Online library services widen

Since the closure of local libraries due to the Coronavirus pandemic, West Sussex Libraries has now created a virtual hub with activities for children and elderly people, including online books, magazines and comics, puzzles and local history.

With your library membership number you can access a lot of this information - some of which includes special member access to external providers simply because you are a West Sussex Library cardholder.

A spokesperson for the Library service said: “We know how much libraries mean to our members which is why we’ve introduced this virtual hub of your local library’s online services, all accessible from home.

“We’re talking RhymeTimeOnline, handy links for book lovers, family history content, resources for home learning, links to the latest offerings from authors, publishers and more!”

There’s even access to Theory Test Pro to help learner drives study the basics before they get on the road.

For more information search the web or put this link into a web browser: https://bit.ly/2yn1f7m

Well known Lindfield resident Colin Carter passed away peacefully

We featured Colin Carter, and his wife Veronica, back in 2016 as our Village People candidates in an article written by Claire Cooper.

The pair were frequently seen around Lindfield and Haywards Heath as they travelled in convoy on their motorised wheelchairs.

Colin, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, passed away peacefully (not from Coronavirus) in a nursing home, where he’d been for the past year or so, on 7th April. As well as his wife, he leaves behind his son and two grandchildren.

Veronica, who celebrated her Golden Wedding Anniversary with Colin two years ago, explained: “So many people from the area knew Colin by face, if not name, that I really want people to hear the news.”

The family will be organising a memorial service for Colin in due course, after the current Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

St Augustine’s, Scaynes Hill - Covid-19 plans

By Jenny Walker

In these extraordinary and unprecedented times sadly our church building has had to close but the church in Scaynes Hill continues to be alive and active and ready to provide help to anyone in need. At the moment St Augustine’s is in a vacancy but our Assistant Priest, Lucy Hollingsworth, together with the rest of our ministry team and the Parish Administrator, are working hard to ensure that church life is maintained.

 Our services have moved online to our YouTube channel and are being viewed by almost the whole congregation. Steps are being taken to try to set up technology for those who are not currently online. We are gathering in a virtual setting to worship together using liturgy, music, readings, preaching and intercessions that have been recorded in people’s homes. Service sheets are included in the Church Newsletter which is circulated in advance via email so people can join in with the responses and hymns. It is a different way of being a church and is being much appreciated by the congregation especially over Holy Week and Easter. We are also able to do “virtual coffee” after church via BlueJeans and Home Groups are also operating in this way. The Church Newsletter is packed with useful information as well as interesting and fun things to do including weekly competitions to take part in during this stay at home time. Using her creative talents our Youth and Children’s Worker is producing wonderful colouring sheets which appeal to all ages and a range of resources for children and families to use.

 At this difficult time pastoral care is of vital importance and we as a church community hope that we are good at supporting each other. In the current crisis we are making every effort to reach out not only to church members but to the wider community including those who normally visit the church coffee shop. The Pastoral Care Team and other volunteers are keeping in touch particularly with those who are self-isolating and those being shielded. A friendly chat on the phone and words of encouragement are much welcomed and practical help such as shopping and picking up prescriptions is provided where needed. A group of local residents is also offering help to members of the Scaynes Hill community and we are in contact with these volunteers so that hopefully no one will fall through the net. We are thankful for all those, known and unknown to us, who are serving the needs of the community during these challenging times.

Local volunteer force springs to life

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Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK, working together to support Lindfield, Haywards Heath and Cuckfield.

By Jacqueline Elmore

What began as a small community support group, the Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group, has now more than 650 volunteers who have registered and are offering their services to all areas around Haywards Heath, Lindfield, Cuckfield and beyond.

Redwan Chowdhury, who last month posted a simple message on Facebook asking people if they required any help during this period of isolation, has since been inundated with messages of support from people in the local area. “Last week alone we received 760 calls from people either requiring support, offering to help or just calling to say thank you. Up to today I think we helped over 200 households either with their shopping, emergency supplies or prescription deliveries. Mostly we’re providing support to people in the local area but we did do a run over to Saltdean the other day to someone who needed urgent help.”

