Ashburnham & Penhurst village voice

After 3 years Tony Smith, in Brownbread Street, has now qualified with the South Coast Ambulance Service, (SECAmb) to be the voluntary Community First Responder (CFR). This means that he can attend locally on an ambulance call-out to give emergency first aid to include heart attacks, strokes, bleeding and most other things. Being a rural community he can probably arrive well before an ambulance and such saving of time can save lives.

However, while SECAmb will replenish the oxygen, defibrillator batteries, bandages etc. free they don’t provide the initial kit costing £1,200. As Tony doesn’t benefit personally from the kit it has to be the community, That’s YOU, to help out with the cost. If you can assist Tony with the cost of this vital kit, please drop your donation into him. Remember the kit belongs to you, the community, not Tony; he holds it in safe keeping for your benefit.

Ashburnham & Penhurst Art Group. Have you always wished you could paint? Learn to paint in watercolour with local artist Vivienne Walkington. Unlock your unique creativity. Understand the basics of colour and composition. Develop skills and techniques. Lose your fear of the blank piece of paper. And have fun. 3-hour daytime sessions starting May 2012 Plus occasional weekend workshops If you’re interested in finding out more, please send an email to [email protected].

The East Sussex County Council Mobile Library service will next be in Ashburnham (by the chapel) on Thursday May 10 and 24, 9.50am - 10.10am.

A second meeting of the Ashburnham Local History Group has been arranged for Monday May 14 at 7.30pm in the Ashburnham Church Hall – All Welcome. Subjects to include: Medieval Ashburnham: The Constable and the Canons George and Charlotte: Stories from the lives of the 3rd Earl and Countess of Ashburnham.

2m@1... ...is a group of men and women who meet on the 2nd monday of the month @

1 o’clock. Everyone is very welcome to join them! We meet at 1 o’clock in the Church Hall for soup and a roll. The next meeting is on May 14 with a talk about ‘The Royal Courts of Justice’ with Jennifer Oldroyd.

Ashburnham & Penhurst Gardening Club plant sale is on Saturday May 19, 10.00am – 1.00pm The Sports Pavilion, Ashburnham Recreation Ground. Refreshments including soup and cakes provided by the WI. For enquiries or to contribute any plants please contact Robin Wright on 01323 833955. Proceeds go towards the Village Flower Show and Fete.

The Ashburnham & Penhurst Diamond Jubilee Fund Raising Committee are holding a Quiz night at Ashburnham Village Hall on Saturday May 19, 7.30pm. Adults £6.50, Children £3.50. Includes a ploughman’s supper. Refreshments available & Raffle.

For tickets contact Gill Ratcliffe 01424 892674.

The next Coffee Morning is on Monday May 21 in the church hall, Ashburnham Place 10:30am - 12pm. You are welcome to go along for a good friendly chat. For further information, please contact Tina on 01424 843728.

Ashburnham & Penhurst WI is next meeting on Monday May 21 for a visit to the Bruderhof Community in Robertsbridge. Meet at the community at 7.30pm.

Ashburnham and Penhurst book group gets together on Friday May 25. This month, they are reading Dickens’ “Our Mutual Friend”. Their next book will be “A Spot of Bother” by Mark Haddon, (who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time), and the reviews are excellent. If you’d like to borrow a copy to read, give Nicky a call, you don’t have to go to their gatherings to read the books - just ask Nicky if you’d like to borrow a copy. Call her on 01424 892474.

Don’t forget to fill out the ticket request form for the tea at Penhurst and other Jubilee events over the weekend. For more information about the Jubilee events or copies of the ticket request form please see the special leaflet that has been delivered around the villages. To obtain a copy, please get in touch with Gill Ratcliffe on 01424 892674.

On Sunday June 3 at 11.00 am there will be Thanksgiving Service for all the family held in the Marquee at Ashburnham Sports field, led by Revd Francis Cumberlege. (Please note there will be no service at St Peter’s on this Sunday.) They hope everyone will go and join them in this service of thanksgiving for our Queen on her Jubilee. Stay on afterwards too for a bring & share family picnic lunch on the recreation ground, before heading over to Penhurst later in the afternoon for a cream tea.

Help Needed! The Ashburnham and Penhurst Diamond Jubilee Committee are organising some fun races on Monday June 4 as part of the Jubilee celebrations. There are a few things we would like to borrow for this event, if you can help or would like to help out on the day please phone Louise Roberts on 01424 893976.

They need..... Space hoppers, child’s football goal, and a badminton set, gazebos and small bales of hay. They are also on the lookout for old pairs of large size wellies which would not be returned. In the marquee there will be a display of old and interesting photos of the villages and previous village events. If you have any photos you would like to share please contact Gill Ratcliffe on 01424 892674 Thank you!

A date for your diaries: The 4th Ashburnham & Penhurst Village Fete & Flower Show will take place on Saturday August 25 at the Village Hall - put the date in your diary. The Schedule of Classes is now available from www.gardeningclub.solidwebhost.com (Copies will also be distributed with the next edition of the Parish Magazine).

Don’t forget that you can look to see what is going on in Ashburnham and Penhurst on the community website: www.ashburnham-penhurst.net.

Church services for St Peter’s, Ashburnham:.

May 13, 10.30am Morning Praise with Children’s Activities

May 20, 10.30am Morning Praise with Children’s Activities

May 27, 10.30am Pentecost Communion Service with Children’s Activities

Church services for St Michael the Archangel, Penhurst:.

May 13, 10.30am Rogation

May 20, 10.30am Holy Communion

May 27, 10.30am Morning Prayer

Services for Ashburnham Chapel:

May 13, 6.30pm Evening Service

May 20, 6.30pm Evening Service

May 27, 6.30pm Chapel Anniversary

Prayer and Bible reading meetings on Tuesday at 2.30pm at the Chapel. Contact Fay Ramsden on 07860 113413 for further information.

Anything that you would like included in the Village Voice for Ashburnham and Penhurst, please email the details to me: [email protected].

Rachel Feeley, 17 Smith CLose, Ninfield