During your time as a Crawley resident, have you ever, at some point in time, heard the words ‘Rotary Club’? And have you ever wondered ‘what do they do?’. We have.
Mascot and friend, donated to the Rotary by Laura Moffat when won in a competition
So, to answer this question Shelley met up with Geoff Williamson. Geoff has been involved with the Rotary Club for several years and has just finished a year as President. Shelley asked “what is the Rotary Club and what is it’s purpose?”. Geoff told Shelley ”the Rotary Club is a coalition of business individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Being a Rotary member gives experienced business people the chance to give something back to the community. We raise money for local charities and good causes like Open House, St Catherines and many others. It’s also an opportunity to help those less fortunate than us abroad. For instance, we are currently working on a campaign to assist in the vaccination of children in Africa and Asia, against the infection of polio. Polio is a crippling and sometimes fatal disease. All we are asking for is a donation of £1 which will help immunise five children against polio. We are very grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging to match the funds raised by Rotary worldwide for this campaign. This is just another great example of business’ working together with the community to raise funds for local or international aid.
Some of you may recognise Geoff from when he and many others dressed up and walked round the industrial estate to raise money for a local charity which was featured here…
It soon became apparent these words we had had heard about, ’Rotary Club’, stood for community engagement, support and aid. Their achievements are endless and that’s not even getting onto the subject of their fund raising efforts and events.
Geoff did mention to Shelley about membership saying they are currently open for new members. There are only two conditions, you are aged 18 or over and have at least two years business experience. If you are interested in having a chat or popping along to one of their meetings to get more of a feel for the club then please visit their site here for further details.
Have you ever been involved with Rotary Club or benefit from their great work? Are you a current member and want to express your view? Then please let us know by writing in the comments box below.
West Sussex County Council has held the first of a series of courses for school bus drivers designed to combat bullying.
Improved training for school bus drivers was one of the key recommendations of an Anti-Bullying Task Force set up in 2007 by the Council, following the tragic death of 11 year-old Horsham schoolboy Ben Vodden.
His parents – Paul and Caroline Vodden – have been given details of the feedback from 52 drivers who filled out course evaluation forms. 49 felt the course has been either useful or very useful.
Among the aspects of the course singled out by drivers were – ‘that it highlighted bullying as a very serious and real issue’ and that it showed ways of ‘tactfully dealing with an issue’.
The course included discussions how to deal with behaviour and situations that might take place on school buses.
The Task Force was also set-up as a response to comments made by the Coroner who asked the County Council to look at home to school transport issues when recording an open verdict into Ben’s death.
The outcomes of the course are intended to help drivers:
· Know some definitions of bullying
· To have considered their roles and responsibilities in responding to bullying
· To understand forms of bullying
· To consider what is appropriate behaviour on school transport
· To consider ways to de-escalate a situation
· To consider different responses to difficult situations
Peter Griffiths, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, said: “I felt it was important that the first people to know of the outcome of the initial course were Mr and Mrs Vodden.
“They rightly had concerns about school transport, but have conducted themselves throughout with enormous dignity, and played an important role in the Task Force’s recommendations.
“I am pleased that so many school bus and coach drivers felt the course was worthwhile. One company sent an email to us saying their staff had returned ‘full of it’, and asked to be informed of the next dates as soon as possible.”
Peter said more courses were being arranged, and he hoped to attend one himself to gain a better insight into what was being offered to drivers.
The Task Force looked at many other aspects of bullying and other recommendations put into practice have included:
· An anti-bullying line through the County Council Contact Centre to support parents/carers whose children are experiencing bullying – 0845 075 1010.
· Providing a casework service to work with children and young people who are experiencing more complex bullying.
· Updating the County Council’s Anti-Bullying Strategy and guidance to schools and youth organisations.
Paul and Caroline Vodden said:
“We are very encouraged by the response to the recent driver training organised by West Sussex County Council. This is something we have pressed for since the events on the school bus which led to our 11-year old son’s tragic death nearly three years ago, and we were very pleased when the Council’s Anti-Bullying Task Group included driver training in its recommendations.
