Westfield

The “new” New Inn: Their website is now up & running www.newinnwestfield.com. For bookings & further information telephone Patrick on 01424 752800. The regular coffee mornings have commenced on Wednesdays from 9.30 onwards & have proved very popular & you do now need to make a booking. Just give Patrick a call to find out more. They are also hosting an end of fete charity event in the Community Hall 7 -11 on June 6th for over 18’s only. Tickets are £10 & strictly limited – available only from the New Inn. There is live music from “Slam”, a bar & the charities set to gain from the evening are CCU & James Wards at the Conquest and the Oliver Curd Trust.

Village Fete: Jurassic themed & on the Parish Field 6th June 1 – 4. The entrance is via Cottage Lane & once in you will find a hog roast, tug of war, bar, circus entertainers & much more. For more info & to maybe help, contact Rachel Harrison. Raffle tickets have been distributed around the village. Please sell as many as possible, and return tickets, money and unused books to Westfield News by June 5. There is also a post fete event strictly for over 18’s – please see above.

Parish Assembly: The Parish Hall was busy again for the Parish Assembly on Tuesday, May 12. Residents enjoyed refreshments while looking at displays from the Church, the Friends of Westfield Church, the Community Association and Westfield Scout Group. Recently elected District Councillors Carl Maynard and Jonathan Johnson spoke about their roles, and Parish Council Chairman James Woodhead described some of the recent improvements visible in the village. A local paramedic explained how the recently installed defribillator could be used, and stressed that Westfield needs First Responder volunteers; details are on posters around the village. Roger Carrier reported progress with the Westfield Down project, and our local PSCO Demetrius Georghiou explained his role, particularly in crime prevention. Community Volunteer Awards were then presented. The Rose Bowl, given to mark community spirit over many years, had been awarded to Michael Muth for his work with the Bowls Club project, his long term support for the WCA and various other village organisations. Sadly Michael died very recently, and the award was proudly collected by grandson Ashley Paine. Certificates for community service were presented to Daphne Williams and Jackie Smith, and to Josh Jones and Michelle for their help at the Youth Club.

New PCSO: We are fortunate as a village community to have been taken under the wing of a new and enthusiastic Police Community Support Officer, With a view to being a prominent and approachable figure in our village, Deme is keen to introduce himself to village residents, parents and guardians and would be happy to say hello whilst on his rounds.

Craft Fair: Please support the Craft Fair in the Community Hall from 11am-3pm on Sunday, May 31. Proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK and Ronald McDonald House Charities. For further details and to book your stall please contact Hannah Stone on 01424 755025 or 07800 770025.

Westfield Youth Club: runs a number of fun events. For more information contact Min Stratford on 07952 995743.

Westfield Horticultural Society: The activities of the Westfield Horticultural Society continue on June 6th at the village fete. They will be having a plant sale in conjunction with Friary Gardens. It will also be an opportunity to receive a free pumpkin seedling per family for the Great Pumpkin contest. The rules are simple. All you have to do is to grow it on and produce it at The Plough Inn on 24th October. There are prizes for the largest Pumpkin, the most mis-shapen and the ugliest. (The good, the bad and the ugly!). The number of seedlings are limited so the will be distributed on a first come, first served. The pumpkins will also be useful for Halloween. The coach trip to Wisley is now fully subscribed so the next activity after that is a self drive outing to Downderry Nursery, Hadlow, Near Tonbridge on Saturday, 25th July. It is about 35 miles away. This nursery, set in a walled garden, is home to the largest collection of Lavender and Rosemary species. Plants are propagated there. We will be having a tour of the nursery, an illustrated talk and a demonstration as to how Lavender oil is distilled. More details will follow in due course. In the meantime, don’t forget to find and like Westfield Horticultural Society on Facebook. All the activities are described in more detail.

At the recent meeting over 30 members and guests were enlightened with a talk by Mr Hiliary Newman on the Greenhouse and its uses. Members enjoyed a good natter over tea and cake plus the opportunity to get some more unusual seeds for the garden. The Society’s programme continues with a plant sale at Westfield Village fete on Saturday 6th June where members can collect their free seedlings of pumpkins for the great pumpkin challenge. In other word, this is to see who can grow the heaviest pumpkin, the weight to be judged at the AGM in October. The following week (Saturday 13th) is the coach trip to Wisley. The cost is £15 to include entry. There are still a few places available so if you would like to come please contact the chairman, Kelvin Lynch on 01424 754612 for further details.

Westfield Women’s Institute: meets in the Parish Hall at 2.15pm on Tuesdays. New members are always welcome; just turn up, or for more information contact the President, Mrs Julie Lloyd, on 01424 754013.

The Friendship Club: continues to meet alternate Mondays from 2-3.30pm in the Parish Hall. Whist and bingo are enjoyed by members, with a chat over tea and biscuits. The subscription is just £5 per year, and new members will be made very welcome. For further information please contact Jean Hobson on 753095. The next meeting is on May 25th with future dates planned - June 8th & 22nd, July 6th & 20th.

F3 (Friends, Fun, Fellowship): This is a group open to all women of any age. Please ring Helen 01424 752052 for more details

Westfield Scout Group: is celebrating its centenary this month. The Group has an excellent reputation with all that it offers to Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, but sadly in this special year the future of the group is uncertain as new leaders are urgently needed when work commitments force the retirement of two leaders in July. If you can help, even on an occasional basis, please contact Frances 01424 754548 or Rose 01424 754080 for more information.

Westfield School Governor: A number of vacancies have recently arisen within the Governing Body, including a Parent Governor role and newly created ‘Co-Opted’ roles. Governors play a critical role in keeping the governing body aware of the views of parents and the local community. Serving as part of a team and an enthusiasm for the work of the school is paramount to a successful governing body. If you are interested and/or want more information you might find it useful to talk to our Chair of Governors, Bruce Miller. Please contact Bruce via the school office on 01424 751404. If you wish to stand for election, please obtain a nomination form from the school office.

Westfield Newsagent: is now a collection point for myHermes parcels. This is very useful for sending and collecting parcels. Please pop in for more information. They are also collecting the supermarket vouchers on behalf of the village school, just drop them in.

Pass and Move: runs football coaching sessions every Saturday at St Leonard’s Academy from 9-10.30am (£3.50) or 9-11.30am (£5) and in Westfield during the week & over school holidays. For information please email Duncan on [email protected], or call Tony on 07545 813545, visit Facebook:/PassMoveBattle or see the website, pass-move.com.

Westfield Football Club: is still seeking volunteers to help provide local football opportunities at all levels and ages. If you can offer occasional or ongoing support, on or off the pitch, please contact the club secretary [email protected].

Westfield Community Hub: Meets at the Plough on Friday mornings from 10 – 12. For further information www.westfield-hub.co.uk

Udimore Garden Safari: On Saturday afternoon, May 30, seven beautiful Udimore gardens will be open to the public between 1.30pm and 5.30pm, the village’s very first garden safari.

You can collect tickets (£6, children free) and maps at the Community Hall, near the church. Tea and cakes will be available there too, and plants (also at Beauchamps). This will be a fundraising event for St Mary’s Church.

Keeping in Touch: Residents should have received the new WCA Newsletter (congratulations to editor Pauline for another excellent job) and the Parish Council Annual Report. Please note that the WCA Annual Draw renewals are now due; see the back of the newsletter for details.

The village website: www.westfieldvillage.co.uk has all sorts of information about village organisations, events, Westfield Community Association and the Parish Council. This is your website, set up to serve the village community, and your contributions, news and views are needed.

To send information: for the Westfield Village Voice please email [email protected]