Victoria Hall Campaign Calls for Funds as Hearing Looms
Tribunal set to rule on legal challenge to Charity Commission
Victoria Hall. Picture: Roger Green
February 14, 2023
Local residents campaigning against plans to sell off Victoria Hall say more money is needed to fund an ongoing legal action.
A hearing is due to be held next week at the HM Courts and Tribunal Service with representatives of the Friends of the Victoria Hall (FoVH) to challenge the Charity Commission over its support for Ealing Council plan to dispose of the building as part of the redevelopment Ealing Town Hall.
The campaigners say that the cash is required to match the spending by Ealing Council on lawyers to support the Charity Commission’s case.
It is nearly two years since the initial appeal was lodged by two Will French and Tony Miller. FoVH this week launched a new fundraising campaign and around half of the £60,000 target has been donated so far after £70,000 was given earlier to pay for legal costs.
The campaigners say that The Victoria Hall is the only large indoor venue in Ealing that’s easily accessible from all parts of a London Borough with a population the size of a small country.
Will French said, “The Hall was a gift to us from the Town’s first residents. In patriotic mood like the one that swept the country last year on the death of our Queen, they dug deep in their pockets to build a permanent Memorial to Queen Victoria, one that future citizens could enjoy for years to come.”
Tony Miller added, “Our straightforward factual case against the scheme to sell the Victoria Hall, property of a charitable trust, is that the Council has not properly managed the Hall and there should now be a different, independent trustee. But in the two years since we launched our appeal the Council has spent a considerable amount of the trust’s money on building a complex legal defence.
“That’s why we recently have had to brief a barrister to represent us at the Tribunal so that the community gets Victoria Hall run as intended by the original donors.”
Will French added, “We need the Hall now as much as we ever did. Don’t let them sell off Ealing’s greatest asset. Spare us what you can and help us keep the Victoria Hall for everyone in Ealing.”
Donations are being accepted here.
The hearing will be at The Royal Courts of Justice. Picture: Roger Green
The court hearing, in central London will be open to the public and is expected to be streamed online.
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