In addition, Haywards Heath Town Council, Cuckfield and Lindfield Parish Councils have now helped to distribute 12,000 ‘COVID-19 Mutual Aid UK’ leaflets in the local area to cover 60,000 people to let them know that there is support out there for anyone who is feeling isolated during this difficult time.

Redwan continued: “Despite the generosity that has been offered, there is still so much more that can be done to help. Whether that is volunteering or donating we want to help as many people as we can. For instance, we are trying to reopen The Trussell Trust Food Bank in Haywards Heath to try and gather as much funding as possible to help those who do not have any other means of support right now.”

Redwan and some of the other organisers - Barbara King (Cuckfield), Amie Cheverst (Bolnore Village), Jo Lee (Rocky Lane), Rosie Lewis (Lindfield), Lee Goodeve and Kirsty Roo (Haywards Heath) – who were very much involved in helping to kick start the Haywards Heath COVID 19 Mutual Aid Group have been overwhelmed by the kindness offered by local people.

“We never expected the amount of support and generosity that has been extended to us over the last few weeks. Thank you for stepping up and coming together as a community. We really can do beautiful things by working together. Please pass the message on, and keep the positivity and resourcefulness flowing!”

The Support phone line is: 01444 635002 or email: HaywardsNeedHelp@gmail.com.

Volunteers please get in touch via: haywardsvolunteers@gmail.com or search Facebook for more information. Financial donations can be made here.

Kids Colouring Sheet by Brett Hudson

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Kids Colouring Sheet by Lindfield Artist Brett Hudson

Brett Hudson

Lindfield artist Brett Hudson has been making his own way of saying thank you to the thousands of key workers keeping this country going. His trademark people scene has taken a new look with the colouring sheet above, featuring a binman, doctor and an online delivery driver among others.

Click the image to see it larger, and then you should be able to print it out and colour it.

Thanks Brett - great idea…

Thank you key workers...

A few weeks ago we asked people of Lindfield to send in photos of amazing key workers who they know, who are doing amazing jobs at this difficult time in the life of the village/country/world! Of course, we know that NHS workers on the frontline are doing an awesome job under challenging circumstances - and a lot of us will have taken part in the collective applause for them specifically. However, we also have to thank the care workers, post men and women, refuse collectors, emergency services, teachers and shop workers.

Ava Slawinska

Care worker at Chailey Heritage

Sarah-Louise White

Caremark Mid Sussex, organising Care Workers

Sarah Brown

Has worked for Abbey Care for 18 years

Felix John

Police Officer with British Transport Police

Sarah Walker

Assistant Manager at Walstead Place

Ayshea Sayers

Care Worker

Easter Gift Bags donated by Tufnells of Lindfield

A little something…

The amazing Lindfield gift shop Tufnells - currently closed - has made up six Easter Gift Bags for these six splendid key workers - and we will do our best to make sure Sarah, Felix, Sarah, Sarah-Louise, Ayshea and Ava get theirs on their doorsteps before Easter! Thank you Tufnells. And thank you ALL KEY WORKERS for keeping us going…

“We should thank the many cabin crew that helped repatriate thousands of UK citizens, and many of whom have now taken up jobs at hospitals and supermarkets!”

— Baz French

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Ali Brown made her appreciation clear!

“I would like to say huge THANK YOU to all the businesses especially the shops which have stayed open. I know they have all been working extra hard so that we can still shop safely and locally. I am sure I am not the only person to have asked you this but feel it would be a good moral boost for them if they know the whole community appreciates what they are doing.”

— Christine Clark

Distribution of Lindfield Life – April 2020 issue

Coronavirus Update - 23rd March 2020

We have decided to distribute our new issue of Lindfield Life magazine on Tuesday 24th March 2020 as planned.  

According to royalmail.com, Public Health England advise that people receiving parcels are not at risk of contracting the Coronavirus and Royal Mail themselves say ‘from experience with other coronaviruses, we know that these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects such as letters’.

