A leak that has finally worn out its welcome

Anyone who has hired the small hall at Fenwick Road Community Centre over the past two winters will recognise the routine. Three buckets under the skylight, a sheet of plastic over the piano, and a volunteer with a mop hovering at the edge of the room in case the rain gets heavier.

The roof over the main hall was last properly overhauled in the 1970s. Patch repairs have kept it going, but two independent roofers have now given the committee the same verdict: the felt has perished, the flashing around the chimney has failed, and the insulation beneath is sodden. The cheapest realistic quote comes in at a little over £12,000, with the work needing to happen before next winter to avoid further damage to the ceiling and the electrics.

The centre has around £4,000 set aside in its building fund. That leaves a gap of roughly £8,000, which is why the committee has decided to start with something it knows the neighbourhood turns out for: a quiz night.

What the quiz night will involve

The event takes place in the main hall itself, buckets and all, on Saturday 15 November. Doors open at 6.30pm, with the quiz starting at 7.45pm. Teams can be up to six people, and entry is £6 per person, which includes a hot supper. The kitchen team is doing a choice of two dishes, both served with bread and a pudding:

• Beef and vegetable stew with herby dumplings, cooked slowly in the centre's own kitchen.
• Spiced chickpea and squash casserole, vegan and gluten-free, made with squash donated from the allotment plots behind the car park.
• Tea, coffee and squash included. There will also be a small bar with wine, ale and soft drinks, priced at £3.50 a glass.

Please say on the booking form if you have any other dietary requirements. The kitchen can usually accommodate them with a week's notice, but not on the night.

How the evening will run

Eight rounds, ten questions each, with a picture round at half time while the raffle is drawn. Topics include general knowledge, music, local history, a round on television theme tunes, and the usual geography and sport sections. There is a wooden spoon prize as well as a winner's trophy, so nobody should feel put off by the sharp-eyed regulars who seem to know every capital city in the world.

Practical points worth knowing before you book:

• Doors and food: arrive from 6.30pm to find your table. Food is served from 7pm so the quiz can start on time.
• Finish: the last round ends by 10.15pm, with results and the raffle by 10.30pm.
• Access: the main hall is step-free from the side entrance on Wellington Yard, with an accessible toilet on the ground floor.
• Parking: the centre car park holds about twenty cars. The library car park next door is free after 6pm.
• Children: welcome, and under-12s eat free, though the questions are aimed at adults.

Raffle prizes, cakes and other ways to chip in

Half the money raised on the night will come from the raffle and the tombola rather than the tickets, so prize donations matter enormously. A handful of local businesses have already pledged: a meal for two at the pub on the corner, a voucher for the hardware shop, a hamper from the greengrocer, and a free MOT from the garage on the ring road.

If you can add to that list, anything is welcome, from a bottle of something nice to a voucher for a haircut or a bag of dog food. Two other options suit people who would rather not spend money:

• Bake a cake. A cake stall will run alongside the raffle. Bring it to the kitchen from 5pm on the day, labelled with any allergens.
• Sponsor a round for £20. Your name, or your team's name, goes on the round sheet and on the board in the foyer.

Where the rest of the money will come from

Even a full hall will raise perhaps £1,500, which is a good start but a long way from a new roof. The committee is treating the quiz night as one part of a wider push. A grant application has gone to the county council's community buildings fund, and a second to a national heritage charity that supports old village halls. A crowdfunding page goes live next month, and the "buy a slate" scheme, where £10 buys a named tile on a board in the corridor, has already brought in £600.

There is also a simpler ask. The centre spends around £900 a year on minor roof repairs that would be unnecessary once the job is done. Regular hirers and supporters who set up a small standing order, even £3 a month, give the committee something it badly needs: predictable income. The treasurer will happily talk anyone through the accounts, which are published each year at the annual general meeting.

How to put a team in

The sign-up sheet is on the noticeboard in the foyer, and the office is open on weekday mornings between 9am and 12.30pm if you would rather book in person. Teams are limited to sixteen tables, and last year's spring quiz filled up in nine days, so it is worth sorting your team out sooner rather than later. Payment can be made on the night, but a deposit of £10 holds your table.

If you cannot make the quiz but would like to help, the committee needs four more volunteers on the night for marking answer sheets, selling raffle tickets and washing up. An hour of your time, a spare raffle prize, or a cake on the stall all move the roof a little closer to being fixed. And if you happen to own a ladder and a head for heights, the gutters still need clearing before the autumn rains arrive properly.