The Salt Foundation was created in 1979 as an educational charity.
It holds Victoria Hall in trust along with the Salt Building across the road and Exhibition Building behind the Hall.
Those two buildings are on 150 year leases to Shipley College.
The Foundation is responsible for running Victoria Hall as ‘a community centre for the benefit of the inhabitants of Shipley by the advancement of education and the provision of facilities for recreation and leisure-time occupation’.
Activities at Victoria Hall
The Victoria Hall team rents out rooms in the Hall for a range of social and educational activities. These range from weddings, conferences and concerts to Zumba classes, yoga and ballet. Other public events include craft fairs and exhibitions. The Hall has a superb Wurlitzer organ, cared for by the Cinema Organ Society. The organ rises dramatically from below the stage for concerts, weddings and other special events.
Celebrating the Hall
In 2022 the Salt Foundation trustees gave a reception
to celebrate the Hall’s 150th anniversary, thanking
people whose work helps to keep the Hall open,
friendly and sustainable.
An eight minute video was created by
48 Saltaire Swans - adult ballet class members –
and a small group of Shipley College media students..
Renting space at the Hall
Income from room bookings directly supports the maintenance of Victoria Hall so that it can remain open to the public.
Requests for any type of booking can be made here.
A group arranging a one-off event with specific educational benefit to the community may apply for a room booking subsidy. This must be done at least three months in advance, after discussion with Victoria Hall staff. Application forms are considered by Salt Foundation trustees.
Governance of the Salt Foundation
The Foundation is governed by nine trustees who are volunteers. The Foundation employs Shipley College to manage Victoria Hall. The small team which runs the Hall from day to day is employed by the College. For several decades in the 20th century Victoria Hall was leased to Bradford Council for social and educational activities. Children from nearby schools came for lunch prepared on site. Many people still remember this!
For many years Shipley College has used a large part of Victoria Hall’s basement on a renewable five year lease. The Foundation allowed the College to build a new facility on land next to Exhibition Building. The Jonathan Silver Building was completed in 2015 and is on a 150 year lease to the College, like the Salt and Exhibition buildings.
If you are interested in becoming a Salt Foundation trustee when a vacancy arises, please email the Clerk: saltf@shipley.ac.uk for further information.
Stone lions guard this splendid village hall, still used for the same purposes of recreation and learning for which its doors first opened in 1871.