“The overwhelmingly positive response of the drivers following the first voluntary training session validates our view that training drivers in bullying awareness and pupil management is not only essential to protect vulnerable children but also of benefit to the drivers themselves.
“We are convinced that formal training should now be rolled out across the County and, indeed, nationwide, and accompanied by a system of accreditation which recognises and affirms the important role and responsibilities which drivers carry in relation to the welfare of the students in their charge.
“Had such a scheme been in place prior to Ben’s death, such a tragic outcome may have been prevented.”
Crawley Borough Council’s Communications team came up trumps last week after scooping a prestigious award.
The Crawley resident’s magazine, Crawley Live, took on a host of magazines and newspapers from across the region to bag the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards Home Counties South for the best newspaper or magazine 2009.
CIPR judges felt Crawley Live ‘appealed to both young and older residents, providing easy to read content, promoting the council’s services from a user’s perspective’ and described it as ‘an excellent entry in a hotly contested category’.
Crawley Council Communications Officer and Crawley Live Editor, Allan Hambly, said: “Since we re-launched Crawley Live in October 2008 we have had lots of positive feedback from residents.
“We aim to inform readers about council services in an interesting and entertaining way and this award shows that we are doing this – we’re not sitting on our laurels though and we’re constantly trying to improve the magazine.”
Crawley Live is a 24-page bi-monthly magazine which is printed on recycled paper and delivered to residents.
It was re-launched with a contemporary new design in October 2008 and in just 12 months has also been shortlisted for a CIPR national award and will go up against other public sector publications at the CorpComms awards next month.
Caroline Brown, Chair of Home Counties South, said: “A CIPR Pride Award is a hallmark of professionalism and success – it identifies, recognises and rewards the outstanding achievements of those working in the PR industry outside of London. To win a CIPR Pride Award is a tremendous achievement and I congratulate all of this year’s winners.”
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(L-R) Communications Officers Allan Hambly and Stacia Baldock, Jo Sired and Mark Tiley of design studio Tileywoodman
Notes for editors
The CIPR PRide Awards have grown in strength and stature, recognising public relations success and achievement in the nations and regions.
There were over 1,400 plus entries UK-wide this year.
The CIPR PRide Awards is the only awards scheme which showcases the best PR work being carried out across the UK regions and nations and sets industry standards.
The judging process is rigorous with a national panel of industry experts assessing the shortlisted entries and choosing the winners.
For 2009 we appointed two Chairs of Judges, John Aspery and Chris Genasi, who will resolve any disputes and help ensure a fair and consistent judging process.
The campaign received the top Gold prize in the Not For Profit Category at this year’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Home Counties South PRide Awards.
The commendation said: “West Sussex County Council’s Communications Team has had outstanding success with its local Youth Cabinet Election Campaign, making it a worthy winner in this category.
“A wide range of appropriate channels were used to enable a two-way communication process to evolve. The use of news and social media, including a dedicated section on the council’s website connected directly to the youth audience.
“Young people from diverse target audiences including ethnic minorities, travellers and young people with special needs were all included and hence over 24,000 youngsters participated. A really excellent campaign on all levels.”
The campaign beat drives run by Kent County Council and Kent Waste Partnership.
More than 24,500 votes were cast in the elections. That was three times more than 2008 and meant one in five young people aged between 11 and 19 in West Sussex voted.
It put West Sussex in second place in the UK Youth Parliament League, following Kent, which had just over 30,000 votes.
There was also a record 210 candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds, including young parents, young Travellers, young people with special needs, minority ethnic groups and looked after young people.
Brad Watson OBE, the County Council Cabinet Member responsible for the Youth Cabinet, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in this excellent result.
“As a CIPR PRide Award winner, the campaign has been judged to be amongst the best in the region by leading PR experts.
“The Awards showcase the best PR work being carried out across the UK and sets industry standards.”
