by Tony Phelps, Winch House Committee Chair
As many will already know, the historic Winchelsea Shire Hall in the centre of town was leased to Winchelsea Community House at the start of this year. 6 months in, and there have been some great things happening - but the real challenge has only just started.
This beautiful old building, with a tasteful refurbishment courtesy of Surf Coast Shire, has become a public space again and is available for hire for commercial, private and community purposes.
While the kitchen still requires considerable upgrades to meet modern expectations, Winch House has obtained a grant to buy equipment and to help renovate the kitchen. Winch House is also seeking sponsorship to add permanent audio-visual equipment so that the main hall can be used for learning, meetings, videoconferences, and the like.
Winch House took on the management of the Shire Hall in a 3-year agreement with Surf Coast Shire, to see if it could be a sustainable expansion for the community centre. One of the most important aspects of the agreement was funding for the position of Shire Hall Coordinator, the single biggest expense involved. It is so important to recognise that Winch House is an independent non-profit, and there simply is no spare capacity in ‘normal’ operations to run the Shire Hall.
The upshot is that Winch House needs to average an income from the Shire Hall of at least $1,000 per week to cover all the overheads. That’s $1,000 left over after paying for any additional heating, electricity, cleaning, and other costs directly arising from using the space.
So the challenge is set. How can Winch House generate that income? Private functions such as weddings and birthdays, business conferences, training and courses are ideal but sporadic, unpredictable and there are plenty of competing venues (even within Winchelsea).
This year, 2022, is the year of ‘experimentation’ for the Shire Hall. Our Coordinator Jill Evans is talking to many people and groups, and seeking ideas to build up usage and income for the space. You may have seen the variety and range going on;
- art - art shows & artist exhibitions
- learning - sponsored RSA and Food Safety courses
- food - gourmet food experiences, community lunch
- tourism - the Visitor Information Centre
- meetings - Council, school
- health - vaccinations, skin-check
- private hire - birthday celebrations, weddings
Next year is the year of consolidation, when the more successful ideas are formally and permanently put in place and marketed widely. The third year will be the proof of the pudding, to ensure that across a year the space is truly self-sustaining financially.
If you live, work and/or play in the Winchelsea region, then your support is essential for the success of this venture. The Shire Hall will close again if it is not financially self-supporting.
Do you have ideas? Something Winch House can try, which will (eventually) generate income? Please get in touch with Jill Evans, shirehall@winchhouse.org.au. Jill is very approachable, and would love to talk to you.
