Willingdon, Wannock and Jevington

Entrants will be notified of the results at the presentation evening to be held in September and results and photographs may be published in the local press. The address of entry must be within the parish of Willingdon and Jevington. For an entry form please contact the parish assistant clerk Nicola Williamson on 01323 489104 or pop into the parish office at 3 Gorringe Valley Road Willingdon.

SCHOOL REUNION: Robin Curtis is planning a big school reunion event for Myeloma UK in the main hall at Willingdon Community School starting at 6.45pm tomorrow, Saturday. Myeloma is a bone marrow cancer. The school reunion will be a real family event. There will be live entertainment, comedy, an auction, raffle, and a school disco. A three course meal will be served with tea/ coffee and there will also be a prefects’ bar. The event will be very informal with a fun science demonstration by a college lecturer, and a bit of acting from the adults and children. The design and technology item involves building a tower to hold an egg from art straws. I am not sure whether or not the egg will be a raw. Robin is calling the event School Reunion of St Helen’s. Fancy dress is optional. I would imagine that something in the style of the St Trinians’ students and teachers might be appropriate. Tickets are £10 each and are available from Robin at [email protected] or ring Robin on 01323 509159.

WANNOCK ARTISTS: Are looking forward to welcoming local Sussex artist Stephen Cheeseman to their next monthly meeting which is from 7pm to 9pm at Wannock Hall today, Friday. His demonstration is entitled Movement in Horses. The annual fee for members is £18, and for visitors it is £4 on the night to include refreshments. Contact details are at [email protected] .

SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING: At 6 Upper Kings Drive will be holding an open day from 10am to 4pm tomorrow, Saturday, when members of the public will be welcome to go along and have a look round at the many facilities which are offered to the residents. Please call Emma Vieira, director of Community Relations on 01323 525000 to book your place. Light refreshments will be served.

SOUL SINGER: Lou Taylor will be entertaining the customers at 8.30pm tomorrow, Saturday, at the British Queen.

FRIENDLY CUPPA: Trinity Church will be having a coffee morning every Wednesday morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm in the church hall starting this week. This is a new initiative so do pop along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and cake or a light snack with good company.

FLOWER CLUB: Willingdon Flower Club will be meeting at 1.45pm for a 2pm start at Willingdon Memorial Hall on Friday March 4 for their AGM. The competition is entitled Crowning Glory. For further information please contact the chairman Margaret Lainchbury on 01323 484347 or the secretary Jasmine Gayton on 01323 844426.

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: This year the service has been written by the women of Cuba. The theme from St Mark’s Gospel is Receive Children, Receive Me, a reminder that everyone is a child of God and equally worthy of love and reflect. The service is relayed at churches throughout Friday March 4. At St Mary’s Church in Willingdon the service will be held at 10.30am, and at St Wilfrid’s Church in Broad Road Willingdon it will be held at 2.30am. Men are also very welcome at these services.

ARTHRITIS RESEARCH UK: The Wannock and District branch was formed in 1980, later to become the Wannock and Polegate branch, and then in the year 2000 it merged with Eastbourne to become the Polegate and Eastbourne branch. In the last 36 years the national charity has also had three different titles, which can be quite confusing. Our local branch has been very active throughout the years, raising funds for research through coffee mornings, jumble sales, collections and flag days and has sent nearly £120,000 to headquarters and has also generated over £60,000 from legacies and gift aid. Annual membership fees have also paid a large part in the money raised locally. But due to age and infirmities membership has gradually declined. A new requirement of Arthritis Research UK means that a formal written agreement needs to be signed by April 1 setting out the relationship between the branch & Arthritis Research UK.

The agreement is considered necessary due to the increasing scrutiny of charities and changes in charity legislation. Much of what is required at our branch level is already in place, such as maintaining a member list and proper accounting arrangements, however there are issues which cause concern to the present committee, such as the risk assessment needed before holding events and finding ways to reduce these risks.

Although the committee has always endeavoured to consider the risk factor, it has made them wary of holding events where there are potential risks.

It is now felt that a new committee is required, fit and able to hold fundraising events, as the branch used to do.

IMPORTANT MEETING: A meeting has been arranged at Trinity Church Hall at 2.30pm on Friday March 4 to appoint a new team to take over the Polegate and Eastbourne branch of Arthritis Research UK. Should the meeting fail to appoint such a team, the branch will cease on March 31 2016. If you are unable to go to the meeting but are interested in taking part in a new committee or require further information, please contact Mary Claydon on 01323 482262. It would be a great pity to see this branch close, as with so many people suffering from arthritis, fundraising for research is all important.

ASTRONOMY: Eastbourne Astronomical Society will be meeting from 7.30pm to 10pm at Willingdon Memorial Hall on Saturday March 5. The speaker is Bob Argyle and his subject is entitled Visual Double Star Astronomy.

JEVINGTON AND FILCHING WI: (Report by Mary Tomsett). The February meeting was well attended by members and one visitor. Following the recent fall by one member an Accident Policy has been written which will be kept in the new First Aid bag and brought to each meeting by the 1st First Aider. Three First Aiders were named. Members were given a form to complete with their personal details and the telephone number of a local contact. Clare reported the result of our Resolution votes which had been the same as ESFWI.

The names of those attending the ESFWI AGM were put in a hat and our delegate is Peggy Ireland. Final arrangements were made for a pre meeting lunch.

Following our visits to Sunrise and Milton Grange invitations have been received to return, and arrangements are being made to do this.

More twiddle muffs are being made for Milton Grange. The WI scrapbook is moving forward and members were reminded that the final date for pages is next month’s meeting. Members were encouraged to enter the Lady Denman Cup Competition for 2016.Unfortunately we will be unable to take part in the craft day at Wannock Hall as it clashes with the AGM.

A table has been booked for Jevington Village Fete in June. Many events are on offer from ESFWI and transport arranged where needed.

The Out and About Group had enjoyed a breezy walk along Eastbourne Seafront and also coffee at St Wilfred’s Hospice.

The next leg stretch will be in Hampden Park followed by coffee in the Chalet. This month’s craft group will be meeting to make Japanese folded patchwork and in March Calligraphy.

Our speaker was Peter Rimington who gave a fascinating talk about the da Vinci Robot at the DGH. Once the Friends of the DGH have paid for this equipment there will be a great saving on time and staff. A real step forward for the people of Eastbourne.

Our next meeting is on Thursday March 10 at 2pm in Trinity Church Hall. After the business meeting a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party will enable members to get to know one another better over refreshments and games.

For further information either ring Mary on 489646, visit our website www.jevingtonwi.co.uk or just pop along to our next meeting.

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