Westfield village voice

Prayer Team. At St John’s there are always someone from the prayer team available at the back of the North aisle after the 9.30am service and after the 10.30am Family Service to pray confidentially with anyone who wants someone to pray with them. If you would like someone to pray with you just go and ask.

Prayer Group meets every month on the first and third Tuesdays at 7.30pm at 59 Heathlands.

Church Envelope Scheme. New boxes of envelopes for the new financial year for the Church Envelope Scheme are available to collect from today. Please will members collect their new boxes of envelopes from the back of the Church and try to be up-to-date with their donations by the end of this month. If you are able to deliver any that are not collected, that would helpful. Please contact Peter Aubrey 01424 755135 if you wish to join the scheme or transfer to payment by standing order.

Church Finances. We continue to work hard to balance the books and thank every member of the congregation for their continued financial support. We are more than aware of the precarious financial climate in which we live, but thank God for the generosity of our congregation.  As always throughout the year it is inevitable that we lose a few regular contributors to parish funds. We remind everyone that even without a Vicar we still have to pay our contribution to the Diocese as well as all the other regular parish expenses. Any increase in regular giving is always welcome and there are ways to increase the funds that we receive without necessarily increasing the amount you give. If you are a UK tax payer then the Gift Aid scheme allows us to claim back the tax on every pound donated to us. For further details please speak to Peter Aubrey or Brian Collins.

Advance notice of forthcoming events. Further details will appear in the weekly notices and parish magazine.

May 7th (Bank Holiday Monday) Loaf Project - May Day Cycle Ride from Canterbury to Hastings or for those who prefer, to walk, Join one of the Loaf Walks. A choice of 4, 9 or 18 mile routes exploring country footpaths and beautiful areas between Rye and Hastings. (Please see church notice board for further details).

Westfield Community Choir meets on Wednesdays, from 7.30-9pm in the Community Dining Hall.  New singers are welcome, and can treat their first one as a taster session (£5).  Ring 01424 753684 for more information.

Westfield School News. We returned on Monday 16th April. We are also collecting Sainsburys and Tesco vouchers and are very grateful for any villagers donations. They are welcome to drop into the school office or Richard at the newsagent is happy to collect them for us. If anyone has any spare tractor tyres, our Reception class is looking for a few for their outdoor area for planting. Please can people call the school office before donating just incase we get a huge response.

Westfield Football Club hosted their fundraiser last Saturday & although more people would have been good, the ones there had a fun & enjoyable evening. They raised sufficient monies to cover the cost of match officials for a first team home game which is usually around £150! You may not know that everyone involved in playing, coaching & helping at Westfield FC do so unpaid. The clubs first team (playing in Senior Football County League Division 2) are one of if not the only team playing at that standard with unpaid players. More fund raisers are being discussed, please watch this space.

The Westfield Hub is open as usual at The Old Courthouse on Fridays from 10am – 12 noon. Unfortunately they have had to announce a cancellation of their planned Hub Quiz Night on Sat. 21st April. 

Westfield Rollerbooting Club meets at Westfield Community Hall every Friday from 4.30-6pm. It costs £1.50 per child and there is a tuck shop available. Very small children younger than about 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Organisers are CRB checked and first aid trained. There are some spare boots available to borrow. Further information is available from Rachel Pritchard 07866 894397.

Westfield Community Hall is now available for hire on Monday evenings from 7.15pm. It also has a Facebook page. Ring 01424 754446 to book the hall.

Westfield resident author Nick Brown continues his guided walks in the area, all carry a charge of £3 per person. All walks are circular and start at 10.30am, and dogs are welcome. Please check his website www.spanglefish.com/1066routes for more detailed information. It is advisable to book in advance by ringing Nick on 07918 907265. Nick’s book ‘The 1066 Country Walk’ is recommended by the 1066 Tourist Board and signed copies are available from him.

Future guided walks include :

Saturday 26th May @ Guestling

Saturday 9th June @ Brede

Wednesday 13th June @ Great Dixter, Northiam

Thursday 21st June @ Battle

Sunday 8th July @ Firle

Wednesday 15th July @ Queens Head, Icklesham

Saturday 28th July @ Bodiam Castle

Sunday 26th August @ Pevensey

Saturday 8th September @ Alfriston

Wednesday 19th September @ Ticehurst/Bewl Water

Nick is also the organiser of the 1066 Relay. The second staging of the 1066 Relay takes place on Sunday, May 6, with 50 - 60 teams from the South East expected to take part. The 33.25 mile course follows the 1066 Country Walk, starting in the grounds of Pevensey Castle. The route passes such iconic landmarks as Herstmonceux Castle and Battle Abbey, before going through some breathtaking countryside between Westfield, Icklesham and Winchelsea to finish in Rye. The event raised over £1600 for local charities last year.  Nick is looking for volunteers to marshal in the Westfield, Doleham and Icklesham areas; ring him on 07918 907265 or visit the race website: www.spanglefish.com/1066relay.

The Westfield Wildlife website is worth a visit. Go to http://westfieldwildlife.wordpress.com to share wildlife observations. Any wildlife observation whether mammal, bird, insect, or flower may be posted on the website, and photos are particularly welcome. Have you seen a hedgehog recently? Westfield Wildlife is appealing for all hedgehog sightings, including any road casualties, because their numbers have declined so drastically over the last few years

Westfield Golf Fellowship’s search for a local “Bubba” is their next fixture at Chart Hills on April 26, which is full. The results will appear here soon after. After that their next competition is the annual 3 day tour, this year returning to Bournemouth. Again this is full. For more information please contact Nick or [email protected]

Looking for something new to do? A FREE fun taster event with something for everyone. Sign up to Courses at the Tilling Green Community Centre. Have a go at:

Activities with children

Healthy exercise with Hula Aerobics

Cookery demonstration and tasting

Learn how to do face painting

Making Choices/Making Changes – come and find out what sort of learner you are

Meet the Neighbourhood Enablers and see how you can get involved in developing projects for your community

Free children’s activities throughout the day

Tilling Green Community Centre, Wednesday, 18th April, 2012, 11am – 3pm. For more information:

Contact 01797 229600

Staplecross & Hollington Art Groups are holding an ART EXHIBITION at Staplecross Village Hall on Friday April 20th 7pm-9pm, Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd 10am- 4pm

The Rye and District Association of the National Trust are holding the following. Tuesday 24th April. Our walk this month meets at 10.30 am at the Plough Inn Crowhurst. Two circular, hilly walks, from the Plough: 3½ morning and 4 mile afternoon. If you wish to take part in the walk please confirm at least 24hrs before by email: [email protected] or phone: 01797 260637. 

For information and news about Westfield, please see the village website www.westfieldvillage.co.uk.

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

George Chapman, Heathlands