Built by miners. Loved by neighbours. Open to everyone.
Almost a century of village life - and a new chapter, written one repair, one cup of coffee, a slice of cake and one Wednesday morning at a time.
A community hall, run by the community.
Bowers Allerton Hall stands as a thriving hub of community activity in the heart of Great Preston and Allerton Bywater, operated by a dedicated team of local trustees.
At the heart of this cohesion is the long-standing involvement of the Allerton Bywater Miners Scout Group and the Bowers Explorer Scouts, who use the hall as their base. Their presence energises the building and ensures younger generations are invested in the future of their community.
In addition to youth programming, the hall supports early years development through Stay & Play, provides a meeting place for the Coffee & Craft mornings, hosts the Local History Group, and offers an inclusive space for the village's Boot Camp, Baby Band, Sequence Dancing and outreach by the RSPB.
None of this would be possible without the commitment of the volunteer trustees, who work tirelessly to maintain the building and organise a calendar of concerts, performances, fairs and encourage community engagement.
Meet the trustees
Volunteers. Locals. Unpaid. Committed.
Chris Harris
Chair
Derek Buck
Helen Harris
Kelly McGowan
Claire Davenhill-Stevens
Donna Nicholson
Nicola Durkan
Peter Davenhill-Stevens
Angela Oldershaw
Dan Pearce
A century in five chapters
Built by the mining community
Bowers Hall and Chapel were built by the local mining community to serve the village of Bowers Row.
Historical articles & documentation
We're digitising decades of records, including deeds, photographs, and first-hand accounts and publishing them as we go.
With a special thanks to the Allerton Bowers History Group for contributing their research and expertise to some of the articles.
What we're raising funds to fix
Hire income keeps the heating on. These projects depend on grants, donations and village goodwill, and they're the difference between scaling back and growing.
- Critical
New washrooms throughout — still to do
Better toilets and washroom facilities for our most vulnerable users.
- Critical
Kitchen refurbishment — still to do
The kitchen is functional but tired. The plan is to completely replace with a stainless steel commercial kitchen which would be very beneficial for events and our food-led sessions.
- High
Clear away vegetation from rear of building — still to do
Trees and vegetation at the back of the building has caused drainage and building problems. It needs clearing prior to building remediation work behind the chapel.
- High
Roof and drainage repairs — still to do
Some sections of the roof and the drainage need attention. The front of the chapel has a recurring leak requiring review and specialist equipment.
- High
New internal doors — still to do
Replacement or refurbishment of some of the old internal doors.
- High
Plastering & decorating the Cafe Room — still to do
Brightening the space so it feels safe, warm and inviting as we've done with the main hall.
- High
Extra parking — still to do
More accessible parking for groups, families and older visitors.
Help us get there
All donations are gratefully received and will go to the refurbishment of the hall.
We are a registered charity, so if you pay UK tax and tick Gift Aid, the government adds 25p to every pound — at no extra cost to you.