Author: Jez Wilson

Nether Heyford Youth Club – Annual Report April 2019

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At the end of my first year as Chair, we have had a fabulous year; the youth club continues to go from strength to strength with a steady increase in numbers week on week.

To date we now have 47 children registered of which between 33-35 attend on a regular basis. What is pleasing is that we are having children join from outside the village where there is already a strong Youth Club set up, so we must be doing something right.

We will need to push again for more volunteers to help us on a regular basis as with the present numbers we can only go to 40 before we are pushing our ratios. We set these ratios at what we feel is a safe level to ensure all the children have the time they may need with us. There would be no benefit to any of the children if we were always too busy to spend time with them. Our current ratios level is set at 8:1 which for the ages we run is about average. We currently have 5 leaders with one new lady soon to join, which would give us the ability to take up to 48 children.

We have continued to offer a variety of activities for the sessions, from the reptile lady who brings a selection of animals and other scary creatures, to the art and craft sessions run by both NAYC Richard and Michelle, the children love these sessions and there is always a full table. We have also taken the children roller skating and wall climbing, again another well attended session which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

We previously mentioned we continue to receive regular support from NAYC whether it be to deliver arts and crafts or a fun indoor all inclusive activity with Iain. Throughout the year we have been pleased to offer placements for older children who are completing their Duke of Edinburgh awards, we have been really lucky to have had some great seniors who have been fully interacting with the children and I would like to hope that they have gone away having had a very full and inspiring time with us.

We are also ever grateful to the Parish Council who continue to support the Youth Club and are always available to offer support or advice when needed. Throughout the year we have continued to maintain and where possible improve the Youth Club for the future, this year we have had a radiator fitted into the disabled toilet, we have replaced the fire exit door and also had the soffits, guttering and cladding replaced.

It has not all been plain sailing, we still continue to have trouble from the delightful youths in the village, who feel they have the right to abuse our building, I am ever hopeful that once our community police man is in office, he will play a big part in deterring these delightful youths.

We will also be continuing with our gardening contract, which I am confident will continue to see the grounds maintained to a much better standard than previously. We continue to take booking for parties etc, although we are ever conscious of the type of party and the hours they are, as well as the return of the Boxercise classes which are held once a week.

We are also really pleased to see that Autism East Midlands have continued to use the youth club during the half terms for their base and it is nice to see them out and about in our community. From February they will also be running a youth club for children with Autism on a Sunday Morning once a month.

We have also recently welcomed “Hey Babies” a new babies, toddlers and mums group which runs on a Wednesday morning at the Youth Club, we wish them every success.

All in all the youth club continues to thrive and I cannot thank our leaders enough, who always seem to go the extra mile for the children. Therefore big thanks to Lynda, Keiran, Michelle and Adam and all those others who from time to time have given up their evenings to help us out.

Here’s to the next 12 months.


Lesley Dilkes – Chairperson

The popular Nether Heyford Youth Club for ages 6-11, on Monday Evenings (Term Time), run by volunteers and is a non-for-profit making club.

Sessions are 5:30pm-7:00pm and they ask that children are collected by a responsible person during the dark nights.

Email: netherheyfordyouthclub@hotmail.co.uk
Telephone: 07967 753216
Facebook: www.facebook.com/netherheyfordyouthclub/
Clubhouse Address: Roberts Field, NN7 3BE

The Youth Club is also available for private hire.

Parish Council – March 2019 Meeting

ParishCouncilNotes

The March 2019 meeting of Nether Heyford Parish Council was held on the 4th, at the Baptist Chapel Schoolroom

PCSO agreement
All being well the village should have a part time PCSO in place shortly. Police methods are very different now, and police personnel generally less visible so it will be good to have a regular police presence in the village again. The officer is already at work in Bugbrooke and will share duties between the two villages.

The Annual Parish Meeting
Will take place before the normal Parish Council meeting on April 1st . This is an opportunity for village organisations to give annual reports and for general discussion. Please send any reports to the Clerk by e-mail.

Public Participation
A Parishioner complained of the dumping of trade waste and burning of apparently toxic waste in the field behind Denbrook, as had other Parishioners. The Clerk had reported this to environmental health at SNC who had acknowledged, and had already been made aware by Parishioners. Fire men were apparently putting in a report and there were Police incident numbers. Neighbours were concerned that hazardous materials and trade waste were involved.

