SAVE ST JOSEPH'S HALL LEIGH - Phase Two

FEBRUARY 2025 UPDATE

Thanks to your generous support, the first phase of our bid to save St Joseph’s Hall, Leigh, has been completed. We are delighted to announce that the building is now watertight, which means the interior is protected from the worst of the weather. The decorative frontage has been cleaned and made safe.

However, to prevent deterioration of this ornate façade, further remedial work is required. The estimate for this is £40,000. We are hoping to raise grants to cover the bulk of the cost, but still we face a £10,000 shortfall.

Today, we are launching an appeal to ask that the community comes together once more to save Leigh’s last remaining active theatre. Any donation large or small would be appreciated! Your support so far has been wonderful, and great things have already been achieved to save this historic venue for future generations.

November Update 2024

We are delighted to announce that we have reached our initial milestone of £6,000 and the first phase of our repair programme has commenced. The total cost to make the roof watertight is £26,000 so our next goal is to reach £10,000. If you help spread the word or donate any small amount, we would be very grateful.

The Story

Sitting in the centre of Leigh, St Joseph’s Hall has been at the heart of our town since 1925. For many years it was the hub of the community, hosting weekly dances, drama festivals, school shows and family celebrations. It is perhaps best known now as the home of St Joseph’s Players, who have been performing there for almost a century.

Sadly, during the Covid pandemic the hall deteriorated greatly and was no longer considered a viable entity for the church to keep open. The hall faced an uncertain future until St Joseph’s Players stepped in to take over the lease of this historic building.

Our aim is to put the hall at the centre of the community once more, creating a place where groups can meet to have fun, put on local events and entertainment.

Why Are We Crowdfunding?

We are reaching out for your support to help us with essential building work to make the hall watertight. A recent survey evidenced that rainwater is entering the building in several places, resulting in damp, mould, and crumbling plasterwork. And the situation is rapidly worsening: the roof needs repairing, missing guttering must be reinstated and brickwork repointed. To enable us to begin the work on the roof, we are asking you to help raise £100,000.

Community Impact

The community is at the heart of everything we do. Our membership is diverse with members coming from a range of social and ethnic backgrounds. We are proud of the welcoming atmosphere we create. But we want to build a community building that everybody can be proud of.

How can you play your part?

There are two ways to help us reach our target and help us preserve this building.

Pledge: We can’t do this without you. Help us hit our target and let your donation show your support for this community project.

Spread the word: Be our megaphone. WhatsApp your groups, post on social media, tell your neighbours and help us reach as many people as we can.

Thank you for your support

We appreciate the financial difficulties many of us are facing right now and every single donation will be valued no matter how large or small. This is a huge project and any help would be hugely appreciated.