Mayfield and Five Ashes Village News

MAYFACS BEREAVEMENT CAFÉ

The next Bereavement Cafe will take place on Friday, 27th February, between 10am and 12pm in Rotherfield, as we alternate venues each session. This month's location is at Rotherfield St Martin offices, The Institute, Rotherfield, TN6 3LX, which is just on the corner to North Street. Parking is available in the Village Hall Car Park (further down North Street, by the Primary School). Rotherfield is also accessible via the 51 Bus Route using the 9.09 am service. If anyone is not able to get there, and would require volunteer transport, please do get in touch with the MAYFACS office to arrange on: 01435 873888. March 27th Cafe will be back in Mayfield at Mayfield Cricket Club . Both venues are open to everyone to attend. For more information, please do contact either MAYFACS or RSM.

PAINT AND SIP: Tickets are now available for our next Paint and Sip event for Mayfacs on Wednesday, 22nd April from 7 pm-9 pm at The Middle House with a fun pigeon inspired painting masterclass with Eleanor Ross - Artist, Designer and Educator. Tickets for these events do sell out fast and are open to everyone to attend, so please secure yours ASAP by emailing: [email protected] or leaving us a message on our landline 01435 873888. Payment will be required on confirmation to secure your booking. Drinks and snacks/food will be available to purchase from the bar on the night. All materials are included in the cost of your ticket.

ST DUNSTAN’S ORGAN TRUST SUNDAY 15 MARCH

St Dunstan’s Organ Trust is presenting a series of two recitals featuring the splendid Walker organ played by two young and upcoming organists. The first of these recitals will be performed by Thomas Blew, who holds the ARCO diploma, is in his final year at school and is Organ Scholar at St Giles, Farnborough. He is also enjoying a busy schedule with the National Youth Orchestra. The recitals are part of a series of events highlighting the quality of the organ in St Dunstan’s Church, but also the fact that wear, tear and damp have taken their toll on the instrument such that it now needs major repairs and servicing. All proceeds from this recital will go towards the maintenance costs of the organ. This recital will feature a ‘meet the organist’ interview and a ‘Classic FM Moment‘ of lighter repertoire. Pre-recital drinks will be available from 5.30pm. Link in bio for tickets or: www.mayfieldfestival.co.uk

AHOY! SING FOR THE MARY ROSE Wednesday 29 April 2026 6.30 pm

St. Dunstan's Church, Mayfield, East Sussex. Tickets £15 (25 and under: £5) Composer Alexander L'Estrange's uplifting celebration of King Henry VIll's famous warship, the Mary Rose, cleverly fuses the music of Tudor times with an array of catchy sea shanties and also includes a sublime setting by L'Estrange of Shakespeare's Full Fathom Five. Set for adult and children's choirs together, the latter will be made up of St Dunstan's choristers and children from Five Ashes Primary School, Mayfield Primary School and Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School, while the former - The Sea Shanty Singers - will include pupils from Mayfield School. The choirs will be accompanied by the Call Me Al jazz quintet, featuring folk fiddle and piano accordion, and the composer himself will be conducting. Link in bio for tickets or: www.mayfieldfestival.co.uk Drinks and snacks/food will be available to purchase from the bar on the night. All materials are included in the cost of your ticket.

WADHURST and TUNBRIDGE WELLS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

The monthly meeting of the Wadhurst and Tunbridge Wells Astronomical Society will take place on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, in the hall at Beechwood School, 12 Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3QD. That night our guest speaker will be Dr Jan Drozd who will be posing the question, and hopefully confirming the answer for us when he asks “Is Anybody out there?” Then there is a refreshment break with included tea, coffee and biscuits after which there is an opportunity for those present to show any images or observations that have been made recently. After that, Brian Mills FRAS will give us the “Sky Notes” so that we know what to look for in the sky during the coming weeks. Doors open at 7pm with the meeting starting at 7:30pm. Members and anyone under 18 years of age can attend free of charge but otherwise visitors are asked to kindly pay £5 to contribute towards costs. However, would you please pay with cash as we are unable to take electronic payments at themoment. There is ample car parking available on the school site. More details are available from our website at https://wtwastro.co.uk

MAYFIELD PRE SCHOOL

Welcoming the children back after half term in the hope that Spring will soon be with us, looking at the lovely daffodils out in full bloom. This term we will be thinking about our emotions and looking after each other!

WADHURST JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

Current Player Opportunities: U15 Goalkeeper – Sunday matches: U13 Girls (Yr 7 & Yr – Saturday matches: U14 Players – Saturday matches. For more information: Email: [email protected]

ROTHERFIELD VILLAGE PRE SCHOOL

We are recruiting: Due to an increased number of families joining us and a growing waiting list for some sessions, Rotherfield Village Pre School is excited to be expanding our team. As our pre-school continues to grow, we are currently recruiting for the following positions: Bank Staff: Flexible, as-and-when required hours. 1:1 SEND Support Assistant: Supporting individual children until July 2026. If you are caring, enthusiastic and passionate about supporting children in their early years, we would love to hear from you. Experience and a qualification in early years is desirable, and a nurturing, positive approach is essential. For more information, please see our website@: https://rotherfieldpre-school.co.uk/vacancies

WADHURST JUNIOR FC OFFER GIRLS ONLY FOOTBALL TRAINING

Wadhurst JFC - Girls Football Training. New day added. Would your daughter like to try football - learn skills, have fun and make friends? Are they aged 6 to 11 years? To help your player develop whether new to football or already playing - Sessions from w/c 23rd Feb: Uplands Sports Centre: Tuesdays 4.45-5.45, ages 8, 9, 10 & 11; Thursdays 4.45-5.45, ages 6 & 7. Free taster session - then £3 per session, Age 8 can also attend the Thursday sessions; we are flexible! Contact Trudi O’Neill on: 07818 666729 to register interest or for further information if you can’t make the training days.

ST WILFRIDS HOSPICE

A message from our CEO: "Following this week’s news about proposed changes to our services, I would like to thank our community, and to clarify what this might mean for the future of hospice care locally. Firstly, I would like to reassure you that the St Wilfrid’s Hospice Community Team and Inpatient unit are not closing. Our team of nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, along with the wider team, will continue to see people in their own homes or their care home. They will also continue to run our help and advice line, Nurse Line, and provide outpatient clinics and care. Our Inpatient unit will continue to care for people who need it. We know there has been some confusion about what the proposed changes mean, so we have put together the answers to some of the common questions we have seen over the last few days. You can see them here: https://www.stwhospice.org/about-us/blog/changes-to-care/ I know this news has had a big impact on lots of people, and I share the concerns and sadness of many. Hospices in England have never faced such difficult financial challenges. St Wilfrid’s gets around a quarter of its funding from the NHS and, as a charity, we raise the remaining money. We are working hard to improve our funding and set a more sustainable future so we will be here for our communities at the end of life. Our mission remains improving end of life care, with the person, the patient and their families, at the heart of this. I, and our team, remain committed to providing the best end of life care locally. The support and compassion shown by our community is incredible, and I know we can’t do this without you. I would like to thank each and every one of you."

CONTACT

Is there anything you would like me to write about to promote your business, group, or association? Please get in touch via email: [email protected]