We’ve asked our delivery agents to step up their own precautions and each of the team will be wearing gloves and a mask and will also be maintaining the 2m proximity guidance previously issued by UK Government.

We really don’t want to stop the physical print and delivery of Lindfield Life because we know how much our readers enjoy it in this form. But we will, of course, always act in accordance with clear government directives – so this is subject to change for the foreseeable future.

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK supports Lindfield neighbours

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Covid-19 Neighbour Support flyer

Flyers have been put through doors in Lindfield, Cuckfield and Haywards Heath and in the last few days. It reads:

Hello Neighbour,

Are you unable to leave your home because of Covid 19/Coronavirus? We’re here for you.

We are a group of local residents who would like to support the community that we live in and ensure that nobody is left isolated. We don’t ask for anything in return, we just believe in helping each other in a time of difficulty.

We are your local neighbours and not a professional body but are supported by the council.

How they can help…

• Arranging deliveries

• Picking up Shopping & Medication

• A friendly phone call

• Posting Mail

• Urgent supplies

• Help topping up electric or gas key

If you could like to speak to us, or want to ask for help, please call 01444 635002 or email haywardsneedhelp@gmail.com

GIVE SUPPORT: Please email haywardsvolunteers@gmail.com to join the group (or call the number above).

Oathall students return from The Gambia

Two Lindfield students from Oathall Community College recently returned from a school trip to The Gambia. Theo Billson and Ella Tingley were part of the group of 37 led by their teacher, Annie Murray, who spent just over a week based at The Gunjur Project in Gunjur. Here we catch up with them following their return home and find out what the experience was like…

Had you ever been anywhere near West Africa before?
ET: Nope! I’d never been anywhere in Africa before this trip, so it was a very new experience for me.

What surprised you most about The Gambia?
TB: That the children ALL wanted an education and enjoyed learning at school.
ET: One thing that stood out to me was all of the animals everywhere: wherever we went, there were goats, chickens and dogs just wandering around. A couple of times there was even a cow on the football pitch!

What did you learn about life in that part of the world?
ET: Everyone shares everything (even though they have very little); people refer to each other as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ all the time. To them, it doesn’t matter who you are, or what you look like, you’re treated like one of the family.
TB: Yes, me too, it is very community and family orientated.

What similarities did you find to life here in Sussex? Any?
TB: There were plenty of mobile phones being used!
ET: There weren’t many similarities, but I must say that the sense of community is strong both here and there.

What was your accommodation like?
ET: It was lovely! The staff there were incredibly friendly too!
TB: We stayed in rooms of four sharing in the lodge. The accommodation was appropriate for the climate with a swimming pool and mainly outside shaded areas for group activity and eating.

Were you there to ‘work’ in the community? If so, what sort of activities did you get involved in? Which did you enjoy most?
ET: Yes, we helped out in the women’s garden, ran activities for schoolchildren and led sports sessions. We also bought food for some families who were struggling and delivered it to their homes. That was really moving, and we could all tell what a huge difference it would make to their lives.

What was the best recreational activity you did out there?
TB: Playing football with the local children.
ET: For me, probably visiting the market in a nearby town. It was really busy and nothing like I’ve ever seen before!

You both took supplies to give to the local community. What did you take and what difference do you think they will make?
TB: I took over twenty tennis racquets, plus clothing and tennis balls, which were donated by my tennis club. They were given to a local sports committee who were very excited to receive tennis equipment for the first time!
ET: I raised some money and used some of it to buy supplies to take with me. I took a range of things: clothes, books, tea towels and sanitary products, just to name a few! I also gave the headteacher 250 ‘Lindfield Life’ pencils.

Presenting the school in Gunjur with Lindfield Life pencils

What was the most challenging moment of the trip?
TB: The heat! It reached 42 degrees on the last day!
ET: Although this sounds cheesy - probably going home. It was very fulfilling, waking up every morning knowing that I would make people’s lives better that day.

Since returning home, is there one thing that you have personally taken away from your experience in Gunjur?
TB: To be grateful for what I have and realise how privileged I am.
ET: Yes, the people out there don’t have anywhere near as much as we do here, yet they’re still all really happy – especially the children.

