Ballroom blitz for Leopold Hall

LEOPOLD Community Hall (LCH) came alive Saturday night as long-term members, volunteers and community members celebrated the hall’s massive revamp.

Kevin Smith, a Leopold resident since 1952, a member of the hall association for close to two decades and president for the past 10 years, said the December 14 celebration was “fantastic”.

The community hall underwent a $200,000 plus revamp thanks to funding from the federal and Victorian governments and $13,000 from Leopold Bendigo Bank; a new storeroom, disabled toilet, outside ramps, ballet room, sound system and a new projector were all on display during the celebration, which started at 7pm.

“After the movie and supper the dancing started around 8pm. It was amazing to see the difference from where the hall started, to today. It was just a dirt car park and now it’s lined and sealed, we have all the amenities and a fully equipped kitchen.

“There’s just no comparison, I’m quite happy with our progress over the years. A lot of people don’t realise we’re here. The hall was donated for not-for-profit and is managed and run entirely by volunteers and people on the committee.”

Mr Smith said he received several phone calls from people at the event congratulating the committee on their achievement and the evening’s success.

“The hall was built for the community. We want to make sure the reason the hall was established, to service the community and to meet the community needs, continues,” he said.

“We want people in the area to get benefit out of it. Every Saturday we host a dance where everyone is welcome. It’s $10 entry which includes supper, a five-piece band and two keyboard players.

“It’s a fantastic way to socialise and meet new people. As a committee, we pride ourselves on keeping a low rate and that’s something we’ll continue to do. We have a noticeboard out the front of the hall with hire details and contact number.”