Wereham News for August

OPEN****GARDENS AT WEREHAM

It doesn’t seem possible that we held our 12th OpenGardens here at Wereham on June 15th. Although the weather was cool and rather cloudy it stayed dry for the afternoon and we welcomed friends old and new from a large area to the event.

We had 10 gardens open including two new ones this year. Thank you to the gardeners who so willingly opened their gardens and provided such a friendly welcome which is always appreciated by our visitors. It couldn’t be done without you. I hope we have perhaps persuaded others in the village to consider opening next year.

We raised our equal best total of £1084.00 which is brilliant.

Thank you to everyone who baked cakes or savouries which were served by the hard working lunch and tea ladies (Doreen, Marion, Pauline, Sheila and Wendy) in the village hall, not forgetting our waitress Ellie.

Thanks to Sara & Jane for selling maps and raffle tickets & Ivy for running a tombola.

A big thank you to Ronnie also who not only opened her garden this year for the first time but grew the majority of the superb plants on the plant stall and dispensed her vast knowledge to customers. She was helped too by Stina & Sara. Thanks ladies.

If I have forgotten to thank anybody publicly, it isn’t because I don’t value your contribution to the day, I do, and thank you.

Lizzie Baddock

Left at the Village Hall on WerehamOpenGardens Day.

A pair of silver framed specs. Please ring 01366 500233

MOBILE POST OFFICE

As from Tuesday 22nd of July the Mobile Post Office will be changing its hours due to taking on Fincham.

Times will be:-

Fincham Monday -Friday 12-05 to 12-35

Wereham Monday to Friday 12-45 to 1-15

FLEGG GREEN POST BOX

I contacted Royal Mail about the removal of the Post Box from Flegg Green.

This is the reply I received:-

‘Thank you for your email dated the 10th of June regarding the post box Flegg Green, that had been relocated to the centre of the village. On receipt of your email, I contacted the Collections Planning Manager concerned. He has looked into your request but has informed me that the mentioned area does not warrant the installation of a new post-box at this time.

As part of our regulatory requirements, we must ensure that there is a post-box within half a mile of at least 98% of all ‘delivery points’ (usually a customer’s letter-box) nationally.

It was deemed that the post box in Flegg Green had to be removed due to structural damage with a new box to be installed on the other side of the main road. The distances between the boxes did not warrant so many.

As the current posting facilities in the mentioned area already met the guidelines under business and Ofcom regulation, I regret that the box had to be removed. Thank you for contacting us about this and I'm sorry for any disappointment caused by this decision. If you need to contact us again regarding this matter, please remember to quote reference number 1-3036069223.

Regards Sapna Teckwani Customer Service Advisor’

That seems to be the end of the matter.

Viv Scott

July Update from Wereham Village Hall Committee

Update from our Ordinary meetings on 17th June & 7th July:

New trustee, Nikki Loake was welcomed to the meeting as a representative of the monthly Car Boot and Café. She is already getting fully involved, having just attended a workshop on the SPICE Time Credits Scheme. This is an exciting initiative to reward volunteers…..more details next month when she has completed the training!

We received notification that our application to the Love Norfolk Fund was successful; we have been awarded £2000 towards new heaters after the old ones were condemned earlier in the year.

The main achievement of the month was completion of the Design Brief for a new Village Hall, taking into account the opinions of all our focus groups. This is a big milestone as it enables us to start looking for and getting quotes from suitable architects etc.

It was also decided that now was the time to submit a planning pre-application to the borough council as this will provide us with invaluable information and guidance as to what options we have without incurring the costs of a full planning application. This means that over the coming weeks, it is likely that various options will be discussed and consulted upon with the local community. We should make it clear that at this stage, there are no firm decisions, just different options that we are exploring with regards to both design and location of a new hall.

Update from the new build team:

Committee members enjoyed a visit to Thornham Village Hall who were awarded Lottery funding in 2012. We were given a presentation on the very professional village cinema, then took the opportunity to freely investigate all the facilities from the loft storage to the oohing and aahing over the spacious kitchen facilities. This was followed by a chat with the Chair, Colin Venes, who as part of a team of four, achieved funding for the new build. Thanks to Chris from the Village Cinema and Colin Venes for enthusiastically giving up their time to support our project. Lots of ideas and solutions were picked up from the visit. We've welcomed Trustee Rachel Barron to the Team. While we respond to suggested amends on the Lottery application from the NRCC and WVNCA, we're also exploring options to deliver the needs of our community. Victoria, Helen, Rachel & John.

Thank you to all of our Friends of Wereham Village Hall volunteers who co-ordinated and supported several events during July.

