Scarecrow competition brings a smile to Bexhill

The popular event was first held in 2020 to help lighten the mood during the Covid pandemic and was organised by resident Val Yates.

Neighbours choose a charity to support each year and have raised over £1,000 for local charities, with just over £300 raised this year.

The charities they have supported in the last five years have been 1066 Pink Ladies, Bexhill Food Bank, Warming Up The Homeless, Kent and East Sussex Air Ambulance, Eastbourne Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service and in 2024 the RNLI.

One of the judges, former Bexhill Mayor Lynn Langlands, said: “The neighbours construct the most interesting and impressive scarecrows for the public to come and see, and she has stalls, a tombola and handmade woodcraft by Vernon Findley, which all adds to her impressive total.

This year the judging was done by ward councillor Cllr Ashan Jeeawon, Mayor Paul Henry Wilson and his Deputy Memish Huseyin and Lynn Langlands, who was the Mayor for their very first competition.

The winning Scarecrow was a scary clown followed by a married couple and a cold scarecrow holding an energy bill.

Lynn Langlands added: “Great fun was had by all, and what an amazing achievement from some very special neighbours.”

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