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Fundraising Event for Myeloma UK – Saturday 21st March 2020
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2020 Village Award Scheme – Update – February 2020
2020 Village Award Scheme
Northamptonshire Action for Communities in Rural England
Nether Heyford’s Application
Following my mention of this in the October Prattler, in preparation for our application, I have been researching all that Nether Heyford has to offer to its community.
The results are staggering – in a village of 1750 people we have some 50 groups, organisations, activities and facilities all offering direct benefits, not only to our own people but to those of neighbouring villages.
But a list is not enough – I now need specific details of how all these benefits are offered and received. To this end, I am about to ask each group to help me by completing a brief questionnaire. As it’s going to take me some time to get around everyone, you may not hear from me immediately. When you do, I hope you will provide a picture of the all good work that you are doing.
The application deadline is tight – the end of February. In April or May the judges will visit our village to talk to groups and view the facilities. I do hope that, if invited, you will be willing to join a small group of Heyford people to meet the judges and help convince them what a marvelous community we have in our village. Awards will be announced in July.
In advance of your support, thank you.
Alwyne Wilson 01327 340803
(Village Awards Co-ordinator: self-volunteered)
Village Hall Events – The 60th Anniversary
2020 – The 60th Anniversary of Nether Heyford Village Hall
2020 Events:
Village Garage Sale – Sunday 19th April – Postponed to Sunday 20th September
Village Hall Fete – Saturday 20th June – Cancelled
Art Exhibition – Saturday 26th September
Anniversary Dance – Saturday 10th October
Yuletide Festival – TBC
Pantomime Cinderella – TBC – Late December (usually between
Boxing and Hogmanay.)
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Village Hall – News – February 2020
First, a sad note
Chris Phillips, who has represented the Crafty Club on our Management Committee for some time, has decided to stand down. We want to record our warmest thanks to Chris for her enthusiastic and positive contributions to our meetings, and also her willing and active support at our various special events. We are going to miss her.
Pantomime : ‘Dick Whittington’
Another huge thank-you to the many volunteers who helped to make our latest traditional pantomime another great success. Once again we had a packed house, making all the generous contributions of time, effort and raffle prizes well worthwhile. The children and young people enthusiastically shared in the audience participation, although the adults certainly enjoyed themselves too. Our next pantomime by The Looking Glass Theatre will be ‘Cinderella’ at the end of the year. More information nearer the time.
Carols on the Green
A report on this appears elsewhere but it was interesting to note that, as with our Village Hall Fete in June, the weather before and on the day was awful. During our setting up it was pouring and we were all soaked – again. However, as with the Fete, amazingly the rain stopped in time, giving us a clear and relatively mild evening for the event.
The Heyford Singers, lead by their Director Mary Rice whose idea this was, are to be warmly congratulated on a successful first event. It looks as though Nether Heyford now has another traditional annual event on the Village Green.
Main Hall Floor
This has now been fully cleaned and restored and looks like a brand new floor, attracting many compliments from our users. Our thanks are due to Peter Squire for researching and arranging for this work to be done over the Christmas break.
Heating
The boiler which heats the kitchen side of the hall and rooms behind the stage has now been repaired and is working well. So no more complaints about being cold. However, we did receive a complaint during the pantomime that it was actually too hot – can’t win – but we continue to do our best.
Future plans
Several are in the pipeline and will be reported as and when appropriate. We want our village hall to be in prime condition for its 60th anniversary celebrations.
Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803
Carols on the Green (December 2019) – Update – February 2020
Carols on the Green – December 2019
When I first envisaged ‘Carols on the Green’ I had a picture of villagers singing as in a Christmas card, with the weather ‘Deep and crisp and even’. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, standing on the green, it was more like ‘Wind and rain and boggy’. The team who came to set up were incredible, completely ignored the weather and got drenched in the process. However, NEVER doubt the power of prayer as by 6.30 it had actually stopped raining and the wind was not as bad – I can’t claim that the green was perfectly dry but we can’t have everything! I would like to say a heartfelt, personal thank you to everyone who turned out to raise their voices to Christmas.
You raised £256.56p towards replacing our Church roof which, considering the conditions, was wonderful. I would also like to thank you all for leaving virtually no litter for me to pick up the next morning.
On behalf of Heyford Singers there are, as always, people who must be acknowledged for their help in the organisation of an evening such as this and I hope you will forgive me if I have missed anyone out!
The Parish Council for permission to use the green and help with insurance arrangements.
Unusual (Rigging) Ltd. for the use of power cables.
PPL PRS for a Charity Music Licence.
The Village Hall Committee for use of the Hall in the case of bad weather.
Alwyne Wilson for her co-ordinating skills.
Tony Clewett for the use of the sound equipment and being so sure it would stop
raining!
Geoff Allen for being an incomparable compere.
Peter Squire and Jeremy Rice for fixing the power cables in the rain without
electrocuting themselves (or anyone else)!
Keith Rands Allen, Jill & Mike Langrish + grandsons, Alwyne W and Tony C for
erecting the gazebo despite the wind and rain.
The Rev. Stephen Burrow for his closing prayer.
And Richard Musson for providing the collecting buckets.
I have been told that carol singing on the green used to happen in the past and I would love to hear from anyone who can tell me when this was. It would be lovely to start a new ‘ Village Tradition’ but equally exciting to carry on an old one – especially as Northampton seems to be creeping ever nearer along the A45.
