The Victoria Dock Village Hall (VDVH) Community Association is a registered charity based in Victoria Dock, close to the centre of Hull.

We’re run by local residents, for local residents.


Everything we do is rooted in one simple idea: this is your community, and the Village Hall belongs to it.

The Association manages the Village Hall and oversees its day-to-day operation. Income generated through room hire and advertising is reinvested directly back into maintaining the building and supporting community events.


We’re here to make sure the Hall remains a welcoming, well-used space at the heart of the Dock – today and for many more generations to come.



Our Purpose

Our charitable purpose is simple.

We exist to:

  • Promote the wellbeing of Victoria Dock residents
  • Maintain and manage a community centre for public benefit
  • Work alongside local authorities and organisations
  • Operate inclusively and without discrimination


We believe community connection strengthens neighbourhoods. When people know their neighbours, when they have shared spaces and shared experiences, the whole area becomes more resilient.

The Village Hall is one of the ways we bring people together.


Our Governance

The Association operates under a constitution, which is available on request.

We are:

  • Managed by a volunteer committee
  • Accountable to our members through an Annual General Meeting (AGM)
  • Required to file annual accounts with the Charity Commission
  • Non-party politically and non-sectarian


Association membership is open to Victoria Dock residents aged 18 and over.

We aim to operate transparently and responsibly, making sure that decisions and finances are handled in the best interests of the community, because the Hall was built by residents’ determination and it continues because of their trust.


Our History

Victoria Dock Village Hall exists because residents insisted it should.


When the Dock first began to fill with new homes in 1990, there was no community centre planned. Early residents quickly realised that if Victoria Dock was going to feel like a village in the true sense of the word, it needed more than houses. It needed connection, facilities and shared space.


In May 1990, a Residents’ Association was formed with a clear aim: to protect quality of life and build a caring community at the heart of the development.


Residents campaigned for basic infrastructure many now take for granted from public waste bins and landscaping, to a school and community centre. 


Dozens of meetings were held between a working party of residents and Hull City Council officers to push the plans forward. The Community Association negotiators insisted on calling it a Village Hall – because that’s what they believed Victoria Dock needed. A heart to turn a building development into a real, self-sustaining community.


Through persistence, collaboration and sheer determination, designs were agreed. Work began in April 1994. To support future activities, volunteers raised funds through car boot sales and car washing – carried out every weekend, in all weathers.


The Community Association itself was formally registered as a charity in 1995, and the Hall was completed in January 1996.


For more than 30 years, residents have:

  • Run events
  • Published The Citadel newsletter
  • Hosted community groups
  • Organised seasonal celebrations
  • Maintained and improved the building


What began as grassroots campaigning has become a permanent community anchor.


But it is still powered the same way it was in 1990 – by residents giving their time because they believe Victoria Dock is worth investing in.


Our Community Centre

The Association manages the Village Hall on behalf of the community. The building itself is owned by Hull City Council.


The majority of our income comes from room hire. Every booking contributes directly to maintaining and improving the Hall.

There are no shareholders. No private profit.


Funds are reinvested back into the building and into events that bring people together, from seasonal events to larger celebrations.

The Hall exists because residents fought for it. It continues because residents use it, support it and shape its future.


Community Centre Network

We are a member of Hull’s Community Centre Network, launched in 2022 by Hull CVS and Hull City Council.


The network brings together community centres across Hull to share knowledge, encourage collaboration and strengthen support for local neighbourhoods.


Being part of this network helps ensure Victoria Dock remains connected to the wider city.


Get Involved

The Community Association only works because people choose to get involved. There are several ways to take part:

  • Become a volunteer
  • Attend a meeting
  • Contact us with ideas or suggestions


Committee meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:30pm in the Captain’s Room. If the first Monday falls on a bank holiday, the meeting takes place on the second Monday instead.

Residents are welcome to attend.