Ideas to increase visitors at Brierley Hill Civic Hall

Bosses at charity Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), which has taken over the day-to-day management of the venue from the council, want to increase the number of shows and events held each year.

They organised a consultation event with community groups interested in hosting activities at the hall.

Some said they wanted to see wifi installed, improvements made to the lighting, sound and electricity supply and the venue redecorated.

There were also ideas for a coffee bar to offer catering during events, a loyalty scheme and the use of eye-catching posters to promote shows and activities.

Suggestions were also put forward for the different types of events that could be held at the venue.

These included cabaret, comedy and burlesque nights, markets, exhibitions and pop-up events, beer festivals and vintage fairs. Chief executive Andy Gray said he believed there was potential for the hall to be used more during the daytime.

At the moment it is mostly open in the evenings.

Tea dances and fashion shows were among the ideas suggested during the consultation.

He said: "We want to encourage local talent to use the Civic Hall to showcase their skills."

The hall attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Dudley Council transferred its day-to-day management to Dudley CVS to save money on running costs.