Caroline Brown, Chair of CIPR Home Counties South, said: “A CIPR PRide Award is a hallmark of professionalism and success – it identifies, recognises and rewards the outstanding achievements of those working in the PR industry outside of London. To win a CIPR PRide Award is a tremendous achievement.”
A PACESETTING recycling drive in West Sussex has scooped a top national award.
The campaign has led to West Sussex residents recycling an average of 11 kg (about 22lbs) of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) per person – almost twice as much as the national average.
It won the Electrical and Electronic Recycler of the Year category at the National Recycling Awards.
The awards recognise the achievements of recycling and waste management projects across the country from both the public and private sectors.
The drive got underway in July 2007, following new legislation that enabled residents to recycle all WEEE goods, from cookers to mobile phones, at West Sussex County Council’s network of 11 Household Waste Recycling Sites (HWRS).
The sites, which are operated by Viridor, provide easily accessible and dedicated containers for all unwanted electrical goods, identified with colourful pink signs. The collected items are subsequently recycled by approved treatment facilities.
Phillip Russell, the County Council’s Head of Waste Management, said: “The success of the drive reflects the fantastic cooperation that exists between the County, Viridor and our community.
“The response from public has been outstanding. The end result is 8000 tonnes of recovered materials that would otherwise be destined for landfill. “
Derek Whittington, County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “This initiative goes a step further in our quest to become leaders in waste prevention and recycling.”
Bill Griffiths, National Recycling Manager at Viridor added: “I’m delighted the judges have recognised that the system we’ve put in place at the HWRS network is collecting significant quantities of electrical goods. The benefits are helping to conserve valuable resources and divert materials away from landfill.”
The winning design for an official Christmas card has been produced by an adult learning student from Tangmere.
This year’s winner, Mary Rotton, is enrolled on a calligraphy course and has studied on a number of other courses with the West Sussex Adult and Community Learning Service.
The Service’s annual Christmas card competition was launched in July and invited all students to design an official card for the service.
Mary has won a 10-week adult learning course of her choice, a £20 voucher and copies of her winning Christmas card, with its design of festive winter flowers.
The runner-up prize went to Samuel Martin, from Crawley, who won a £10 gift voucher.
The competition was judged by staff from the Adult and Community Learning Service.
West Sussex County Council Leader Henry Smith said: “I’d like to thank everyone who entered the competition. As ever, we received a very high standard of entrants, making the judging a very difficult task.”
Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Peter Catchpole said: “Everyone can gain creative skills with the learning service, which offers a range of artistic courses, from Chinese brush painting to jewellery making, and card making to upholstery.”
For further information on adult learning across West Sussex contact 0845 6 01 01 61, or visit the County Council website at www.westsussex.gov.uk/adulteducation.
Councillors and children helped start the preparations for building a prestigious new community building by cutting the first piece of turf.
Councillor Brenda Burgess, Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Councillor Henry Smith, Leader of West Sussex County Council and Councillor Brenda Smith, Ward member for Langley Green, were joined by Bob the Builder and children from Langley Green Primary School as they dug out the first piece of turf with spades in preparation for the building of the Langley Green Centre.
This building will provide new community facilities, the Children and Family Centre as well as improvements to the entrance to Langley Green Primary School.
The Langley Green Centre is scheduled to open in November 2010.
This new building will play a central part in the regeneration of central Langley Green. Other improvements include:
• The Primary Care Centre – work began here on time in July and the building should be completed by March 2010
• A new hard play area for Langley Green Primary School to compensate for the area that the Primary Care Centre is occupying
• The new road layout will be operating from the end of November, including the work to the car park. Once open, parking restrictions will be put in place to deter commuters from using it as an all-day free car park. This will enable parade users to park more easily
• West Sussex County Council’s Youth Services will move from their site in Larks Rise into the current Community Centre once the new Langley Green Centre has been completed
• The parade façade improvements significantly enhanced the look of the shopping parade and accommodation above.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council, said: “I was extremely pleased to see the progress being made on the wider regeneration project as well as taking part in the turf cutting for the new Langley Green Centre.
