PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – Thursday 18th May

The Annual General meeting took place on Thursday 18th May 2017 at 8.00pm in the village hall, Stambourne and followed the Annual Parish meeting at 7.30pm. We were pleased to have our District Councillor, Richard van Dulken, in attendance.

At the AGM the first task is to elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for 2017/18. Martyn Fall was nominated as Chairman and Michael Crago as Vice-Chairman. The following roles were also allocated:

Village Hall representative – Vanessa Young
Emergency Planning – Michael Crago
Public Transport – Michael Crago

Jenny James, who has been a parish councillor for a number of years has decided to step down from the Parish Council. We thank her for the contribution she has made.

As Chairman, Martyn Fall presented a report of the Parish Council’s activities through the year and a copy of this below.

Pavilion – You may remember that we were notified of the death of Mr Brian Wright, a long time resident of Stambourne. The Parish Council were recently in receipt of a bequest from the estate of Mr Wright. As mentioned Mr Wright was a resident of many years and much involved in village life, including being part of the team who originally built the pavilion. A final decision on how to use this bequest has yet to be made but it is possible that further refurbishment of the pavilion may take place. Readers will recall that in 2015 the Parish Council successfully applied for grant funding of £9,000 for a new roof on the pavilion together with grass protection mesh on the playing field and two new picnic tables. Further news will follow.

Highways – Please remember that Essex County Council Highways are repairing and resurfacing roads around the village and some closures will be necessary.

War Memorial – As you know the war memorial located in the churchyard was renovated recently. This was possible after allocation of a grant from the War Memorials Trust and a donation from the Church. The Parish Council are arranging for the lettering on the memorial to be re-cut. This will be carried out by the same company which did the renovation.

Parish Council Accounts for 2016/17 – The accounts for the year have been finalised and agreed by the internal auditor. These will now be sent to the external auditor for verification.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 20th July 2017 at 7.30pm in the village hall.

Full minutes and agendas are available on the Stambourne website www.stambourne.com

Debbie Hilliard
Parish Clerk
Tel: 01440 785629
Email: debbiehilliard614@gmail.com

PARISH COUNCIL – CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2016/17Another year has rushed past and, as far as such a thing is possible, it has been a “routine” year for Stambourne and the Parish Council. If we look back over the past year and take a peek into the future we see:-

Roads: After several years of a “make do and mend” approach it is good to see that ECC are investing in our country roads in a more serious way. As I write this report, large bits of kit are tearing-up worn sections of the highway in preparation for a tarmac delivery. Hopefully the current repairs will last for a few years and the on-going need to report potholes will diminish.
Council Tax: In reviewing our finances this year we came to the conclusion that we could not continue to provide an acceptable level of service without raising our council tax precept. This is against a declining subsidy from BDC and having dipped into our modest reserves for several years. Although the percentage rise looks horrible it will only raise a bit over £2000. This is because our precept is extremely low when compared with other local villages.

Planning: There has been a steady trickle of planning applications throughout the year. Most have been non-controversial, but the council has made comment on some of the applications. It is worth emphasising that the parish council has no decision making powers with respect to planning applications, but our comments are taken seriously by the planning committee at BDC when reviewing applications. It is good to see that building work is underway on the old lorry yard in Chapel End Way.

War Memorial: Cleaning and repair of the war memorial was completed in time for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme where four of the seven individuals named on the memorial met their end. The names engraved on the memorial are becoming difficult to read and it is planned to have them professionally highlighted in black.

Playing Field: The playing field continues to be a source of pride. Thanks are due to Keith Hoadley who does a splendid job with grass cutting and general maintenance. Looking ahead we will be formulating a plan for refurbishment of the pavilion with particular emphasis on the toilet facilities. It is likely that grant aid could be available to help fund the upgrade. We thank Richard Van Dulken, our local district councillor, for a contribution from the resources that he has available to share amongst his parishes.
New signs have been erected to emphasise that dogs are banned from the playing field. This is not to make life difficult for dog owners, but, in common with most other playing fields, the ban is to minimise the risk from toxocara canis, a worm that is common in dog faeces and if accidentally picked-up by children, can cause blindness and other health problems. (Picking-up dog faeces does not eliminate the risk.)
It is good to see that the pavilion is getting more usage; something we are actively encouraging.

Footpaths: Our footpaths are used increasingly and are generally kept in good condition by landowners and Essex County Council. Apart from a few minor issues there have been no problems in the past year.

Bequest: The Council has been fortunate to receive a bequest of £2000 from the estate of Bryan Wright who lived in Stambourne for many years and made a huge contribution to our community. We don’t want to incorporate the legacy into our general fund, and we are seeking ways of spending the money in a way that it can be traced back to Bryan. All suggestions are welcome.

