Beyond The Noticeboard

Stephanie Akerman
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Beyond the Noticeboard takes you behind the scenes of the events, projects, and decisions that go far beyond what’s pinned to the noticeboard. I'm Stephanie, a Parish Councillor, Trustee, and Volunteer who’s hands-on in community life. This podcast brings you real talk about the challenges, wins, and everyday work that keeps Charities, Community Groups, and Councils going. Whether you're involved in a local group or just curious about how things really happen in your community, this is for you. Real people. Real issues. Real community.

  1. The quiet work you don’t see at a village hall

    10/29/2025

    The quiet work you don’t see at a village hall

    Some days at Great Wood Community Hall remind me what care really looks like in a community space. It isn’t the poster on the door, it’s the quiet work that keeps an old village hall feeling loved and ready. Our building was opened in 1855, so refurbishment is a constant companion. The stone needs patience and specialists. The ceilings are high enough to make you think twice before you fetch the ladders. We have dried a roof space after a header tank leak and planned fresh ceiling tiles. We have chased a puddle that crept in and soaked the corridors. We lifted the history room floor and found more work waiting underneath, so we juggled the diary and brought in the right people. None of that is glamorous, but it is the real maintenance of a historic community venue.

    3 min
  2. Donations, Re-use and Passive Income for a Village Hall

    10/16/2025

    Donations, Re-use and Passive Income for a Village Hall

    In this Village Hall Life video I share how donations and re-use work at Great Wood Community Hall and why they matter. There are no set prices; people give what they can and everything raised goes back into running a large village hall. We also collect “too good to go” items from local recycling centres so useful things get a second life, and we’re setting up a small Share Shed so residents can borrow helpful kit. It’s simple, community-minded and effective: less waste, more access, and a quiet stream of passive income that helps keep the hall open and welcoming.

    3 min
  3. Behind a Booking: How Three Rooms Run at a Village Hall

    10/08/2025

    Behind a Booking: How Three Rooms Run at a Village Hall

    In this Village Hall Life episode I share what really happens behind a single booking when a hall runs more than one space at once. At Great Wood Community Hall in Upper Tean we can hire the Main Hall, Meeting Room and Function Room at the same time. It looks simple on paper. In practice it takes clear roles and simple systems. Enquiries arrive by online form, mobile and Facebook Messenger. Our caretaker and booking clerk brings them into one place, checks the shared calendar and confirms the room and time in writing, including any extras. Before each hire the toilets are topped up and the room is cleaned so it feels cared for. During the session we’re reachable for the small things. Afterward we reset the space, sort rubbish and recycling, close up properly and note any snags to fix. Where we can, we add a short buffer so the reset is calm rather than rushed. This is how a large village hall stays reliable day after day: one place for enquiries, a diary the team trusts, clear agreements with hirers, clean and ready rooms, and a tidy reset at the end.

    4 min
  4. Learn all about the people and planning behind a village hall.

    10/01/2025

    Learn all about the people and planning behind a village hall.

    A straightforward look at how a busy village hall really runs: full rooms, unseen routines and the mix of costs, care and coordination that keep the doors open at Great Wood Community Hall. Honest, practical and people focused.

    2 min
  5. village hall life

    09/29/2025

    village hall life

    A short welcome to Village Hall Life. I set out what the series will cover and why, from the unseen tasks behind a busy village hall to the small, steady steps that keep doors open for the community.

    2 min

  6. 09/13/2025

    A–Z of Parish Councils: Z is for Zero Visibility

    Not all parish council work is visible, in fact, much of it happens quietly in the background. In this final episode of the A–Z of Parish Councils, I explain what “zero visibility” really means. From preparing risk assessments and writing grant applications, to chasing up repairs, reviewing planning applications, and attending outside meetings, a lot of what we do never makes a poster or a headline. But without it, the visible parts of parish life, the planters, the events, the community spaces simply wouldn’t happen.

    2 min

  7. 09/11/2025

    A–Z of Parish Councils: Y is for Young People

    Young people aren’t just the future of our villages, they’re part of our communities right now. In this episode of the A–Z of Parish Councils, I share how we support young people in Checkley Parish, from funding Tean Youth Club and working with schools, to giving children a direct role in projects like Jubilee Park signage. Their voices might not always be heard at meetings, but they’re part of the decisions we make, and their contributions are shaping our villages today.

    2 min

  8. 09/09/2025

    A–Z of Parish Councils: X is for Cross-Parish Work

    Not many parish council terms begin with X, so for this episode I’ve gone with Cross-Parish Work, and it’s a perfect fit. Collaboration is a huge part of what parish councils do. In this instalment of the A–Z of Parish Councils, I explain how working with neighbouring councils makes a difference, from joint highways meetings and combined planning responses, to shared clerks and joint committees. Parish councils may each serve their own communities, but we’re stronger when we work together.

    2 min
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About

Beyond the Noticeboard takes you behind the scenes of the events, projects, and decisions that go far beyond what’s pinned to the noticeboard. I'm Stephanie, a Parish Councillor, Trustee, and Volunteer who’s hands-on in community life. This podcast brings you real talk about the challenges, wins, and everyday work that keeps Charities, Community Groups, and Councils going. Whether you're involved in a local group or just curious about how things really happen in your community, this is for you. Real people. Real issues. Real community.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephanie Akerman
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Stephanie Akerman
  • Show Website
    Beyond The Noticeboard