“All of this work is being carried out to improve Langley Green and make it a better place to live and work. It will enhance the environment, community facilities, parade, open spaces, recycling, roads and parking.”
Councillor Henry Smith, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “I was honoured to take part in the turf-cutting ceremony with children at the primary school.
“This centre will play a vital role in the Langley Green community, having something for all the family to take part in. The County Council is committed to providing improved services like this to local children and families.”
A WEST Sussex service that helps the parents of disabled children take a much-needed break for a few hours is seeking more than 40 volunteers across the county.
West Sussex County Council Sitting Service gives parents some time off by arranging for volunteers to provide care for about four hours every fortnight at a time that is convenient. This could include evenings or activities during the day.
Jess Elliott, Sitting Service Co-ordinator, said: “We need 45 volunteers throughout West Sussex to make a big difference to a family with a disabled child by giving up a small amount of their time, about four hours a fortnight.
“Providing full time care for a child with disabilities can be exhausting and parents need a chance to recharge their batteries from time to time.”
But it is not only the parents who benefit, said Jess. The Sitting Service is also a rewarding experience for both the volunteers themselves and the children they look after.
For example:
· Karl has Down’s syndrome and loves to go swimming. He has a brother and a sister who lead fairly independent lives – but life can be quite hectic, especially after school. That meant Karl spent a lot of time indoors with his mum … but he now has a Sitter friend to go swimming with him.
· Daisy has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Her mum is a single parent who enjoys going to the gym or to the shops without pushing a chair. Daisy loves people talking to her and enjoys watching the trees blow in the park … a Sitting friend is now making a big difference to them both – by taking Daisy out for a walk, so giving her mum a break.
· Jake is autistic and gets very anxious about going out and doesn’t like the shops. However, he enjoys the park when no one else is there – he loves rough play and bouncing his ball.
Jake has a Sitter friend who spends time playing with him and doing his favourite things.
“You do not need specialist qualifications or specific experience because full training is given in first aid, child protection, health and safety, communicating with disabled children and general disability issues,” said Jess.
Pat Arculus, County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said: “If you can spare just a few hours to sit with a Karl, a Daisy or a Jake, I would urge you to get in touch with our Sitting Service and find out how you can be part of this valuable scheme.”
If you would like to make a difference then please contact Jess Elliott 01243 642318 or Doreen Bradbury 01243 642462.
A WORRYING number of people using electric blankets in West Sussex could be going to bed with live wire hazards this winter, firefighters are warning.
Over the last two weeks, West Sussex County Council Fire and Rescue Service has been carrying out free electric blanket tests at venues across the county.
Out of 645 blankets tested, 232 – 35 per cent – were found to be faulty.
Jackie Boyle, Community Fire and Road Safety Officer, said: “Every year there are approximately 1000 fires caused by faulty electric blankets. Around 20 people are killed and 250 injured.
“So, don’t take a chance this winter. Inspections of electric blankets are recommended every three years. But you should also regularly check it yourself for signs of wear and tear, scorch marks, loose connections or any damage to the flex.”
Always buy new, never second-hand blankets, and always follow the manufacturers instructions, said Jackie.
“Do not use the blanket when it has been folded or becomes creased. Don’t use a hot water bottle at the same time and never touch the blanket with wet hands or feet, or use the blanket if it’s wet or damp,” she said.
Jackie is also warning people to take care when using heated Wheat Bags, which can be warmed in a microwave oven and used in a similar way to hot water bottles.
“Wheat bags are a good way of keeping warm. But they can be very dangerous if used incorrectly.
“We urge people to always follow the instructions and ensure these bags are not heated for too long in the microwave. Once they have become overheated, they can start a rapid smouldering process and can reach extremely high temperatures.
“They have been known to cause serious injuries so you should always follow manufacturers instructions when heating and using them, and regularly check them for scorch marks and signs of wear and tear,” she said.
Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Our firefighters want everyone in West Sussex to sleep safely this winter. But we cannot afford to be complacent where electrical safety is concerned.”
This Christmas Crawley is leading the way to get the community into the festive mood. So what can you look forward too?
Crawley in lights
This is Crawley Happy Times’ first christmas as an online newspaper for Crawley, so we are looking for the support of the community by coming out and celebrating with us and the rest of the town’s people. If for any reason you cannot get into town to see this fantastic event you can watch it via your internet access here…
Thursday 19 November – County Mall Christmas lights switched on by a celebrity at 7pm. Town centre lights switched on too
Thursday 19-Saturday 21 November
Continental Market in Queens Square and live music
Continental Market in Queens Square
Saturday 21 November
Santa’s Grotto launch in the County Mall
Friday 27-Sunday 29 November
Christmas Music Festival in Queens Square
Crawley Millenium Concert Band will be playing for us whilst we shop
Friday 4-Sunday 6 December
Roller disco in the Queens Square
Monday 7 December
Crawley Millennium Concert Band’s Charity Family Christmas Concert at 7.30pm in County Mall.
Tickets from Toy Barnhaus, County Mall & on the Crawley Happy Times website
Saturday 12 December
Christmas Craft Market in Queens Square
Sunday 13 December
Live music and entertainment in Queens Square
Saturday 19-Sunday 20 December
Winter Wonderland in Queens Square
On Monday 16th November, ’09 Shelley was invited to Holy Trinity School to experience the Crawley Cagers Basketball Club in action.
Lots of exercise, discipline and guidance given by coaches Kevin & Alex
Upon arrival at Holy Trinity’s sports hall, positioned at the rear of the premises, we were welcomed by Cliff Youngman, Chairman of the Crawley Cagers Basketball Club who showed us around. We found the sports hall to be clean, freshly decorated, well equipped and very spacious. The basketball players were showing off their skills with the ball and ‘shooting hoops’. The boys playing at the time were the under 18′s although some were up to 6ft 8in tall!! A good start to a potential career in basketball if you ask us
Being a member of the Crawley Cagers Basketball Club does not just benefit the children as far as exercise is concerned, they also gain direction, discipline, control and guidance from their peers. Cliff told Shelley he felt the children are better off here, having fun and building a potential career in basketball. Much better than being on the streets, possibly getting up to no good.
Crawley Cagers U18's on the court at Holy Trinity School
We spoke to Alex Usayi, a trainee coach in his third week with the club, who told us “it is a fantastic experience. The boys are amazing and it is a pleasure to work with them. I feel they have alot of potential and could go far as a team and individually in the future.” Alex went on to say “I have played basketball all of my life, so this is a great way of giving something back to the sport and in turn, contributing to the community. I love the sport!”. Cliff, who arranged for Alex’s contribution to the club, told us some of the older boys also give back to the club by teaching the young ones.
The head coach, Alex was too busy with the team to talk to us, but we feel he would have mirrored Alex’s comments.
The club receives small funding grants from the local council but depends mainly on the generosity of schools and leisure centres for premises and sponsorship from local companies to keep up the quality of service to the youths and the club facilities. Cliff told us the clubs greatest wish would be to obtain a minibus to transport the club members to tournaments, some of which are quite a way out of town. If anyone knows a way of making this a wish come true for this wonderful group of individuals, please contact Cliff Youngman via their website. Cliff wants to say a big thank you to Holy Trinity School for their generosity.
We spoke to Cliff in length and took some footage of the young men in action.
We would like to wish Cliff, Alex, Kevin and the members of Crawley Cagers Basketball Club all the best for a bright future!
Starr Winter Magic arrives in Crawley on Tuesday 19th January to conjure up laughter, smiles and urgently needed money for the local charity St Catherine’s Hospice.
The show is a miraculous mix of illusion, comedy and thrilling magic.
