family events particularly children’s craft activities.
We also work with the other partner societies to help organise their events and arrange days out for members.
Our committee is Joyce Emmens, Jean Kendal, Ann Brown, Dee Smillie, Pat Hey, Barbara Jones.
HISTORY OF THE FRIENDS
Once access to the barn was possible, local people took a keen interest in seeing inside.
Image: Friends of Dronfield Hall BarnEarly open days gave visitors the opportunity to register their interest and suggest future uses for the building.
In 2011, Mike Slinn was preparing bids for funding and asked Margaret Phipps, the then secretary of the project management team, to gather letters from members of the community to illustrate local interest.
Over 200 individuals, community groups, and businesses responded. Ann Brown suggest a ‘Friends’ organisation, and out of this interest grew the Friends of Dronfield Hall Barn, which was launched in January 2012.
Margaret chaired a small committee of volunteer, organised the membership list, and the project office on market days. Over the next 2 years, nearly 300 people signed up, and over £3700 was raised to contribute towards the development of the gardens.
Margaret was succeeded by Joyce Emmens when she stepped down as Chairman in January 2015.
FRIENDS EVENTS
Visit the Main Events page on the Dronfield Hall Barn website to see ALL events and book tickets.
In the past, the Friends have held talks, such as David Hey’s presentation about the history of Dronfield, and open days at the Barn. In the future, we hope to include exhibitions, dances, shows, and talks.
CONTRIBUTE
In previous years, all of our members have enjoyed helping out with coffee mornings and various other events, including the sale of small items to help raise funds for the Barn and children’s craft activities.
“We all loved making fabric owls to raise funds for the Barn”
Joyce Emmens
“The Friends fundraising is crucial to our gardens development as without it we just could not have got started. We are funding and building the gardens ourselves and it is such a morale boost for the volunteers when funds come in so we can get cracking on the next stage!”
Alex Styan, Gardens Manager