The next FoWVH meeting will be held on Monday 4th August at 7.30 in the Village Hall.

For all the pictures and feedback from our events, log onto www.facebook.com/werehamvillagehall . By clicking on the ‘Like’ option, you will be kept up to date on events, pictures and the progress towards a new village hall

Wereham Village Hall Bonus Ball Club – The Winners of £50 each for the July Lotto draw were Janet Voutt and John Fuller – congratulations! If you’d like to be added to the waiting list, contact Helen on 07795006811. Many thanks, Helen Richardson, Secretary.

Ink Cartridges & Bottle tops- collection boxes for ink cartridges are on the piano in the hall, open 10-12 Fridays. Or alternatively, leave them in a bag at the door of the village hall.

We have had a fantastic response to our bottle tops collection. Unfortunately however, we are finding storage very problematic. The volumes required before they can be disposed of are enormous and the income they create is very small. If anyone knows of another local charity/collection point, we will happily donate our bottle tops to them and even continue to collect on their behalf. Please contact Rachel on 01366 502252 if you can help. If we cannot find a recipient in the next few weeks though, we will have to stop further collections before we all drown in a sea of brightly coloured plastic!

Events list -

Bingo - every Wednesday, doors open at 6.45pm, eyes down at 7.30pm. Cash prizes, raffle, and refreshments with complimentary biscuits. Enquiries to Roger on 500088.

Pop up Café – on the first Tuesday of the month, 10.30-12.00 noon. Next dates are Tuesday 5th August, then Tuesday 9th September. Join Jacqueline and friends for a slice of homemade cake & a hot drink for just £1. Join friends for a natter and a read of the daily papers. Cake donations/queries to Jacqueline 500880

A friendly chat, a catch up with friends and the morning papers over a cuppa and scrumptious cake awaits at the Pop-up Café with Jacqueline and Karen.

Indoor/Outdoor Car Boot – Next dates are August 31st & September 28th, 9am to 1pm. Café, bric a brac and book stall. £5 pitch, to book call Nikki/Chris on 01366 501111.

A friendly welcome awaits you at the monthly Car Boot with Nikki, Jordan and Chris in their smart matching uniforms!

Wereham****Village Fayre

– Sunday 7th September , 10-4. Including the ever popular dog show and car boot as well as tractors, vintage cars, static displays, fish & chip van, ice creams, games and activities, bouncy castle, face painting and much much more! Contact Doreen on 01366 500218 or Nikki on 01366 501111.

Quiz Night – Saturday 4th October at 7.30pm in the village hall. John’s ever popular quiz night makes a welcome return! Contact John Eastgate on 01366 500766 for more details.

If you have any queries with regards to the plans to get funding for a new village hall, or anything we’re doing, please contact Victoria Gray, Chair, Wereham Village Hall Committee Home: 501277 Mobile: 07725513583 Email: darren.gray@tesco.net or via www.facebook.com/werehamvillagehall

CHARITY BINGO 21ST JULY

Roselyn and Roger would like to thank everybody who donated prizes, especially Joan who made us loads of home-made cakes which we sold at our event. Also special thanks to all who attended and supported us. We raised £300.00 for medical supplies for Boughton Surgery.

Tuesday Aug 5th Pop-Up Cafe

Please come along, open as usual with Diane & Doreen taking the helm...10:30 till 12:00.

Best, Cheapest and Most welcoming Coffee Morning in Norfolk...We have been told!!

See you there..

Jacqueline & Karen

Pop-Up Cafe Tuesday 2nd September. STRAWBERRY TEA CAFE

Please, please come along to this Café - if you come once a year make it this one. We are doing this one as a Strawberry TEA Cafe, which is in essence a Breast Cancer fund raising Event, absolutely every penny is going to Breast Cancer. We will have a Raffle, and some little extras so please, please bring some extra pennies and come along to support this cause - it means a lot to us, 10:30 - 12:00 Tuesday 2nd September - See you there.

Jacqueline & Karen

(any cake makers - please contact me on 500880)

WEREHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes from the 8th July meeting are available from the Clerk on 01366 600527 or Werehampc@gmail.com.

The Parish Council acknowledges the resignation of Cllr Phil Norris and thanks him for all his hard work and dedication both to the Parish Council and other committees within the Parish. Please keep an eye on the Parish Council notice board (near the pond) for details of how to express an interest in filling the now vacant position of Councillor.

Wereham Parish Council now has its own Facebook page! Please check this for news of meetings and notices and use it as a forum to raise any concerns.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 9th September, 7.30pm at Wereham Village Hall.