One of Britain’s most highly acclaimed masters of illusion Andrew Van Buren performs. Andrew’s unique talents have baffled audiences through out the world and earned him the coveted membership of Magic’s most exclusive society – The Magic Circle.
It’s laughter all the way with the hilarious antics of Duo Delbosq whose infectious style of physical comedy knows no boundaries of language or age when it comes to pure entertainment.
An enchanting show recognised as the brand leader in genuine family entertainment which appeals to all ages.
Starr Winter Magic is presented by Circus Starr which occupies a unique position in British circus by raising thousands of pounds for local charities with the advance sales of show tickets to local businesses.
The donations from those sales go towards specialised equipment for hospitals and hospices.
Since proudly taking to the road 22 years ago, Circus Starr has raised more than £2 million for local charities.
The show will be in Crawley, The Haven Centre, with two performances at 4.45pm and 7pm.
Please call the booking and information hotline on 01260 27145 or speak to Becki on 01260 276627.
Business Sponsorhip –
· For only £23 a business can have their company name and telephone number displayed on a large plasma screen at the show along with 1 free ticket to either performance. They can have this ticket for their own use or kindly donate it so an underprivileged child gets to experience the circus through our donated ticket scheme.
· For £28.75 you can also have the business displayed along with the everything above.
· For £57.50 a business can have their business name, telephone number and logo displayed on the large plasma screen, plus their company name printed on to the flyers which are handed out to everyone who attends the show, plus 2 frees tickets again for own use or we offer them for donation.
As Christmas approaches, it can be a sad time of year for many people who have lost someone close.
In recognition of this, St Catherine’s Hospice is holding a special event to give everyone the chance to reflect and remember someone special.
The main Tree of Light service will be held at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley on Sunday 6th December from 4pm. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether their loss is recent or some time ago, or if the person being remembered was cared for by St Catherine’s or not.
Tree of Light in remembrance
The service will include carols, readings, time for reflection and lighting the Tree of Light. The service is followed by refreshments and the chance to speak to staff from St Catherine’s bereavement team.
There will also be smaller, additional services at:
• Our Lady & St Peter’s Church, East Grinstead at 4pm on 6th December
• St Bartholomew’s Church, Horley at 5pm on 6th December
• Trinity URC (with St Mary’s C of E Church), Billingshurst at 5pm on 6th December
• St Mary’s Church, Oxted at 4pm on 6th December
• St Phillip’s Church (with St Mark’s, Reigate Methodist and St Mary’s Churches), Reigate at 5pm on 6th December
• Redhill URC, Redhill at 6pm on 6th December
• St Paul’s Church (with Dorking Churches Together), Dorking at 6pm on 6th December
• Trafalgar Road Baptist Church (with Holy Trinity), Horsham at 6pm on 6th December • Christ Church URC (with Trinity URC, Ifield), Pound Hill at 6.30pm on 6th December
• St Mark’s Church, Horsham at 6.30pm on 6th December
• St John’s Church, Felbridge at 6.30pm on 13th December
As well as attending a service, there is the chance to remember a loved one by sponsoring a light which will shine on the St Catherine’s tree. Anyone who sponsors a light will also receive a candle decoration, which can be hung up at home or placed on the special trees at the service. All names sponsored will be entered into a Book of Remembrance which is displayed at the service.
For further information about the services or sponsoring a light, please contact Cat Boulter on 01293 447364 or visit St Catherine’s website at www.stch.org.uk
A Crawley-based company that supplies medical equipment to hospitals and clinics throughout the world has raised over £11,000 in aid of a local charity.
Varian Medical Systems is a worldwide manufacturer of integrated cancer care systems. The company – which employs over 200 people at its Crawley manufacturing, engineering, sales and service centre – chose St Catherine’s Hospice as its charity of the year in September 2008. In the 12 months since then, the staff at Varian have supported the hospice through a variety of activities, including:
• blue bag donations to St Catherine’s charity shops, which raised nearly £1,000
• participation in the Flora London Marathon by Varian employee, Michelle Cook, whose sponsorship totalled over £1,800
• a summer ball which raised over £1,000
• a Christmas raffle which collected over £700
• a bike ride which raised over £500
St Catherine’s provides specialised end of life care and support for local patients and their families, friends and carers in Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and East Surrey.