Bonfire Night: Once again the Bonfire Night was an exceptional event with the crowds this year back up to and past historical levels. This is truly a whole village event and can only be staged with the help of countless volunteers – thanks to everyone involved in making this a huge success. Some of the proceeds go to fund the Silver Link Christmas lunch and the children’s Christmas party. Apart from the enjoyment that our visitors get, it also helps us to fund things in the village that we would not be able to afford without further increasing our council tax precept.

Newsletter: Steve Platt continues to do a super job producing our bi-monthly newsletter. Steve is always looking for additional material, so if you have anything that you think might be of interest, please get in touch with Steve. We also thank Steve for being the power behind the village website (www.stambourne.com). It’s a great place to visit if you want to know what is going on and if you are interested in the history of the village. Full details of Parish Council accounts, agendas and minutes are also on the site. I know from personal contacts that other villages look-on in envy! Many thanks Steve.

Thank You: Many thanks to Debbie Hilliard who does a great job as our clerk. Thank you to my fellow Parish Councillors who give freely of their time and thank you also to Richard Van Dulken, our District Councillor, for his interest and help with matters affecting Stambourne.

Martyn J Fall

ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCHIt was so nice to see so many people from this Village & surrounding Villages at Peter Cox’s funeral on 2nd May. He was a lovely man & such a character who will be missed in Stambourne. A big thank you to all those who supported the Concert in the Church on Saturday 6th May. The musicians thoroughly enjoyed the evening & so did all of us who were there. The refreshments went down well & thanks to those who prepared them.

The pattern of Services for the next two months is as follows:
JUNE 4TH      Morning Prayer  9.30am
JUNE 11TH    Holy Communion or Morning Prayer       9.30am
JUNE 18TH    No Service @ Stambourne Church (Please see notice board for other Services in the Benefice)
JUNE 25TH    Holy Communion                                     9.30am JULY  2ND      Morning Prayer 9.30am
JULY  9TH      Holy Communion 9.30am JULY  16TH    No Service @ Stambourne Church (Please see notice board for other Services in the Benefice) JULY  23RD    Holy Communion or Morning Prayer 9.30am JULY 30TH     Benefice Service - details to be confirmed
If any further details are required with reference to the above or any Church matters please contact  Val Kerrison - Churchwarden – 01440 785752 mobile  07879816362

STAMBOURNE PAVILION FOR HIRE

Church Road, Stambourne CO9 4NR

Available for hire
Lovely location.

Facilities include car parking, kitchen and toilets. Opens directly onto playing field. Ideal summer venue for children’s parties and family gatherings.
Competitive rates.
For booking please contact Debbie Hilliard tel: 01440 785629
Email: debbiehilliard614@gmail.com

STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Adrian Burr
From your Chapel …

The political scene is something that we don't often get involved with at chapel and yet the Bible tells us we should be interested and we should seek God's will that "His kingdom come".  How often do we say that when we are in church as we say the Lord's prayer.

And yet I wonder what it would be like if God’s Kingdom did come. 

And yet that is what we pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".  And yet we are told that God's Kingdom is here already. For those who are believers are living as visitors to a foreign land, for we belong to God's Kingdom and not to the kingdom that is the world.  We are called to live in the world and to be part of the world, but know that our King is Jesus. And when we think about "Thy will be done" we know that God puts into place leaders of countries and appoints them to their positions and He does this through the discernment of His people who trust Him. 

If however a nation appoints without God's will, but chooses unwisely, then they will suffer at their hands...  Do we really pray "Thy will be done"? Or just pay lip service to the prayer?  For if it God's will that is done then we can expect a leader who is kind and trustworthy, wise and fearful of God in all the decisions that are made.  I wonder who that might be....  Pray for God's will to be done! Events at Chapel
11th June     Sunday Reflection on BBC Essex at 7:50am
25th June     Chapel Outing to Anglesey Abbey and Lode Mill
23rd July      Chapel Anniversary.  Speaker:  Yvonne Campbell, General Secretary of the Congregational Federation Thanks to all who came to the Plant Swap and Sale...