There were comments about the parking situation around the school. It was acknowledged that parking around schools was an issue in most villages.

It was reported that SNC were waiting to hear from parliament about confirmation of 2 unitaries. There was a proposal that there be 18 councillors chosen as members of an unelected shadow council.

Lights
The Chair and Clerk had attended a seminar on lighting. The cost of the streetlights has increased by 100% over the past 3 years, but it seems that by switching to LED lighting that anything up to 75% could be saved on electricity costs. It was felt that a working party could look at all existing lights and work on proposals for the village as a whole. The project would be a costly one, but there is a Government supported agency able to give interest free loans.

Allotments
All but 1 of the rents have now been collected, and some new allotment
holders have come forward. Volunteer Saturdays were being held in March, and an
Open day for the Orchard on April 6th. Small strips of land would be offered for rent.

Dog Mess
As ever an ongoing problem, with complaints that irresponsible dog
owners continue to let their dogs foul the Green and elsewhere and do not clean up,
Some who do, proceed to throw the bags into hedges or trees. There are surely
enough dog bins available to avoid this.

Roads and Pavements
Parishioners are reminded that anyone can report a pothole or other highways problem online to the Streetdoctor service, and this can refer to problems outside the village too. Alternatively, phone 0300 126 1000 and ask for Streetdoctor

Next Meeting
The next Parish Council meeting will be on Monday April 1st at the Baptist Chapel Schoolroom at 8 pm and is, like all Parish Council meetings, open to all Parishioners. It is preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting

Parish Council Notes by the Clerk; Guy Ravine c/o The Old Dairy Farm, Upper Stowe, Weedon, Northamptonshire, NN7 4SH. Telephone 01327 340410 Email: netherheyfordparishcouncil@gmail.com – March 2019

For further useful information about Nether Heyford Parish Council and full contact details for the clerk and the councillors please visit our Nether Heyford Parish Council page.

Open Mic Night – Friday 29th March

The Olde Sun, Nether Heyford hosts an Open Mic Night on Friday 29th March 2019.

OpenMicNight_NetherHeyford_2019

The Olde Sun 
Address: 10 Middle Street, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire NN7 3LL
Telephone: 01327 340164
Email: theoldesunheyford@gmail.com
Website: www.theoldesun.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheOldeSunNetherHeyford 

View more venue information on our Pubs & Shops page.

Village Fete – Facebook Page

The Fete is on its way: Saturday 8th June 2019 2pm – 5pm.

Nether Heyford Village Fete now has a Facebook community page providing updates of what to expect at this years Fete on the village green.

” Welcome to the Facebook Page for this years village fete which will be held on the green on Saturday 8th June 2019 2-5 pm. Watch this space over the coming weeks for news of this years attractions, events and big prize draw “

https://www.facebook.com/Nether-Heyford-Village-Fete-2019-649062938887012/

All proceeds raised from the Fete go towards the ongoing upkeep and management of Nether Heyford Village Hall, one of the villages most valuable assets.

For more information on volunteering or assisting on the day, read the article in the March edition of The Prattler

Heyford Tennis Club – March 2019

We are a friendly club that welcomes players of all ages and abilities.

Do you fancy trying Tennis or have you played before and are thinking of trying again ?

We have a number of social tennis sessions including:

  • Ladies – Friday mornings  10 am to 12 pm
  • Men – Monday evenings 7 pm to 9 pm
  • Coaching – Offered for juniors & adults

For further useful information about Nether Heyford Tennis Club and full contact details please visit our Nether Heyford Tennis Club page. You can also visit the Facebook page via on our Links page or telephone Jo on 01327 349094.

