The Greig Hall was given to the local community by David Greig, whose family business was a chain of supermarkets, in memory of his wife, Hannah Susan, and her work for young people. The Hall opened in 1958 but with a design more reminiscent of the 1930s. The Hall became a base for a wide variety of community groups and activities.
A more utilitarian Sports Hall was later constructed on an adjacent site. The community reacted with alarm when, in 2010, it was suggested that the Sports Hall be made multipurpose and the original Greig Hall be demolished to make way for houses. The planning application was refused but it would be another 10 years before the community’s positive vision for the Hall, supported by the Friends of the Greig, was given its opportunity. The site was acquired by Stratford-on-Avon District Council, the Hall leased to Alcester Town Council and, after extensive refurbishment involving hundreds of people, the management of the Hall was passed in 2023 to The Greig Hall CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation).
The new charity is fully committed to the renaissance of the Hall as a Community Hub with readily accessible arts, music and entertainment, again provided by a wide range of community focussed organisations. The Hall serves the interests of a recently expanded Alcester population in excess of 8000, as well as numerous surrounding villages. This allows for both general and specialist interests to be fostered. The warm reception to the initial reopening events has been hugely encouraging. New generations of Alcestrians are catching up with all the possibilities that the refurbished Greig Hall offers.