Station Hall

The interior of Station Hall, Herne Hill
Two children writing ideas on the wall of community space Station Hall in Herne Hill
The spiral staircase inside Station Hall in Herne Hill, covered in paper decorations and plants
Station Hall Herne Hill logo
School children watching a performer in Station Hall, Herne Hill during Book Week 2019
School kids drawing on paper on the floor of Station Hall, Herne Hill
People waiting for a show to start in Station Hall, Herne Hill
Chairs laid out in Station Hall, Herne Hill for a presentation

In 2018/19, we were awarded a £55,000 Phase 1 Grant from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund to:

  • Establish the viability of the disused waiting room at Herne Hill Station as a resource to benefit the community and local economy
  • Produce a costed proposal to convert the premises into an accessible community asset able to support itself financially

In January 2019, the lost waiting room of Herne Hill Station opened its doors to the public for the first time in over ninety years as ‘Station Hall’.

What We Did

In the first nine months of operation, Station Hall was far busier than expected –

  • 456 events held
  • Hosted by 79 different users or organisations
  • Attended by over 5,000 people
  • 60% of bookings to charity or community groups at ‘what you can afford’ or zero hire-charges.

In October 2020 Station Hall became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is now a separate entity from the Herne Hill Forum.

The Station Hall project at Herne Hill station has been an excellent example of the benefits to local communities of a public and private sector partnership strongly led from the local community itself. The Herne Hill Forum have provided excellent leadership and project management to the scheme so far and have proved an invaluable link into the many local community groups who have used the facility.

  David Statham, Managing Director, Southeastern

Details

  • Date of completion2019 - 2021
  • Budget£55,000
  • Funding SourceMayor of London’s Good Growth Fund
  • ParticipantsSoutheastern Rail, Network Rail, Lambeth Council
  • Project TeamLucy Reynolds, Giles Gibson, Hayley Byfield, Becky Jenkinson, Jasia Warren, Alison Gibbs, Ruth Colvin, Nick Paul, George Hornby