Website: clubspark.lta.org.uk/NetherHeyfordTennisClub

Heyford Gardening Club – Events 2019

Heyford-Gardening-Cluband-allotments

Heyford Gardening Club & Allotments 

Programme of Events for 2019:

March 11th: Liz Taylor from Woodland Trust; Mini Show – Daffodils

April 8th: Patsy Raynor – Plants in Literature: Origins & Anecdotes; Mini Show – Tulips

May 13th: Branch Out MK –Helping People to Grow Through Gardening; Seed Swap; Mini Show – Spring Flowers

June 8th: Village Fete

June 10th: Steve Brown, Bonsai Trees or Graham Pavey, Vertical Gardens; Mini Show – Roses

July: Summer Party

August: No Meeting

September 9th: Autumn Show

October 14th: Malcolm Dickson Hooksgreen Herbs

November 11th: Caroline Tait – Fellow of Longwood Gardens, Philadelphia, A Year at Longwood

December 9th: Christmas Tree Festival; Snowdrops

Mark Newstead 

www.heyfordgardenclub.com

For more information visit the Heyford Gardening Club & Allotments page

Heyford-Gardening-Cluband-allotments

Heyford Bowls Club – March 2019

The DAVE JULAND PRESIDENT’S CUP competition took place on Saturday 9th
February with six teams of players participating. The early rounds consisted of two matches each; the two highest scoring teams then proceeding into the final. After a very entertaining afternoon the seven end final proved to be a hard fought encounter. The eventual winners were Rosemary Dunkley, Bernard Alder and Morris Freeman over Chris Phillips, Rosemary Haddon and Den Taylor by the close score of 6-5.

Our last match in the Wardington League was played on Monday 4th February.
Heyford’s two teams of bowlers were in excellent form and recorded a very high
scoring win on both mats. This was one of our best wins, producing maximum points. With five wins out of six we are now sitting very handy in the league.

Indoor bowls competitions are again in the pipeline with the LADIES PAIRS on
Saturday 23rd March. Entrants names as usual on the notice board. This is a well
supported event so ladies please let us have as many bowlers as possible.

Members support is very strong maintaining very good attendances for both our
Wednesday bowling sessions. New members are settling in very well and enjoying
their bowling.

Den Taylor

For more bowls club information please visit our website:

www.heyfordbowlsclub.co.uk

 

Heyford Cricket Club – March 2019

The 2019 season is fast approaching. Winter nets at the County Ground are underway (every Thursday, 9-10pm all newcomers welcome!) and Darren Bastin and his team have already started pre-season work on the square.

This season the 1st XI will be competing in NCL Division 3. Captain Jimmy Edwards will have high hopes of mounting a promotion challenge after a strong finish to the 2018 season, and Rob Pardon will be cautiously optimistic about the 2nd XI’s chances in Division 8 after a memorable first season as captain.

We will also be entering the T20 Cup competition again, and re-entering the National Village Knock Out competition after a 9-year absence.

Junior Cricket:
This summer Heyford Cricket Club will be running junior cricket for children aged
5-11.

  • Every Friday from 6pm
  • Official ECB ‘All Stars Cricket’ for 5­-8 year olds (starting 17th May)
  • Fully qualified coaches for 9­-11 year olds (starting 10th May)
  • Boys and girls of all abilities welcome
  • All equipment provided

Please get in touch if you would like some more information or to register your
interest!

Youth Cricket Coordinators:

Bonus Ball:
A full list of Bonus Ball winners can be found on the ‘News’ pages of our website.

The January winners were as follows:
Saturday 5th January (6) – Matt Baker
Saturday 12th January (26) – Rob Pardon
Saturday 19th January (45) – No winner
Saturday 26th January (45) – No winner

Thank you to everyone who plays. If you would like to support the Club for £1 per
week, but also stand the chance of winning £25 each week then please get in touch
for more information.

Forthcoming Events and Home Fixtures:

Friday 26th April – pre-season quiz, keep an eye on the website for more details!
Saturday 27th April – 2nd XI v Horton House

More details about Heyford Cricket Club can be found on our website: www.heyfordcricket.co.uk or via social media where we can be found on both Facebook and Twitter.

If you would like to get in touch you can also email us at: heyfordcricket@hotmail.co.uk

Lent Lunch – Saturday 30th March 2019

Nether Heyford Parish Church and Nether Heyford Baptist Church invite you to join them for a LENT LUNCH of Home-Made Soup and Crusty bread in the Baptist Chapel Schoolrooms

Saturday 30th March 2019 – 12 pm to 2 pm

No set charge but donations invited for: The Hope Centre, Northampton

Northampton Hope tackles poverty and homelessness. 

