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website last updated 10 January, 2010
Wickhambrook Memorial Social Centre (MSC)
The Memorial Social Centre (MSC) is at the heart of Wickhambrook and provides a venue for many of the clubs and societies to hold their meetings and events. The Centre is made up of a Foyer, The Dulcie Smith Room which has two snooker tables, the Main Hall with a stage, a Club Room with a bar, Pavilion with bar together with toilet and kitchen facilities. The local football pitch, play area, tennis courts, bowls green, skatepark and recreation ground are all located near to the MSC.
With the Wickhambrook W.I. Hall located on the opposite side of the car park, Wickhambrook has excellent facilities for the many events that take place throughout the year.
Events and News
The Booking Diary of Events is updated regularly and a copy is also displayed on the Hall noticeboard.
A polite request from the Memorial Social Centre management committee.
"If you find any of the recycling bins full, or nearly full, it would help prevent a mess of fly-tipping around them if you could please report the fact using the telephone numbers below. If it's reported several times, they don't mind."
PAPER RECYCLING
('AYLESFORD-NEWSPRINT')
01622 796000
TETRAPAK RECYCLING
('VIRIDOR')
01953 499990
BOTTLE BANKS
('WRG - Glass')
01842 762934
MSC Location : CB8 8XR
View Wickhambrook Memorial Social Centre in a larger map
Our Committee
All bookings and correspondence (in the first instance) should be sent to the MSC Bookings Manager or the Bookings Manager / Secretary - 01440 820520
The main committee is as follows:
| Chairman | Chris Dark |
| Treasurer | Alan Lightley |
| Secretary | Steve Taylor |
| Caretaker | Gladys Alexander |
| Hon. Member | David Turner |
MSC Information and Documents
All MSC Booking Diary entries are now displayed on the hall Notice Board and updated almost daily.
All bookings and correspondence (in the first instance) should be sent to the MSC Bookings Manager.
You may use this Booking Form to make your reservations.
Please view the Conditions of Hire and Hire Agreement. before making your reservation.
MSC Bookings - Each time it is updated the listing of the MSC booking diary is emailed to committee members and to both regular and casual hirers so that they can check that their hirings are correctly noted and to see what future dates are available. If anyone would like to be included in these emailings, please send an email with 'diary dates' in the subject line, to the MSC Bookings Manager
Documents for Hirers of the Hall
- Hirers Timesheet
- Hirers Timesheet Notes
See our latest Project List for improvements and works scheduled to be undertaken on the MSC.
Dogs are now permitted on the recreation field, provided they are kept under close control (on a lead) and are not taken onto the grassed sports and play area. Please keep to the perimeter of the field.
MSC photos
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MSC Committe
Our Hall and Facilities
Licensing Act 2003
The Memorial Social Centre's new licence to operate as a village hall with 'public entertainments', 'stage shows', private and club hire etc until midnight on most days (11.30pm Sundays) was granted with effect from 24th November 2005. The new all-encompassing licence now includes an 'on licence' for the sale of alcohol until 11.30pm (10.30pm Sundays). The official Licence Summary (all 3 pages of it), is on permanent display on the hall's noticeboard.
Hall users may note that, thanks to our bar service provider Chris Gray, Greene King have renewed and upgraded the bar equipment.
The MSC is available for hire for weddings, dances, private parties, etc. There is ample parking available.
Only parts of the Hall are used for our regular events and so please feel free to enquire of the Booking Manager whether arrangements can be made to accommodate your function
The Centre is currently used for the following:
MSC Regular Bookings
The History of the MSC
It all began on 27th November 1944. A public meeting was called, the venue unknown, the W.I. Hall perhaps. The instigator of this meeting was William Underwood ably assisted by Leonard Harbutt. It was decided that a village hall was needed and that it should be called the MEMORIAL Hall in memory of those that had died in the First World War and for those still giving their lives in the Second. The aid of the Suffolk Rural Community Council was sought. A second meeting was held on the 22nd January 1945, a committee was formed and the planning of the Memorial Hall began. Unfortunately there are no members of that committee alive today.
A further meeting chose the site, the corner of the recreation ground, it also chose the format of the committee. It was decided that every organisation in the village should be represented on it; this with slight adjustment still exists today. Fundraising began and grants were obtained. It took five years to raise the funds and construct the building. It was formally opened on 13th April 1951 by its Chairman Mr Griffiths Woollard. They were obviously not superstitious! We can be proud of their achievements.
Since those early days much has changed. The Hall and Recreation Ground Committees have amalgamated to become the Memorial Social Centre.
However all was not easy in the early sixties monetary crisis loomed and there was talk of ‘putting the hall on rates’ or even closing it and using it as a barn to store corn.
The Community Council was formed in 1966 with the intention of saving the building, modernising and extending it. Once again the fundraising began and grants were obtained. The building as it is seen today is the end result. It gained a refurbished kitchen, a clubroom, a snooker room and a front foyer with modern toilets. It was formally opened in May 1972 by Mrs Eldon Griffiths the wife of the local Member of Parliament.
The pavilion at the rear of the building was added at a later stage, being built mostly by the local football club assisted by other sports clubs.
The Memorial Social Centre is part of an excellent leisure complex which comprises a tennis court, and a bowling green together with a Teen Project Skate/BMX/Sports Park and a children’s play area.
Wickhambrook has some of the best recreational facilities in the area and the village hall is second to none.
We can be proud of our Memorial Social Centre and thank those far sighted villages who, in 1944 during the dark days of the war decided that Wickhambrook should remember its fallen heroes with a living reminder of their deeds. Let us hope the complex continues to thrive and to serve future generations a fitting memorial to those who gave their lives for our freedom.