Rasen Council’s ‘special’ gift to fire-hit dance school

Councillors at the town council’s June meeting voted in favour of ‘gifting’ the use of Festival Hall to Colebrook School of Dance.

The dance school, Mattu’s Premier Store and several residential flats were gutted by fire in the early hours of Friday, May 24.

Vonny Colebrook and her team of staff teach 120 pupils across seven days of the week - but the devastating fire last month has left their Union Street studios 
inaccessible.

The dance school is currently running out of Market Rasen New Life church hall - but it is unavailable at certain times, and the town council has stepped in to help.

Mayor John Matthews told the meeting:“They [the dance school] were another victim of the fire.

“They’ve been offered help by using the hall at New Life church, but there are a couple of dates New Life cannot accommodate.

“I’ve had a look at our diary [for Festival Hall].

“Is this something council would like to grant them?

“The hall is currently vacant on the date in question [July 13].”

Coun Margaret Lakin-Whitworth said: “When they have this sort of thing they usually book it.”

Coun Steve Bunney said: “It would do us no harm to offer them support.

“If we are free that night we should let them have it, as a special service.

“Could I suggest we do it properly with a booking form.

“Strike the cost out and put zero.”

And Coun Matthews said the town council had also offered support to the Mattu family who run the Premier Store.

He said: “I went to visit the Mattu family to see if there was any support they 
needed.

“They’re very grateful.”

Residents can make a donation to support the victims of the fire by searching ‘Market Rasen’ on crowdfunding site justgiving.com.