Harry Potters Toy of the Year has link to Lindfield

Mark Gasson, toy inventor

Former Lindfield resident and Oathall school pupil Mark Gasson was celebrating recently as the toy he had invented scooped Toy of the Year Award for Innovation at the 2020 New York Toy Fair.

Mark, who works with UK-based toy manufacturer Wow! Stuff and in partnership with Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling’s own team of ‘Wizarding World’ experts, has been developing the idea for a Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak for over two years before release.

“It was such an honour to have received this award,” Mark explained. The accolade is presented and organised by The Toy Association and is known as the ‘Oscars’ of the toy industry.

“We really didn’t expect to win against the giants of the toy industry, so the look of surprise on our faces would have been real!”

Mark, who now lives in Los Angeles, studied control engineering at Reading University and graduated with a PhD in Neuroscience and Engineering. He worked in academia researching implantable medical devices before moving on to bring innovation to the toy industry in 2010.

His first success came after he started a company which produced an animated toy monkey called Dave that can sit on a shoulder and talks to people. Mark said: “You may think that robot monkeys and medical brain implants have nothing in common but they are both examples of how people and technology connect and interact with each other. This is an area that I find very interesting.”

The Invisibility Cloak - which works by using a phone camera and app, combining the old photography trick of ‘double exposure’ and TV technique of ‘green screen’ to create the illusion of invisibility – was launched in time for Christmas 2019.

A new version out this year is the Junior Invisibility Cloak and retails at nearly half the price of its predecessor.

No Lindfield Arts Festival in 2020

Following the very successful tenth anniversary of Lindfield Arts Festival last year and in light of the present uncertainty regarding the global coronavirus pandemic, the trustees of Lindfield Arts Festival have taken the difficult decision that they will not be holding a festival in September.

Instead, the plan is to return in September 2021 with a bigger and better festival than ever. Chair of Trustees Geoff Heath said: “We are a small charity with limited funds and so have decided it would be better to not commit the required upfront costs in such an uncertain period but instead use the money more productively for next year’s festival.

“However, if the Coronavirus situation develops positively over the coming months, we may hold some smaller pop-up events in September 2020, so watch this space!”

In the meantime, the LAF organising team are taking the opportunity to refresh and regroup the volunteer management team to develop new ideas and welcome new volunteers. If you would like to be part of Lindfield Arts Festival in 2021 please feel free to contact them at: enquiries@lindfieldartsfestival.com.

Lindfield Primary County Runners-Up

By James Smyth

Members of Lindfield Primary Academy’s Year 5/6 athletics team were celebrating last month when they were silver medalists at the Sportshall Athletics County Final at K2 in Crawley. After winning the Mid-Sussex event in January the children were hopeful of continuing their success at county level and they did not disappoint. Events included a variety of relays, vertical jump, long jump, javelin and speed bounce, with 24 disciplines in total.

It was an extremely close finish, with the winning school (Thomas A Becket) scoring just ten points more than Lindfield over the entire morning of athletics.

Lindfield has had a history of success at this event and has now finished either winners or runners up three times over the last four years. The academy is extremely proud of all the efforts of the children involved, who have given up dozens of lunchtimes to practise over the last six months. Sophie Russell, who took part in the obstacle relay, speed bounce and six lap parluf said: “We did so well because we worked really hard as a team and did not stop practising. It was so much fun and I haven’t taken my medal off yet!”

Village People - Jerry Bradley

In a doctor’s office at Southampton Hospital in 2009 Jerry Bradley was given the devastating news that Irene, his wife of 25 years and the love of his life, was suffering from dementia.
It was a bolt from the blue. “Irene had been unwell for some time but dementia never entered my head,” he said. “We thought she was suffering with severe depression.”

Driving home later that day Jerry made what was to become a life changing decision. “I vowed that I would start writing my memoirs so that if I ever became ill with dementia my memories would still be there for me.”
Over the following years, while caring for Irene, Jerry completed his life story and, since her death in 2015, has gone on to publish two novels to raise money for Dementia UK. He is currently writing a third.

