Hellingly and Horsebridge

GRANTS: Hellingly Parish Council invites applications, to arrive by September 30, from organisations active in the parish or whose activities are of potential benefit to Hellingly parishioners. Applicants should contact the Deputy Clerk either by email at [email protected] or telephone 01323 844108 to request an application form. A recent set of accounts will be required. Applications will be considered in November and approved by the parish council in the autumn, after which the grants will be paid to successful applicants. Although the total sum available for grants is limited the sum has not always been fully spent. The decision of the council is final. Organisations who have previously received grants will also need to re-apply. Applications should be addressed to: The Deputy Clerk, Hellingly Parish Council, The Village Hall, North Street, Hellingly, BN27 4DS.

FIRST AID COURSE: A Community First Aid Course which aims to give every person an opportunity to learn life skills is taking bookings now for Saturday October 20. The course will be held at the Ecohub, New Road, Hellingly, from 9.30am to 12.30pm and will cover Resuscitation - adult, child and baby, choking - adult, child and baby, severe bleeding, heart attack and angina, stroke. On demonstrating competence, you can gain a certificate valid for three years. The cost is £20 (£10 non-returnable deposit to reserve a place). Limited places available. Book by email at [email protected] or contact 07724 134751.

COMMUNITY PARK: After all these years, reports Chairman Gill Hesselgrave, we have finally wound up the Hellingly Community Park Trust. We had a sum of £210 left in the account, which we have handed over to the parish council to be spent on the Park. It is unbelievable that after all this time the final area has still not been handed over and the maintenance of this part by the developer has been abysmal. In fact, looking back landscaping has been undertaken over the years but with a woeful lack of future maintenance. The parish council have agreed to fund a new plaque for the tree, to replace the one that was stolen. This will need to be more substantial, probably a stone similar to the one by the parish council tree. The small woodland playground has not functioned well. It is surrounded by trees and dark and uninviting. Some of the wooden equipment is deteriorating. Local parents don’t find the children enjoy it as much as the larger area. The parish council will be looking into the future of this. We were opposed to this site in the plans, but it was an easy way for the developer to site it away from the build area. The third playground, which was also in an unsuitable place, is being replaced with a sum to the parish council and something will be sited in the grounds of the new hall, whenever we get that, again the process has been long and drawn out. I would like to thank all the members and the committee for their support over the years.