I REFER to a letter, 'Deprived of Church Hall,' (Letters, November 3).

Oh how I wish ill-informed people would keep their opinions to themselves or take the trouble to find out the facts before 'spouting off!'

To say that Knuzden has been deprived of a facility could not be further from the truth.

My taking the lease of the church hall has enabled the vicar to use the revenue raised to develop St Oswald's Church to provide better facilities for all the church organisations, the pre-school and the school, all within the church. I wonder whether Mr Bagot has taken the trouble to visit the church to see for himself the changes that are being made?

It is true to say that prior to my taking the lease of the hall a local pre-school used it each week day morning, and organisations used it during the evening. Other events were 'occasionally' held there - the revenue raised from its various uses was not enough to even pay for the upkeep of the building which was rapidly falling into disrepair.

Clown-A-Round has injected some much needed life into the property and also given the church the necessary funds to undertake maintenance work at the hall and to develop the church.

Once work at the church has been completed the facilities it offers will be far superior to the church hall as it was. It will provide a new home for the pre-school, the organisations and the school to hold events - what better place to hold a Christmas play than in a church? I accept that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and that some people are opposed to my venture for whatever reason. But quite frankly I am appalled by the negativity and resistance to change of some people in the Knuzden area. They should be supporting the local vicar in his efforts to improve facilities, not criticising what has been done.

Where were these people when help was required in maintaining the church hall and church?

Did they offer their services to avoid the necessity to employ tradesmen?

Did they do anything to help?

The answer is simple - no, perhaps if they had it would not have been necessary to offer the church hall for lease.

If we all sat back and did nothing but criticise then nothing would be done.

ANDREA H SHEPHERD, Fecitt Brow, Knuzden, Blackburn.

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