Thank you all for your support; hope to see you again in December.
Mary Rice
Heyford Lodge 01327 340101
The Bliss Charity School – Governor Vacancy – February 2020
Governor Vacancy – The Bliss Charity School
As a result of a recent retirement, The Bliss Charity School has a vacancy for a Governor.
What do Governors do?
The volunteer Governing Body provides strategic leadership and accountability at The Bliss Charity School. It has three key functions:
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school
and its pupils - Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
The Governors set the aims and objectives for the school and set the policies and targets for achieving those aims and objectives. We monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making and act as a source of challenge and support to the headteacher.
What sort of person are we looking for?
Schools need a range of professional knowledge (in addition to education) on the governing body including finance, human resources, legal, marketing and public relations, property and estates management, and organisational change.
We are particularly keen to hear from those from a finance/accountancy background, or with buildings/facilities management experience, but this is not essential. The most important attributes are time to dedicate to attending meetings a few times per school term (usually early evenings), and a commitment to supporting school staff to enable every pupil to achieve their potential.
Do I have to have a connection with the School or the Village already?
Absolutely not! It is important for us to find someone from beyond the immediate
families of pupils of the School on this occasion, as we already have a number of
parents on the Governing Body.
It is not necessary to be a resident of Nether Heyford, so please do share this vacancy with anyone you think may be interested in the position.
For more information we would welcome enquiries to the Clerk to the Governors, Lynn Adey who can be contacted by calling into School, by telephoning School on 01327 340758 or by email bursar@bliss.northants.sch.uk
Nether Heyford Baptist Church – Services – February 2020
Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul – February 2020
Nether Heyford Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
Dear Friends.
Once again, I am writing February’s letter on the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year, material for this week of prayer – prepared by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland – is based on the story of St Paul’s shipwreck on the island of Malta. Found in Chapters 27 and 28 of the Acts of the Apostles, this is a story of peril and fear, rescue and hope. St Paul and his fellow travellers, which include the ship’s crew, and the soldiers sent to guard the apostle, found themselves battered by storms, shipwrecked and washed up on the beach. To this day, tourists to the island are taken to the spot where St Paul is thought to have come ashore, bringing with him the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The Church in Malta still celebrates this event, as the arrival of the Christian faith on their tiny island, reminding us that Christianity is not just a spiritual thing, it is rooted in real events in human history.
Back in the original story, the survivors of the shipwreck were eventually rescued and aided by local people; “Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness.” (Acts 28:1-2) ‘Unusual kindness’ strikes me as a strange phrase. Kindness is not unusual. It’s shown as much today as it was in St Paul’s day. What’s unusual was that this kindness was shown to strangers and foreigners, and battered, bedraggled ones at that.
It’s easy to show kindness to people we know and like. Much harder to show kindness to people we don’t know, or don’t like. I suspect we all have work to do there! But Jesus calls his followers to show ‘unusual kindness’ telling us to love even our enemies. Such kindness sees beyond our differences and divisions and recognises our common humanity. Of course, whatever our faith, we can all show kindness; to our friends and families, and to the strangers we meet as we journey through life. We demonstrate unusual kindness by valuing and welcoming all people. We demonstrate unusual kindness by giving without counting the cost. We demonstrate unusual kindness as we love and serve others, without expecting anything in return.
At the start of this new decade, I pray that we might all aspire to show ‘unusual kindness’ to the people we meet. I pray that we might acknowledge our common humanity, build one another up, and strengthen our communities.
With every blessing,
Stephen – 01327 344436
Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul – Services – February 2020
Midweek Services are held weekly on Wednesdays, 9.30am at Heyford (not 19th or 26th February) and Thursdays, 10am at Flore – all welcome.
During February we shall be praying for people living in Hillside Rd and Hillside Crescent here in Heyford, Sutton St, Yew Tree Gardens and Sutton Acre in Flore, The Manor in Church Stowe and the Gate House and the Old Dairy in Brockhall.
Rev Stephen Burrow (Tel. 01327 344436)
Letters: Money in your pocket – February 2020
Parking
In a recent Martin Lewis Money programme on ITV he reminded any married couple or partnership in which one partner is a 20% tax payer whilst their partner either does not pay tax or utilise their full personnel allowance,currently at £1250, should apply to transfer the unused tax allowance to their partner. This can be back dated to April 2015 and currently amounts up to a maximum of £250 for the current tax year. Simply contact the Office of Works and Pensions and provide both partners details in order to your claim.
In addition anybody who has taken out a Lasting Power of Attorney, LPA or Enduring Power of Attorney, EPA between 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2017 are entitled to refunds varying from £34 to £54 for each attorney dependent on the date of completion. Separate refunds are available whether cover is for property/financial or health/welfare. Closure date for applications is 1 February 2021. So far over £11M has been paid out. You can claim if you are a donor or attorney. If the donor has died then the executor of the will can claim. Claims can be made to the Office of the Public Guardian by phone 0300 456 0300 selecting option 6 or fill in on-line form. If successful payment will be received within 12 weeks.
I personally have successfully completed claims and received multiple refunds.
James Arnold
Published February Edition 2020
The Nether Heyford Prattler 