Now living in Lindfield with daughter Hannah and son in law Pete, Jerry recalls his journey from racing car mechanic, market trader and locksmith to full time carer, and describes how his newly discovered passion for writing and raising awareness of dementia brought him back to life.

Continue reading the full and amazing story in this month’s (March) Lindfield Life Magazine.

Lindfield Primary

The spring term is another busy one at Lindfield Primary Academy where the pupils are enjoying lots of different activities.

We have this year launched our ‘Community Crew’,
a group of children, who, throughout the year, will be visiting local places of worship and other organisations in Lindfield and Haywards Heath (charities, etc). After each visit, the Community Crew create an assembly to feedback what they found out to the rest of the school.

Their first trip was to St Paul’s Catholic Church, where they met the church deacon. This term, the group visited Haywards Heath Mosque. They spoke to the Imam, who told them about the different parts of the building and they found out several interesting facts.

A group of children from Years 4, 5 & 6 went to Oathall Community College to attend a food tech masterclass. The children all had a great time making low sugar cookies, using the ovens and then the best part - tasting and evaluating their cookies! The children even had to wash up and clean down their workstations when they had finished! Valuable life skills were learnt.

Year 4 children travelled back through the ages to enjoy an all-day interactive ‘Stone Age’ workshop to tie in with their topic work this term. They had the opportunity to handle artefacts and experience stone age food. They tried on costumes and watched an arrow being shot across the school field!

Year 6 children visited Warner Brothers Studio in Hertfordshire and were blown away by the ‘magic’ behind the magic of the Harry Potter films. They spent the day walking around the studio and reading about the great films, seeing costumes and sets that were in the stories. The children are now using everything they saw and experienced to help them create some magic of their own in their creative writing.

Children from all year groups have enjoyed a huge variety of sporting events so far this term, many
trying new sports for the first time. Activities have included: sportshall athletics, archery, cross country, netball, new age kurling, boccia, hockey, basketball and badminton. Many of these have been organised by local sport provider Mid Sussex Active.

Lindfield's marathon runners

Take a stroll around Lindfield at any time of the day or evening and you’ll almost certainly be passed by at least one runner!

Over the last few years, running has become increasingly popular, with our own Lindfield Village Run now a permanent fixture on the village calendar.

There are plenty of good reasons for taking up running and the benefits are huge - from getting fitter and enjoying the fresh air, to clearing the mind and setting and reaching goals. And, apart from the cost of a decent pair of running shoes, it’s completely free!

While many people run for fun, some are taking their sport a step further as they train for challenging half and full marathons.

Read all about this first of two part feature where Claire Cooper meets three of them; Paul Spensley, Sarah and Adrian Alcock in this month’s (March) Lindfield Life magazine.

Climate change film screening

Fairer World Lindfield, in partnership with Earth Cinema, is screening the film ‘2040’ later this month at King Edward Hall.

The film provides ‘a refreshing outlook on climate change’ and has been directed by award winning director Damon Gameau. He embarks on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040, if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to improve our planet.

Structured as a visual letter to his four year old daughter, Damon blends traditional documentary with dramatised sequences of how these solutions could regenerate the world for future generations.

A trailer of the film can be seen here:
https://youtu.be/p-rTQ443akE

2040 will be shown at King Edward Hall on Saturday 14th March at 7.30pm. This event is free, but it is essential to book by email: fairerworldlindfield@gmail.com.

Celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight

By Peter Desmond, Fairtrade Lindfield Steering Group

Matt Askey, Co-op Manager, outside the Co-op with Chris Lee of Fairtrade Lindfield

Lindfield is one of over 600 towns and villages across the UK which is accredited as Fairtrade. Lindfield village was given Fairtrade status in 2018 and has been re- accredited until 2021.

What does it mean to be a Fairtrade village? It means that some of our shops, cafes, offices, churches, schools and community groups use or sell Fairtrade products.

