Help Humph Hall
A$15,768
of $8,000 targetyrs ago
Successful on 12th Jul 2014 at 3:41AM.
Please help us get Humph Hall open to the public again by 19th July! We have been shut down since the beginning of March pending the installation of c$16,000 worth of new fire safety measures and need your help to get it open again. Formerly the Allambie Heights Uniting Church, Humph Hall is now part of our private home and is used for a variety of community activities including house concerts by Australian and international artists. See Background section below if you are not familiar with Humph Hall.
Background
In 2007 my wife & I bought the former Allambie Heights Uniting Church (on Sydney's northern beaches) with the intention of creating a home for ourselves complete with a rehearsal/performance space. To that end we renamed the church Humph Hall (an affectionate reference to Winnie the Pooh) and equipped it with a stage, lighting, 90 extremely comfortable 'church' chairs and triple-glazed the windows to keep the traffic noise out and ensure that audiences & performers alike are able to enjoy the unplugged performances in almost perfect silence - Humph Hall never uses a PA system!
The main reason for the establishment of Humph Hall was for it to be used as a rehearsal and performance space for a community-based music ensemble that I coordinate called Loosely Woven.
Loosely Woven puts together 2 or 3 brand new shows each years and performs them at various venues in Sydney and regional New South Wales. The group also regularly performs in retirement villages & nursing homes.
Loosely Woven never accepts payments for their performances (not even for expenses) but is very happy for organisations like Amnesty International to use its concerts as fundraisers.
However, since opening in June 2009, many other community events have taken place in Humph Hall including community concerts, art exhibitions by local artists, music student showcases etc. and numerous professional Australian and international artists have been invited into our home to perform in what would have to be one of the best house concert venues in the world! :-)
Visitors attending concerts enjoy a cup of tea and Gial's famous fresh scones in our dining room during interval breaks.
We had originally believed that, as we were not in any way conducting these activities on a commercial basis, we could legally do all of this in our place of residence. However, apparently this is not so and in July 2011 we complied with Warringah Council's request to submit a DA (Development Application) to have the use of our property officially changed to 'entertainment facility' and 'residence'. This DA process cost us close on $20,000 but in May 2012 consent was granted and we began officially operating as an 'entertainment facility'.
Unfortunately, Council is now requiring us to implement further fire safety measures which are going to cost around $16,000. Furthermore, we are not allowed to host any events open to the public until all of the work has been done.
This project is to ask people who have enjoyed coming to Humph Hall, either as audience or performer, and others who like what we are doing with our home, to help us implement these new fire safety measures and get Humph Hall open again in time for a long standing commitment to host a harp workshop and concert with US musicians Ann & Charlie Heymann on Saturday 19th July.
The main reason for the establishment of Humph Hall was for it to be used as a rehearsal and performance space for a community-based music ensemble that I coordinate called Loosely Woven.
Loosely Woven puts together 2 or 3 brand new shows each years and performs them at various venues in Sydney and regional New South Wales. The group also regularly performs in retirement villages & nursing homes.
Loosely Woven never accepts payments for their performances (not even for expenses) but is very happy for organisations like Amnesty International to use its concerts as fundraisers.
However, since opening in June 2009, many other community events have taken place in Humph Hall including community concerts, art exhibitions by local artists, music student showcases etc. and numerous professional Australian and international artists have been invited into our home to perform in what would have to be one of the best house concert venues in the world! :-)
Visitors attending concerts enjoy a cup of tea and Gial's famous fresh scones in our dining room during interval breaks.
We had originally believed that, as we were not in any way conducting these activities on a commercial basis, we could legally do all of this in our place of residence. However, apparently this is not so and in July 2011 we complied with Warringah Council's request to submit a DA (Development Application) to have the use of our property officially changed to 'entertainment facility' and 'residence'. This DA process cost us close on $20,000 but in May 2012 consent was granted and we began officially operating as an 'entertainment facility'.
Unfortunately, Council is now requiring us to implement further fire safety measures which are going to cost around $16,000. Furthermore, we are not allowed to host any events open to the public until all of the work has been done.
This project is to ask people who have enjoyed coming to Humph Hall, either as audience or performer, and others who like what we are doing with our home, to help us implement these new fire safety measures and get Humph Hall open again in time for a long standing commitment to host a harp workshop and concert with US musicians Ann & Charlie Heymann on Saturday 19th July.
A message from Michael Regan, Mayor of Warringah
“I am pleased that Wayne continues to work with Council to resolve the outstanding safety and compliance issues in relation to Humph Hall. I wish him well in his efforts to secure financial assistance from supporters of Humph Hall”.
How The Funds Will Be Used
$1,601.60 - Treatment of our 91 'church chairs' with flame retardant (c $17 per chair)
$6,864 - Installation of additional smoke alarms, emergency lighting etc.
$c6,000 - Installation of a fire exit door
c$1,000 - Certifier fees
TOTAL: c$16,000
If this project is successful it will cover around half of these costs.
$6,864 - Installation of additional smoke alarms, emergency lighting etc.
$c6,000 - Installation of a fire exit door
c$1,000 - Certifier fees
TOTAL: c$16,000
If this project is successful it will cover around half of these costs.
The Challenges
Providing all of the required works are completed to Council's satisfaction we will be allowed to open to the public again. We are extremely confident that we will pass with flying colours an imposed noise trial period which means that the only other hurdle will be the funding of a disabled toilet (c$16,000-$18,000) for which we have been given some more time.
$17 is just enough to cover the fire retardant treatment of one of our 91 chairs. Next time you come to Humph Hall you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your bum won't burn! :-)
12 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + next time you attend Humph Hall you will be presented with a special 'Thank You' Certificate.
9 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + next time you come to Humph Hall you can take home your choice of CD/DVD by one of the many artists who have appeared at Humph Hall (some signed).
18 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + next time you attend Humph Hall you will be presented with a special Humph Hall T shirt.
17 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + your name will be added to a special plaque on display at Humph Hall.
19 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + your wonderful generosity will be rewarded with free entry to all Humph Hall events for a year!
2 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14
As above + your absolutely incredible generosity will be rewarded with free entry to Humph Hall for you and your family & friends for a year!
4 chosen
Est. delivery is Aug 14