In 2016 the doors very nearly closed for good. This is the story of the residents who refused to let 125 years of history end — and what happened next.
Every village has a building that holds its memories. Ours sits on Butt Lane: built in the 1890s as two school buildings, and for more than 125 years the place where Haworth has met, danced, voted, rehearsed, celebrated and mourned.
In 2016, it nearly ended. Funding had gone, the building needed work, and closure looked certain.
The rescue
A group of concerned residents — neighbours, parents, band members, Scout leaders — decided that wasn't going to happen. They formed a committee, took on the building, and in 2019 registered it as a charity: No. 1182961.
The deal they made with the village was simple:
Keep using it, and we'll keep it open.
What "saved" looks like
Eight years on, the hall hosts the 14th Keighley (Haworth) Scouts, The Haworth Band, Space to Inspire's coding clubs and the Magic Garden Play Cafe every week — plus concerts, dances, parties and the odd film crew.
It still runs on the same fragile arithmetic, though: bookings + donations + volunteers = open doors. If you've ever wondered whether one person hiring a hall for a birthday party makes a difference — it genuinely does.
See what's on, hire a room, or volunteer with us. The story only continues if the village keeps writing it.