Matthew Cornish, Corporate Fundraiser at St Catherine’s, said: “We were delighted when Varian chose us as their charity of the year. The ongoing commitment and enthusiasm of their staff has been really impressive, and greatly appreciated by everyone at St Catherine’s. We hope their example may encourage other businesses to support us in this way.”
Rosemary Myles, Charities Team Leader at Varian, said: “When you are asking people within your company to support a charity throughout the year, it is hard to go back to them again and again asking for support for different fundraising initiatives, but at Varian we do, and the great thing is that there always seem to be enough people willing to give their time and money.
“St Catherine’s was nominated as our charity of the year by one of our employees and it has certainly proved to be a popular choice. So many people know of someone who has benefited from the wonderful care provided by the hospice, and I am sure that provided the motivation needed to enable us not only to achieve our fundraising target of £10,000, but to exceed it!”
For further information about the many ways in which businesses can support
St Catherine’s, please call 01293 447365, email matthewcornish@stch.org or visit www.stch.org.uk
Christmas is coming and it’s time for the community of Crawley and all their friends and family to get ‘into the mood’. It’s also time for the annual christmas concert to get you in the christmas spirit.
For tickets please call 01293 574179. Also sold at Toy Barnhaus in the County Mall, Crawley. On Sunday 29th November and Saturday 5th December between 14:00 and 16:00 tickets are available on the lower ground reception in the County Mall. Priced at only £5 each or a family ticket of four £18 it is great value for a wonderful evening for the whole family, so get yours NOW! Alternatively you can purchase them online via the payment button below.
Sponsored and supported this year by HH Design and Crawley Happy Times. Both are Crawley companies, dedicated to looking after local people.
This is going to be an awesome event but can only be great with the support of the community, so we look forward to seeing you there :-) xx
On this day, the 11th November, ’09 Crawley stood in silence to remember those who gave their lives for their country. Crawley Happy Times went to the County Mall to pay their respect. Read more here….
This Sunday the world took time to remember those fallen and injured heroes who have fought, and are still fighting for our country and our freedom.
Crawley held it’s own amazing day in remembrance of it’s own heroes on Sunday 8th November at St Johns Church. The forces looked amazing in their uniforms, proudly representing their country. The constabulary and firemen also attended the service, all looking very dazzling in full uniform. The community turned out in droves to watch the service men and woman march to the church. The church service was performed followed by the two minute silence. The most moving part of the ceremony was the laying of the wreaths. We were surprised there were not more personal contributions to this part of the ceremony, but for those who did lay their own crosses, our thoughts were with you.
The Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess was present along with West Sussex County Council Leader Henry Smith and Local MP Laura Moffatt. There were many dignitaries present, too many to name, so we took plenty of footage for you to experience the day yourself. We look forward to seeing all of you next year, so please put the date in your diary now! We feel these men and woman deserve our support, and this is a day to show it. As a very good friend of ours would say, enough said!
The young cadets in full dress
St Johns Church, Crawley
The Community came to remember those lost, past and present
Representatives from all sections of the military forces stood proudly outside the church
As always, the church was full to the brim
Young Military personel guard the four corners
One of our local heroes proudly wears his medals but did not want to be named, bless
The devoted local constabulary attended to pay their respects
Our local Firemen attended to honour the fallen and injured
Everyone was invited back to the TA Centre after for some hot chilli and chicken curry, and lovely it was too.
The TA Centre supplied hot food and great drinks
Everyone queued up for some grub
Curry and chilli enjoyed by all
Great exhibit describing the Army Cadets career options
In October, Crawley held another successful campaign for drawing. The Big Draw is now in it’s tenth year. Crawley has previously been awarded the title of Trailblazer by the Campaign for Drawing, organizers of the Big Draw in 2008.
