Etchingham

24 HOUR NETBALLATHON: Last weekend, July 7 & 8, the whole village supported the 24 hour Netballathon, raising much needed funds for two worthy charities - the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance and '˜Barn Owls Etchingham Pre-School'.
Etchingham newsEtchingham news
Etchingham news

Almost a year has passed since the accident that claimed the life of Etchingham resident, Emma Beeney. Emma and her husband Rob, were walking to the station early one morning, when they were struck by an electrical generator that fell from a passing lorry. Tragically, Emma died at the scene of the accident but Rob, who sustained serious head injuries, was airlifted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSSAAT).

In 2015, Belinda Jenness, a fellow Etchingham resident, organised a charity 24 hour Netballathon; it was a huge success, raising over £6500. When asked earlier this year whether there would be another Netballathon, raising money for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust seemed the obvious choice; a means of saying thank you for the care they gave Rob in the vital minutes following the accident, and a fitting tribute to Emma’s memory. In addition to the Air Ambulance, the decision was also made to support Barn Owls, the village pre-school that many of our children have attended.

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Over the past few weeks, Belinda and a dedicated team of ‘Netballathon Helpers’ including Rob, have been busy planning and organising the 2017 event. Etchingham, along with neighbouring villages, have offered their full support, and in a touching tribute to Emma, have decorated the village with purple ribbons; her favourite colour.

The Netballathon took place on the Friday July 7 and Saturday July 8 at Etchingham Primary School, with their after school netball team playing the first match. A further 23 games followed with players from all walks of life participating, including Rob, and Emma’s parents, Maggie and David.

There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the 24 hours with everyone enjoying themselves, but the reason behind the event was never far from people’s minds and at times it was extremely emotional and poignant.

So far, the event has raised in excess of £8000 with just over £5000 being taken in the 24 hours alone! There is a JustGiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/belinda-jenness) and an online silent Auction (https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/etchingham24hournetballathon), both of which run until July 15.

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The event was supported by so many people it would be very difficult to name them all here, the organising team would like to extend their thanks to all those who played a part in making it the success it was. Special thanks must go to Etchingham School for the use of their facilities, the residents of Parsonage Croft, along with everyone who has donated, decorated their homes and played netball....as we have always said, it was 24 hours...just one day...but it could make a difference to a lifetime for others.

NETBALLATHON PHOTOS: During the course of the 24 hours I saw many people taking photos, those of you who use the various social media will no doubt have seen some of the pictures that have been posted on those sites. During the event, when not busy with car park duty, I took a selection of photos and videos, I have uploaded some of the better ones to an album at Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/ttelyob/albums/72157683853814540 . You are welcome to copy any of the pictures for your own personal use, if you are not sure how to copy a good version of the picture in a usable size and resolution, email me and I will tell you how, it is quite easy to copy a printable version of all the pictures.

VILLAGE WEBSITE: The village website is provided by the Parish Council to inform residents of Parish Council and village activities. The site is updated on a voluntary basis to keep running costs to a minimum, Council agendas and minutes are published on the site and archived agendas and minutes for the last five years can also be viewed. You will find a number of contact forms on the site enabling you to easily contact various people and organisations including the Parish Clerk, Councillors and Churchwardens etc.

Information on village organisations and events is added, if you have information that you would like to see on the site let me know so that it can be added, there is a link to the contact form at the bottom of the Home Page on the site www.etchinghamvillage.co.uk

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SAVE THE DATE; Saturday September 9, that is the date of this year’s fete and Village Show, full details to follow nearer the date. So that all the village photographers can be planning their photographic entries, these are the classes this year. ‘Copper’ (your interpretation) ‘On the Farm’ ‘Hills and Mountains’ and ‘Transport’. Schedules will be available soon.

STEPS MAPS: In conjunction with Fairfield Surgery, Burwash the Patient Participation Group have drawn up some maps showing walks around Burwash and Etchingham, the maps also show the number of steps between various landmarks. The aim is to encourage people to walk more for exercise, and is based on the principle that, in an effort to maximise one’s fitness, one should ideally walk a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. The maps are available on the “Local Maps” page at www.burwash.org, and there is also an easy access link to download the maps on the Etchingham village website www.etchinghamvillage.co.uk

CHURCH SERVICES: Sunday July 16, Reverend Will Pratt; July 23, Reverend Iain Morrison; July 30, Reverend Sally Epps; August 6, Reverend Sally Epps.

CHURCH OPENING: The Church is open every day for visitors from 11am to 4pm. If you have not already been in, visit on a nice sunny day so that you can see how bright the Church now is with nice white walls. Reminder, for security reasons the Church will be closed during the Music Festival, July 1 to July 9.

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FUTURE EVENTS: Do you, or your group or organisation, have events planned for coming months? Send me the dates and basic details now, I do not need the full details yet, just what the event is and the date. I can then give your event a mention well in advance of the date, people can note the date and I can then put the full details in nearer the date, this lets people know in advance when your events will be and can help avoid a clash of event dates.

SENDING INFORMATION: Get information for this column to me as soon as possible. There are several ways to get your info to me, but email is preferred because there is less chance of errors during copying. I need information by 10pm on Monday to be sure it will be in time for inclusion, I can sometimes add extra items on Tuesday morning, but this cannot be guaranteed. You can deliver to 2 Park Farm Close, telephone 01580 819532 or 07484 635014 or email [email protected] you will also find a form on the village website ( http://www.etchinghamvillage.co.uk/village-voice ) to send your information from there, look for the Village Voice link near the bottom of the column of links on the left-hand side of the website page.

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