Willingdon, Wannock and Jevington

CHURCHES TOGETHER: Of Polegate, Jevington and Willingdon invite you to a united service at 6.30pm on Sunday at St John’s Church Polegate. There will be no evensong at St Mary’s that evening.

SOROPTIMISTS: The next meeting of Eastbourne and District Soroptimists will be at 7.45pm on Monday at Chalk Farm Hotel Coopers Hill. Roger Payne will be giving a talk entitled More Tales From My Ditty Box. Roger has been to speak to the club before and is a very interesting and amusing speaker. New members and guests are welcome. Soroptimist International is a vibrant, dynamic organisation for today’s women.

Soroptimist means ‘The best for women’ from the Latin soro = sister, optima = best.

Joining a Soroptimist club gives a woman the opportunity to meet with a welcoming, friendly group of like-minded women, to be part of a worldwide organisation, develop international friendships and increase understanding of other cultures and world problems. Soroptimists make a difference to the lives of more than half a million women and girls in the world every year through their programme action work. They also have socials and fun. Eastbourne and District Soroptimists meet on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7.45pm. If you are interested in joining please call 01323 769004 or visit www.sigbi.org.uk .

COFFEE MORNING: The students with learning disabilities will be helping out at a coffee morning at Chalk Farm Hotel in Coopers Hill from 10.30am to 11.45am on Thursday. Delicious home-made cakes are on offer and there will be a raffle, greetings cards and plants for sale. And do visit the garden centre behind the hotel where there is a large selection of plants and shrubs.

PANTOMIME: The performance dates for Willingdon Church Players’ pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk are January 28, 29 and 30, with a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets are now sold out for the Friday and for both performances on the Saturday. However, there are still tickets remaining for the Thursday performance. Prices are £6 for adults and £3 for children up to the age of 16 years. There are also half price tickets for the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday January 27. Please ring 01323 504901 for ticket availability. The pantomime is being staged at Willingdon Memorial Hall in Church Street at 7.30pm. For the dress rehearsal, if you haven’t booked a ticket, you could still obtain them on the night.

BINGO: The Friends of Willingdon Community School in Broad Road are organising a family bingo night from 7pm on Friday January 29 in the school. The cost is just £1 per card but do bring your own drink and nibbles. There are large cash prizes to be won. To guarantee your place please email [email protected] .

WANNOCK ARTISTS: The artists meet from 7pm to 9pm on the last Friday of the month at Wannock Village Hall. Members will be starting their 2016 programme on January 29 with a demonstration by Richard Larkin in the style of Turner entitled ‘Scenes from the military canal’. He will be using acrylics, a popular choice which should also appeal to those who appreciate Turner’s work. The annual fee to become a member is £18. Visitors are welcome on the night at £4 which includes refreshments. For further information please visit [email protected] .

CHARITY QUIZ NIGHT: Eastbourne mayor Cllr Janet Coles has two chosen charities for her year in office. They are Eastbourne RNLI lifeboats and the JPK Sussex Project, which aims to provide supported living accommodation alongside meaningful day time activities for people with a learning disability. The project co-ordinator is Willingdon resident Jill Parker MBE. The mayor’s next charity event takes place at Eastbourne Town Hall in Grove Road on Friday January 29. It is a quiz night with the added attraction of a fish and chip supper. Arrive at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Teams can be up to six participants and the cost is £10 per person. Bookings should be made no later than January 27. Please ring 01323 415020 to speak to the mayor’s PA or email [email protected] .

NEIGHBOURHOOD PANELS: Were a Sussex Police initiative and started to take shape in the spring of 2008. The idea was that a panel of residents from each ward, supported by the police and local councillors, would discuss the issues which they felt most concerned the people in their community. A plan of action was then agreed. The PCSO’s played a large part, and the Willingdon Ward Neighbourhood Panel had its first meeting in June 2008 under the leadership of PCSO Richie Davidson who later moved on to the regular force and was replaced by PCSO Ali Beadon. The members continued meeting on a regular basis, and with the ever increasing work of the police, Keith Bowman eventually became the chairman and conducted the meetings in an efficient manner. By then most of the other ward panels had ceased to exist and at the last Willingdon and Jevington neighbourhood panel meeting, PCSO Ali Beadon pointed out that we were the only one currently running. Now due to financial cuts, restructuring of Sussex Police and the way that PCSOs are to be used in the future, PCSO Ali Beadon will be standing down from the Willingdon and Jevington Neighbourhood Panel and so it will be disbanded. We wish Ali all the best for whatever the future holds for her.

JEVINGTON AND FILCHING WI: A rousing start to 2016 was everyone singing Jerusalem accompanied by Alastair MacFadyen on the piano. One new member and one visitor were welcomed and 5 birthdays celebrated. Now that ESFWI events are advertised in WI News members were asked to make their own applications but where transport is needed this could be arranged at each meeting. Clare had provided a box and spare forms for members to vote on the national Resolution. A number of members’ submissions for the 2015 Scrapbook were received and everyone shown the embroidered front and back covers of the scrapbook. Many events and workshops arranged by ESFWI were on offer and our own Out and About group would be walking Eastbourne seafront and stopping for coffee on 26 January, meeting for Coffee and chat at St Wilfred’s Hospice on February 3 and walking round Hampden Park and coffee in the chalet on February 24. Coach seats had already been booked for Chichester Festival of Flowers on June 3. Mary reported that the ‘twiddlemuffs’ which a number of members had made were taken to dementia residents at Little Acorns, Milton Grange and Sunrise. These had been well received and follow up visits to two of these homes were being arranged. The next Craft meeting would be on January 21 at the Treasurer’s home when the Scrapbook would be the main topic. Despite member Linda falling and being taken off to hospital with what turned out to be a fractured pelvis the meeting continued with Graham Albon’s talk How Green is my Greenland. A very well presented and amusing talk showing the beauty of Greenland which is not in fact green.

Our next meeting is on Thursday February 11 at 2pm in Trinity Church Hall, Coppice Avenue when the subject So, What is a Robot Anyway? will be presented by Peter Rimmington a consultant from the DGH. The talk will begin at 3.15pm after the business meeting. Visitors are welcome including gentlemen who may be interested in this subject. For further information ring Mary on 489646, visit our website www.jevingtonwi.co.uk or just pop along to our next meeting.

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