Sidley community exhibition

FROM how to grow food to how to eat healthily, from activities for toddlers to the re-birth of the BMX track, Sidley has hosted its own community exhibition.

Stalls filling the hall at Sidley Baptist Church on Tuesday morning were designed to offer something for everyone. A tempting range of healthy foods filled Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust's stand.

Trust health development worker Margaret Delahoy was offering everything from tasty tomato slices topped with mozarella to a fruit salad.

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She explained: "My job is to raise health awareness and get people to think about maintaining their health."

Though Santa sat in a corner with no visitors for a while, a bowl of nuts and a nut-cracker help set the festive scene.

Margaret said: "The idea is to get people to try some freshly-cracked nuts rather than the packaged variety and in doing so try some different nuts."

The appetising cheeses Margaret was offering as samples demonstrated that low-fat doesn't have to be low-flavour.

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Most cheeses are about 30% fat - bad news for all who should be watching cholesterol levels.

Margaret's samples included delicious goat's cheese - 10% fat - on Irish soda bread.

She was also displayed a lighter variety of Edam.

"Healthy eating doesn't have to be a lettuce leaf! Low-fat cheeses are generally around 15%. Brie is a lower-fat cheese, so is Camembert. Mozarella is only 10%.

"You can still have the things you like if you choose wisely and eat in moderation,

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"The idea this morning is to try something you haven't tried before.

"For the fruit salad, for example, I have used mainly fresh fruit but there is also some tinned fruit in there as well. You can use tinned fruit if it is tinned in its own juice, not in syrup."

Moves by youth workers and volunteers to get a new lease on the disused Sidley BMX track are making progress.

A display showed BMX X riders in action. It is hoped either to refurbish or re-build the track in 2008 and put it back into use.

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While Sidley Community Association was conducting a survey, Rother Voluntary Action had a display stand dedicated to Bexhill Neighbourhood Gardeners.

Group chairman John Willis had a video running showing how a neglected corner of Sidley's Ingrams Farm allotments is being transformed into a highly-productive.

The group plans open days where people can learn about food production.

The Neighbourhood Gardener scheme offers a mentoring service, experienced and trained gardeners to help and advise newcomers.

Bexhill Library was offering youngsters Christmas card-making and other activities and Bexhill Children's Centre was promoting Nourishing Nibbles for toddlers.

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