Sax Market Hall to get makeover

Saxmundham’s Victorian Market Hall, the centre of the High Street, now has a ‘what’s on’ website, and a brand that represents the building’s distinctive arched façade. There are also plans afoot to refresh the interior and tidy up of the exterior.

The new website, saxmarkethall.co.uk has a ‘what’s on’ listing of current and future events, a news section, an event booking facility, a history of the building dating back to when it was the town’s Corn Exchange which opened in 1846, and archive photographs of events from the early years.

The Market Hall’s brand, which provides a visual, symbolic identity of the arched facade is to be displayed on all public-facing print and online information and signage.

The new Town Council chair, Jeremy Smith said: “These moves are designed to publicise year-round events, promote the Market Hall’s facilities, and provide a comprehensive history of this key public building.

“Our priority for the website is to enable organisers to book their activities more easily, to encourage people to participate in such activities, and to promote forthcoming events and public meetings to be held at the Market Hall.

“The brand has been created locally, at minimal expense, to give the Market Hall an identity to connect with local people and visitors. The design reflects the original open façade of the building which we hope to restore to its former Victorian splendour”.

A group of volunteers, reporting to the Town Council, are working on plans to refresh and revitalise the appearance, improve the lighting, tidy up the exterior, and re-paint the interior walls with a more contemporary colour scheme.

The group’s Chair, Carole Cecil, explained that the planned refresh will help improve the ambience for events and public meetings, and make the Market Hall a more attractive venue for potential new business and users.

She said: “Obviously, what we can achieve is determined by the limited financial resources available, but we think a lot can be done to make this grand building a much more appealing and welcoming venue.

“Our longer term goal is to gain outside financial support, particularly lottery funding, other public grants, and private donations, to help finance much-needed major refurbishment and modernisation to transform the Market Hall into a fit-for-purpose building for Saxmundham’s people”.

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