A BENEFIT concert is being held at Forest village hall as part of efforts to get finances back on track after a series of costly repairs.

The Evergreen Hall in Church Walk, Broadwell has several hundred users every month including dance classes, yoga, Guides and an embroidery group.

But repairs to the roof and floor in recent years have eaten into the hall’s reserves.

The work on the roof also revealed that the ceiling also needs attention.

Community arts project Soundwork is hosting the benefit event dubbed All Wrapped Out at the hall next Thursday (February 9).

A recent coffee morning led by Lisa Cheery’s LVC dance fitness group raised £360, and raffles and other events are helping to “tip the scales”.

Next week’s cabaret is part of Soundwork’s Oh Crumbs and Last Thursday arts events, with all proceeds going towards the hall repairs.

The event will feature music, poetry, “vegetable dances”, a ‘crankie’ visual storytelling show, a klezmer performance, an Oh Crumbs open mic, panto, a random raffle, and a performance by Forest Bard Maggie Clutterbuck.

Roger Drury, a volunteer who helps run Oh Crumbs and Last Thursday said: “The last two or three years we’ve had stuff go wrong or we need to replace stuff, the heating had to be replaced and the floor done and then the roof

“That’s stripped us down to virtually no money in reserve but local people have been great.

“We have Oh Crumbs and Last Thursday and they decided to put something on for the cause.”

Volunteer Libby Foxwell added: ‘‘When the builder took the roof off to renew it he said the ceiling was damaged underneath so we fixed one problem but we’ve got another. That’s our next job.’’

The Evergreen Hall was built in 1878 as a church, before being used as a church hall and then by Broadwell Lane End School.

Since the 1940s it has been used by the community for a range of purposes, including as home territory for Guides, a base for dance, yoga and embroidery groups, a venue for ‘Oh Crumbs’ spoken word cabaret and other live events, and group meetings and birthday parties.

Entry to next week’s benefit is by donation to the hall repair fund, and attendees are asked to bring food to share.The event starts at 7pm.