THE Friends of the Victoria Hall in Ealing this week published an open letter to the Victoria Hall Trust asking what the trust is doing to reopen the hall and to comply with the latest ruling by the Charity Commission.

Ealing Council, as one of the trustees, unilaterally closed the hall and neighbouring Ealing Town Hall in September 2023, citing unspecified health and safety issues.

This latest move by the Friends follows the publication on July 3 of the Charity Commission’s own review of its latest ‘scheme’ for the trust.

This ‘scheme’ would pave the way for Ealing Council to take over the trust’s property and allow it to be part of the 250-year Ealing Town Hall lease to convert the buildings into a luxury hotel.

A trustee committee, with a majority of independent members, will manage the trust.

Three independent members are already in place and two more are to be appointed. The Friends want these to be selected by the committee itself, rather than by council officers as happened before.

The Friends are keen to discuss ideas for use of the hall with the independent trustees.  Hence the open letter.

Roger Green, their chair, said: “The Victoria Hall, along with Prince’s Hall below it, were built by the people of Ealing, for the people of Ealing during the 1880s.

“Victoria Hall Trust was set up in 1893 by Ealing residents for both halls to be used by all the citizens of the town.

“For 10 months now, the Victoria Hall and Prince’s Hall have been unavailable for use. The trust’s primary function is to enable the community to use both halls.

“VHT is clearly unfit for purpose and we are appalled the Charity Commission is condoning this failure by the charity.”

The open letter calls for a newly-constituted executive committee, with a majority of independent (non-council) members.

It also wants costed plans to address the supposed health and safety issues raised by the council and to fix them as well as clarification of the extent of the charitable property and a strategy for reviving the hall’s role.