Victoria Hall, Ealing Town Hall consultation

The closing date for representations to be made is Friday 9 February 2018

The consultation

Ealing Council, as trustee of the Victoria Hall Ealing, have applied to the Charity Commission for a Scheme to be made under s62 of the Charities Act 2011 in order to change the purposes of the Victoria Hall Ealing. As part of the process of making the Scheme, the Charity Commission requires the Trustee to consult on the proposed new charitable purposes. Further information about the change is set out below.

What is the Victoria Hall?

The Victoria Hall was built in 1888 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and was funded through public donations. When the Hall was completed in 1893, a Declaration of Trust was made which set out how the Hall was to be used. The Declaration states that the Hall was to be made available to the public for hire for meetings, entertainments, balls, bazaars and other gatherings. Historically the Hall has been hired by the general public for a wide variety of purposes including dances, wedding receptions and political rallies.

Why is this consultation being run?

The current Trustee, Ealing Council, has continued to make the Hall available in accordance with the terms of the Declaration but doubts have arisen as to the validity of the charitable purposes set out in the 1893 Declaration in light of modern charity law. The Trustee has obtained legal advice which recommended updating the charitable purposes to more modern wording whilst still maintaining the spirit of the public donations which funded the construction of the Hall.

What are the proposed new charitable purposes?

The Trustee has consulted with and obtained consent from the Charity Commission to adopt the following new charitable purposes for the Victoria Hall:-
For the public benefit the provision and maintenance of a hall for the use of the inhabitants of Ealing without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for:

(a) meetings, lectures and classes, and

(b) other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.

The Trustee and Charity Commission believe that the above wording is charitable under modern charity law whilst maintaining the spirit of the original donations made by the public in 1887-8.

How do I make a representation?

To respond to this consultation on whether the Victoria Hall’s charitable purposes should be changed, representations can be made in writing to:
David Moore, Interim Director of Regeneration and Planning, London Borough of Ealing,   Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, London W5 2HL
Or by email to: MooreD@Ealing.gov.uk

The closing date for representations to be made is Friday 9 February 2018