Hailsham

LIGHTS SWITCH-ON: At Vicarage Field on Friday November 23, there will be festive entertainment in addition to the big switch-on. Santa will be handing out free sweets to children, and pupils from Hailsham Community College and Grovelands Community Primary School will be carol singing before the official switch-on, which takes place at 6pm. The lucky winners of the Best Christmas Pizza Design competition, which will be announced before the switch-on, will press the button to turn on the town's Christmas lights. If that was not enough, there will be festive refreshments on sale including candy floss (courtesy of Hailsham Lions) and roasted chestnuts. Hailsham FM will be playing Christmas music throughout the event and Hailsham Parish Church will be hosting their Open Church directly after the switch-on, where there will be background music and free hot drinks served, including hot chocolate.

STREET MARKET: Enjoy the street market this week with its vibrant atmosphere every Saturday in the town centre. Fresh fruit and veg, home-made pastries, fabulous crafts and jewellery, plants, pet items, stylish accessories and more with free parking nearby. On Saturday December 15, there will be a Christmas market and Vicarage Field will be home to a range of stalls selling fine food, Christmas gifts, decorations, cards and many other items. Various festive refreshments will be on sale to tempt visitors including mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and a hog roast. There will be live music by The Sussex Stompers and Christchurch, as well as a festive performance from Wealden Brass at Hailsham Parish Church (3pm). Santa (provided by Hailsham Rotary Club) will be handing out free sweets to children and Hailsham FM will be handing out popular Christmas tunes throughout the event.

COFFEE MORNING: This month’s Freedom Coffee Morning takes place tomorrow, Saturday, at 10am at Ropemaker Church, South Road, Hailsham. All welcome.

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HAILSHAM TOWN FC: Come along and support your local football first teams at the Beaconsfield tomorrow, Saturday, when they kick off against St Francis Rangers at 3pm. On Sunday the U18s are playing Eastbourne Town. Kick-off is at 7.30pm, also at The Beaconsfield, which is across Western Road Rec or accessible via Diplocks Way, signposted opposite SE Tyres. Entry is £5, £2.50 children.

OLD TIME DANCING: The Eastbourne and District Old Time Dance Club meets on Wednesday at Summerheath Hall, from 7.15pm to 10pm. This is a Sparkle Evening. The cost is £3. Beginners are welcome. Enquiries to 01323 500180.

CHARITY BARN DANCE: Some tickets still available for this event in aid of Hailsham Citizens Advice with Hellingly Folk Dance Band at the Kings Head, Lower Horsebridge on Friday November 23 from 7pm to 10.30pm. Tickets are £10, U16s £5 in advance from Hailsham Citizens Advice, Western Road, The Kings Head, Lower Horsebridge or Hailsham Camera Centre, 53 High Street, Hailsham or £12 and £6 respectively on the door. Bar snacks, drinks and a raffle.

LOCAL HERO AWARD: Do you know someone working for the benefit of the Hailsham community or who has committed an outstanding act of bravery or community service? Why not show your appreciation and nominate them for the 2019 Hailsham Hero Community Award? The Town Council is calling on the people across town to put forward nominations for the award and want you to provide information on someone who achieves great things locally or has gone above and beyond what is expected of them to make things happen. If you would like to nominate an individual, please use the Town Council’s nomination form to demonstrate that the person has made a significant contribution to the advancement, wellbeing and welfare of the people of Hailsham in a voluntary capacity, demonstrated excellent citizenship, or has committed a one-off act of heroism, selflessness or bravery. For more details or a copy of the nomination form, please visit reception at Hailsham Town Council, Inglenook, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE or phone 01323 841702, email [email protected] or download a form from www.hailsham-tc.gov.uk The deadline for applications is 4pm on Friday March 22.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB: Finn Hopson a photographer from Brighton visited Hailsham Photographic Society on November 8. Having spent many years cycling and walking on the South Downs Finn now spends his time photographing them, trying to capture unique places, shapes, patterns and textures. Finn’s work has been exhibited around Brighton since 2011, and has been featured in magazines, advertising and websites around the world. In 2014 he opened the Brighton Photographic Gallery. Although this is his third visit to Hailsham, his passion and knowledge on his subject is an inspiration and HPS looks forward to his next lecture. Colin Monk thanked Finn for such an exceptional evening.

ROTARY CLUB: Hailsham Rotary presented a cheque for £2000 to Michael Pennell of the Parkinsons Society. The money was raised through their golf day which took place in September. President Mick Tester presented the cheque.

HAILSHAM CARD: A loyalty card scheme launched in Hailsham to give customers a greater incentive to use town centre shops now has the 2019 Hailsham Card available to purchase at the Town Council offices in Market Street. The Hailsham Card scheme, which is funded by the Hailsham Forward town team and fully supported by the Town Council and local Chamber of Commerce, offers exclusive discounts and offers to cardholders on independent businesses throughout the town centre. Membership of the 2019 Hailsham Card (valid until 31st December 2019) costs just £10 and cardholders can use the card to receive unlimited local discounts in all the local businesses that are part of the scheme (including any online businesses) together with any other towns across Sussex that are signed up to the scheme, including Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill. There are no points to collect, no paperwork and no vouchers to print out. Members can benefit from a free app and website profiling each business and their discount. The Hailsham Card continues to expand its membership Hailsham Forward, which provided £1,000 for start-up costs and promotion of the scheme, is encouraging more local businesses to participate in and create revenue from the scheme. Free benefits for businesses include Creation of revenue as the Hailsham Card is sold, as the businesses own loyalty card, a microsite on the website and app with GPS maps, profile, offer, contact and opening times, social media promotion (posts boosts on Facebook and Twitter), bespoke videos that are optimised to rank on Google, direct email marketing to the membership. A ‘Buy Local’ solution is being endorsed by Hailsham Forward to help create revenue for the businesses participating in the scheme through membership sales and new membership. More information on the Hailsham Loyalty Card Scheme and details about registering can be found at www.towncitycards.com/hailsham/.

TWINNING AGM: Come along and find out all about the Hailsham Twinning Association at 7.30pm on Friday 30 November at its AGM at the Charles Hunt Centre nr Waitrose with eat and meet Christmas nibbles. They are keen to meet new people that interested to come along and find out more about the Association. You do not need to speak French or have to host to be part of the organisation, just like to meet new people in England and in France.