Despite the continuing worries about rising costs of running the Memorial Hall and the desperate need for new, active volunteers, we are pleased to report that there is much good news. We are looking forward to a very busy summer this year as, in addition to the variety of regular educational and leisure activities; there are some very exciting events in the pipeline.  Examples of these are:  a Shadows tribute show and a Robbie Williams tribute concert taking place on consecutive Saturdays in June; and the ever popular week long Jazz Festival and a “Bulls Eye” evening in July. Our own “Night Owl” sequence  dances will continue throughout the summer and our local young people will, undoubtedly, be organising some more of their celebrated gigs. 

          Also in June we are holding several annual events including our AGM on the 12th and our Community and Coffee day on the 14th. The idea of the Community day is to give an opportunity to local community and leisure groups to demonstrate to Pickering people some of the interesting leisure activities that are available to them in the town.  In order to raise funds we will also be selling paper-backed books, serving hot drinks and home-baking and running a raffle or Tombola. This event should attract both local people and visitors as it is happening on the Saturday of the “Sixties weekend”, which is being held in the Town.  Any offers of help will be most welcome.

          Now for the less good news! As we indicated in the previous edition of “The Beacon”, things that were “State of the Art” in 2001 are beginning to wear out.  Repairs and maintenance are becoming a real problem. Since Christmas we have incurred additional costs of over £7,000 in order to completely replace the defunct CCTV and fire alarm systems and to undertake major repairs to the lift and the heating systems. Our treasurer, Tony Danks, reported to Trustees that, if fund-raising and donations were to be discounted, expenditure would have exceeded income this year and we would have made an operating loss for the first time since he took over as treasurer four years ago. This does point up, yet again, the need for new people to organise the vital fund-raising events.

          Our AGM takes place on Thursday 12th June at 7.30pm in the Hall. The  residents of Pickering own this fantastic community resource and each of us has a vested interest in its future. Please come along and join us at the AGM and have your say about the running of a public building that you own.

          Meanwhile, if you would like to volunteer any assistance at all or would like information about any activities that are taking place this spring, please contact the Hall any weekday morning between 9am and noon, (telephone 01751 477522) or ring 01751 477913 and speak with our secretary, Mal Danks.