Our Psalm singing evening on 7th May was greatly enjoyed by those who came.
WORSHIP AND ACTIVITIES Every Sunday
Our Worship Service is held at 10:45 am followed by coffee
1st Sunday join us for a Communion Service
2nd and 3rd Sundays Lively Worship Services sometimes with visiting preachers
4th Sunday - Service followed by Lunch together
Every Tuesday - 10-12am Coffee and Chat. Discussion and craft over coffee and biscuits. Come and join a little time out for fun and friendship!  (This may change to Thursdays after Easter - watch our notices)

Every Tuesday – Stambourne Worship Team Practice evening. Join us at 7pm for prayer, and 7:30pm for the music. If you play an instrument or sing we would welcome you to come and see whether you could join us.
Every Wednesday - 7pm Intercessory Prayers. If you would like prayer for your needs or for a friend or family member then please let us know or come and join us. Drop a note through our letter box ...

Every Thursday – House Group and Bible Study – Open to all. Call if you would like to join with us.
Contacts: Adrian Burr, Minister, 01440 730211, 07983 656166, aburr@inbox.com
Brian Mead, Secretary, 01371 345377, railnutter@gmail.com
Facebook: Stambourne Chapel

SUPERFAST BROADBAND UPDATE
Unfortunately, little has changed since the last newsletter regarding BT Openreach connecting the newly-installed fibre broadband cabinet to the exchange in Ridgewell. The initial estimate of 4 months between installing the cabinet and connecting to the exchange has been exceeded. This involves laying fibre optic cable from Stambourne to Ridgewell, usually using the existing underground ducts. It could be they have faced some problems during this phase. Hopefully more positive updates for the next newsletter.

NEWS FROM ST MARGARET’S SCHOOL, TOPPESFIELD
Summer term is always one of contrasts where we have the SATs to contend with in the first half term, but after that the summer kicks-in and the children (and staff) can enjoy the sun in the wonderful surroundings we have at St. Margaret’s.

As this newsletter goes to press, our older children are on an extended visit to the Kingswood Centre on the north Norfolk coast. This is an activity centre where the children are able to enjoy a whole range of activities whilst being professionally supervised. We have used this centre in the past and if this visit is anything like the previous ones, the children will have an enjoyable and memorable time.

We recently hosted Dan, a music teacher who has studied African Drumming with tribes in Africa. He spent the whole day with all the classes and you can see from the pictures on our website that it was a tremendous success.

There are many other events planned for the term; - we are having an inclusion week during June when visitors to the school will enable the children to experience the differing needs of other children and adults. For instance Guide Dogs for the Blind are coming to see us and the children will be able to experience Braille reading. We have our traditional Sports Morning on 4th July. (if you are a gardener you might want to make a note that it is likely to rain on that day! If so, the 11th is our reserve date.) There will be a Book Fair running between the 22nd and 29th June where the children will be able to buy books at bargain prices.

The Friends of St. Margaret’s (FOSM) which has evolved from the Toppesfield School Association (TSA) are holding a fashion show on Wednesday 28th March at 7pm in the school hall. Everyone is welcome to attend and there will be an opportunity to buy high street brands at reduced prices. Whilst gentlemen are welcome, it is likely that this event will have more appeal to ladies! Please come. Whilst all of this is going on, day to day classroom activities continue to receive on-going emphasis – there is no let-up in the learning process!

To stay in touch go to our website www.st-margaretscofe.essex.sch.uk.
Kim Hall, Headteacher





SLG Stambourne Ladies’ Group
NEW! Club Outings and Interest Groups – contact each other, choose from the assortment and invite others along. See below for latest fixtures:

MAY
29th Clare Art Exhibition, CO10 8NN. Free entry

JUNE

21st Beth Chatto Gardens, by coach depart Haverhill 9.15am return 2.45pm. Tickets £19.70 which includes admission.

Haverhill Arts Centre Cinema (www.haverhillartscentre.co.uk): 5th at 1.30pm A Quiet Passion 7th at 7.30pm Their Finest 21st at 7.30pm The Promise 8th Ridgewell Garden Society – Revitalise Your Borders. Call John 01440 788286 14th at 7.30pm - My Creative Journey – Amanda Sutherland at Village Hall.

JULY
4th Norwich by coach, depart Haverhill 9.15am return 4pm from Norwich. Tickets £13.20. 11th at 7.30pm Haverhill Arts Centre Cinema – Whisky Galore 12th BBQ at the Pavillion

AUGUST
Dates tbc – The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art based at Newmarket. www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk. Get up close and personal to REAL HORSES. Ticket prices dependant on numbers attending.

Call Annabel 01440 785809 or Vicky 01440 785528 or see our Facebook page for more!


ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL DaRT SCHEME

Demand Responsive Transport (DaRT)
What is DaRT?

Demand Responsive Transport (DaRT) is an alternative way of providing access to key services in rural areas.  Instead of using fixed routes with fixed stops and times, DaRT customers book journeys with the operator in advance and are picked up from an agreed point – often their own home, a bus stop or local place of interest.  You can use it: