CAMPAIGNERS trying to save Canterbury’s Westgate Hall from demolition could hear in June whether their fight has been successful.

Adelina Comas-Herrera, chairman of the Westgate Community Trust, which was set up to save the hall, said: “This gives us some very useful time to give the campaign a big push and prove both to the council and ourselves that we can run the hall successfully and sustainably and that we have the support of the community.”

The trust, which was formed last year, established a good relationship with Canterbury council, the hall’s owners, which resulted in the council deciding to keep the hall open until September. Now trust members are hoping it will hand the building over to them to run.

Ms Comas-Herrera said the trust was now asking as many people as possible who wanted to see the Westgate Hall saved to join the trust.

She said: “Please join if you haven’t done so yet. We need to be able to demonstrate that the trust’s plans are well supported by the community and, of course, any membership fees are extremely important contributions to the trust’s 'takeover’ fund.”

The trust’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 8, from 8pm at the Westgate Hall, and all those interested in finding out how to help are welcome.

Several events have been arranged to support the campaign, including a garden tidy-up at the hall on March 5, a salsa party on March 19 and a masked ball on April 2.

In addition, the Beverley Big Band is organising a Valentine’s dance at the hall on Saturday, February 12, and a Valentine’s curry night will take place on February 13.

To find out more about the dance, email christinecayley@tiscali.co.uk, and for the curry night see the website at www.canterburycurryclub.co.uk/index.php/curry-night

For more on the campaign see the website at www.westgatecommunityhall.org.uk