“Our work helps people experiencing the most acute problems of disadvantage, exclusion and marginalisation. As well as giving practical support, we focus on helping people to help themselves, provide support and services that will enable individuals to take back control of their own lives, and campaign with them against the causes of their disadvantage.”

Website: northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

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For more information visit the Nether Heyford Baptist Chapel page.

Revitalising the Allotments – March 2019

Community Orchard
We are planning an official opening of Heyford Community Orchard on Saturday 6th April, at 11.30.am – for a 12 noon start. We will of course be inviting our wonderful band of sponsors and supporters but we would also like you, the good folk of Nether and Upper Heyford, to feel free to come and join us. Everyone is welcome. All that we would ask is that if you’d like to join in our picnic, you bring a nibble to eat and something to drink.

Unfortunately we can’t provide refreshments for all as we have no idea how many people are likely to attend. How embarrassing to have a hundred guests and only a packet or two of sandwiches. Conversely, a handful of people and hundreds of items of food and drink left over! If you are planning to stay for a while you may also want to consider bringing a chair.

We have ordered good weather and we are hoping Mother Nature will have been kind to the trees. They should be in leaf and some may even have blossom on them. I think we’ll have to wait a year or two for boughs laden with fruit.

If you haven’t seen what has been achieved so far this a great opportunity to have a first look at the orchard. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask those involved how it is going to be managed and how you can take advantage of the fruit we will eventually have on offer. Remember, this is a community orchard.

We look forward to seeing you – whether it is for just a fleeting visit or for an afternoon of bucolic relaxation.

Jam Patch
The next stage in our plan to revitalise the allotment site is to create a Jam Patch. This, like the orchard, will be a community area so available to all. As we have cleared old allotments we have rescued any fruit bushes that are in good condition. These will be planted up on a plot next to the orchard and be available for residents to pick from and hopefully make jam – or any other tasty treats.

Like the orchard, this area will be clearly signposted so that villagers are quite clear about what is a community space and which plots are exclusively reserved for individual allotmenteers.

Watch this space for an update on developments.

Tester Plots
Just like ‘tester (paint) pots’ when you are planning to decorate, we thought it
would be a good idea to create some tester plots. These would be small strips of ground (measuring about 3m x 7m) that local residents could rent for a very minimal fee, to see if they’d like to take on an allotment – or maybe just continue to cultivate because that is quite enough for them.

Clearing and preparing these areas will be the subject of our ‘working parties’ who plan to meet at 10.00.am every Saturday in March for a couple of hours work. Looking at what has been achieved so far, it is amazing just how much can be done in a short period when willing hands are put to work. If you are able to assist (even at another time) then do contact either Lynda or Sue on the numbers listed below.

Renting an Allotment
I am sure that readers of the Prattler won’t have missed our many messages about the good reasons to rent an allotment. Now is the perfect time to adopt a plot. The weather should, by the time you read this article, have started to warm up and the days will certainly be getting longer. Why not give allotmenteering a go and grow your own, tasty fruit and veg. Plots of all sizes are available for rent, from the tiniest of spaces to full sized allotments. In almost all cases they are now in a good state to begin cultivating. What better way to get some exercise and work off the pounds you put on over the festive period?

If you are interested, come and have a look at what is on offer and then contact either Sue Corner on 01327 342124 or Lynda Eales on 01327 341707.

Seats
From time to time people have old garden benches or picnic tables that they no longer require. We’d love to have some seating in the community areas we have created alongside the orchard. If you have just such an item (preferably made of wood/metal) and it needs a new home, do get in touch on either 01327 341390 or langrish_heyford@hotmail.com All donations would be most warmly welcome.

Free Compost Days
Last year South Northants Council organized some free compost days at their Towcester depot. In a bid to encourage people to recycle more green waste they invited local residents to drive along to Towcester with empty sacks and fill them with the compost that is produced from the waste in your green bins. Normally this has to be paid for; you may have noticed the ‘for sale’ notices at the recycling centre. On this occasion it was all free!

The initiative was not well publicized and on the day that Jill and I helped out, I don’t think we saw one Heyford resident. No advance notice of the event has yet been published, but I have enquired about whether the event is being repeated. As soon as I hear, we will publish details on the Prattler website and if possible, get it mentioned in the Prattler itself.

Mike Langrish