Moor Pool Hall is a Grade II listed community hall at the heart of Moor Pool Estate, a historic garden suburb in Harborne, Birmingham, founded by John Sutton Nettlefold in 1907. Historically Moor Pool Hall was at the heart of the community and it has continued to serve this function.
The Main Hall was used for social occasions such as dances, parties as well as local community focused events. After coming under threat in 2014 Moor Pool Hall and other community assets were saved by the community, for the benefit of the community and its future generations. £325,000 was raised by the community during 2014. Now run by Moor Pool Heritage Trust, a charity, the Main and Lower Halls continue to provide a focal point for social occasions, community events and parties with 13 regular groups/classes using the hall. We have fostered an uplift in the number of parties and other social occasions, involving a diverse range of audiences.
The Hall also provides focus for learning activities through the delivery of its KS1 and KS2 education programme for schools, and the provision of talks and walks for the wider community and interested groups.
The Trust also owns the historic Moor Pool Fishing Pond, Bowling Green, two tennis clubs and various green spaces across the Moor Pool Conservation Area. We will shortly take ownership of up to 60 allotments and 12 garages all for community use.
The aims of the Trust are to promote, for the public benefit: 1. the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment within the Area; and 2. the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of residents of the Area through the use of community facilities; and 3. the advancement of education, including promoting knowledge of the social and architectural history of the Area.
The Trust provides extensive facilities to the local community focussing on: a. Provision of the Hall facilities to local user groups and to spot bookings b. Maintenance of the fabric of the estate in accordance with our stated aims and improvement of those facilities wherever possible. We are about to have a fully refurbished kitchen in late 2017. c. Provision of an educational programme encompassing (i) outreach to schools where there are full KS1 and KS2 programmes in place alongside a Forest School offer and (ii) a series of talks on heritage and local history.
Moor Pool has an important historic value and remains an almost intact example of a garden suburb built on co-partnership principles from what was an extremely important period in Britain's and particularly Birmingham’s town planning history. We have a duty to do what we can to preserve that history whilst preparing Moor Pool to face the challenges of the future.