Organisers of Big Draw event in Crawley selected two themes ‘The Power of Ten’ and ‘Look to the Future’ from the Campaign for Drawing options. All events were free with sketchbooks and stickers handed out at every event.
It all started and finished at Ginger Moo Gallery in the County Mall. Other events were held at Tilgate Park, Oriel High School, Crawley Library and Thomas Bennett Community College. Unfortunately, due to sickness, we were unable to attend all the events but took plenty of pictures for you.
Whilst visiting Oriel High School in Maidenbower, Crawley we spoke to Katie Lehec, Community Arts Co-ordinator for Oriel who told us “Oriel is in it’s fourth year of being an Arts Specialist School and we are very proud of our achievements. The children (and parents alike) used a magnifying glass to portray the image so they could copy it. We focused on texture, colour, shiny surfaces, fabric, tissue paper, paints and felt tips”.
Hazel Ellis from The Hawth Promotions and Community Arts Department said “we are really pleased with the turn out. Especially the after school attendance where local residence travelled from all regions of Crawley to attend.
Rhiannon Davies lives in Pound Hill with her two children aged six and nine who attend Turners Hill Primary School said “the children have had loads of fun, especially the nine year old who thoroughly enjoys drawing and doodling. It’s lovely to see the finished creations”.
Liz McLeish attended with her two children and told us “it’s a lovely opportunity for the children to freely be creative and make some wonderful artistic collages”.
An eleven year old young lady told us she is very interested in art and will be focusing on an arts degree. She thought the event was very exciting and hoped to do it again.
During the month of October some amazing creations had been formed out of plastic bags, recycled materials, chalk and various other methods, all created with intelligence and care for the environment as the theme. Back at Ginger Moo for the finale we had the pleasure of being shown round by Rachel Cowell. Rachel bought Ginger Moo to the County Mall a year ago now and has done a brilliant job of bringing local artists to our attention. All the exhibitors are fairly local people, some very young. If you have never popped in to see the art work, we would encourage you to do so.
We would like to thank everyone for their support and kindness. We are keeping our fingers crossed for another top accolade for Crawley for 2009. Our thanks also goes to Sam from CBC for holding the camera and doing such a great job! xx
On Wednesday 28th October, ’09 the Cheeky girls came to visit Diamonds & Pearls in the Mall, Crawley.
The Cheeky Girls and Jenny Watts, Head of Retail
Monica and Gabriela Irimia shot to fame after appearing on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Since then Monica and Gabriela have taken other countries by storm with their cheeky personalities and talents. Both ladies are competent dancers, with Monica recently winning Romanian’s version of Strictly Come Dancing in May, ’09. You can watch Monica and her dance partner Darius Belu here...
Beautifully stunning outfits worn by Monica & Gabriel
The twins looked stunning as they officially launched their new range of make-up. The youngsters lined up to be have their turn, all looking excited and slightly nervous. The cheeky girls did not hesitate to give cuddles, even picking up the very little ones to get a good picture taken by the parents. It took nearly three hours for the stream of people to end. The twins took it all in their stride and were polite, friendly and very warm to their fans.
Many fans turned up to see the twin ladies
We spoke to Jenny Watts, Head of Retail for Diamonds & Pearls who told us “we are very happy to be suppporting the brand. It is in keeping with the shops personality. Monica and Gabriel are lovely, very cheeky”.
Katie Maloy, Brand Manager of the product said “we are here to celebrate the launch of the new products and meet the consumers. Crawley is a great place which we chose due to the extensive support we have been shown. We love the products as they are very glamorous and sparkly, just like the cheeky girls. It’s a brilliant synergy. We would like to thank the staff of Diamonds & Pearls. They have been very supportive and have a great attitude towards the product. It’s a great team here in Crawley”.
We would like to thank Kelly Cypher, Manager of the Crawley branch of Diamonds & Pearls for the invite. Our thanks also goes to Ray for holding the camera!