The Fairtrade label gives a better deal for farmers and workers in developing countries to secure sustainable livelihoods. As consumers we can support this by buying Fairtrade products such as bananas, wine, chocolate, coffee, orange juice, flowers etc. It is a simple way to support the people who grow some of our everyday foods yet live thousands of miles away. Many of these products are available at our own Co-operative food store.

To promote Fairtrade Fortnight (24th February to 8th March), Matt Askey, Manager of Lindfield Co-op, is supporting Fairtrade Lindfield by kindly donating Fairtrade chocolate to businesses in the High Street. Matt said: “I believe stocking Fairtrade products is the right thing to do, to help growers have a chance of a better life.”

In Lindfield we are also very fortunate to have retailers and cafes with a heart for trading fairly as well as sourcing their products from the local area. They are great examples of how individual businesses can make a difference through their supply chains.

If you would like to know more about Fairtrade please take a look at: www.fairtrade.org.uk/What-is-Fairtrade

Lindfield book makes local bestseller

By Claire Cooper

An updated handbook about Lindfield past and present has been flying off the shelves of a Haywards Heath gift shop.

Simply titled ‘Lindfield’, the book, written and illustrated by local author Jane Reid, was one of the season’s bestsellers at Calliope gift shop in The Orchards, with the entire first batch snapped up in time for Christmas.

But there’s good news for those who missed out, as Jane recently hand delivered a new supply for 2020!

Calliope gift shop

Jane, who has since written novels,
wrote the first version of ‘Lindfield’ in
1983, after being approached by a local
book seller while drawing in the village. “I
had been working in the High Street and
Alison Stevenson, who had just opened
a bookshop, noticed me,” Jane recalled.
“She asked me if I had ever considered
writing a guide to Lindfield, as she was often asked if such a book existed. I thought I would have a try and got the book in print later that year.”

The handbook proved to be so popular that Jane has produced several updated versions as the village has evolved. The last update was in 2008.

This latest and fifth version contains additional information about the Lindfield Preservation Society and famous former resident Helena Hall and, says Jane, is the best yet!

“I retyped the whole book from start to finish on my laptop so was able to update and correct lots of small details as I went along, such as the disappearance of swans from the village pond,” said Jane. “I’m so grateful to my friend Melvyn Walmsley for proofreading and helping to compile a much improved index. I’m delighted with both the content and quality of this new edition.”

Jane’s book, described on the Calliope store website as: ‘The perfect gift for everybody who knows and loves Lindfield’, ‘packed with delightful line illustrations’ and ‘a treasure trove of historical facts’, costs £5.

Jane, who has now published three novels – The Book of the Randalls, Family Gatherings and Rain in the Winter Garden, is now busy working on her latest book The Oakenfield Chronicles.

An Honour for Paul

By Claire Cooper

Paul Ramsbottom

When an official looking envelope, complete with Royal crest, dropped through the letterbox at Paul Ramsbottom’s home in Appledore Gardens he didn’t rush to open it.

“I assumed I’d got a speeding ticket,” said Paul. “My wife Karen was in hospital at the time, so I was distracted and didn’t really give it much thought.”

But, much to Paul’s surprise, the letter brought the news that he had been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.

“It was a bolt from the blue,” said Paul. “I was surprised, shocked but deeply honoured. It’s a great way to start the New Year.”

Paul, who is Chief Executive of the
Wolfson Foundation, has been given the
honour for services to charity. The Wolfson Foundation is an independent grant making charity which provides funding programmes
and activities to improve the civic health of society though education and research.

As well as his Chief Executive role at the Wolfson Foundation, and its sister charity the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust, until recently Paul also chaired the Foundation Forum, a network for CEOs of trusts and foundations.

Outside of his professional life he has an interest in international development. For over a decade he has been the Chair of the Savannah Education Trust – a charity that he helped found – which provides Christian schools in the villages of northern Ghana. He is also a Trustee of Mercy Ships UK, an organisation that deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world.

“I see the honour very much as a reflection on the outstanding teamwork of the wonderful staff and trustees at the Wolfson Foundation,” said Paul.

“I feel privileged to be part of the charity sector and to work closely with a wide range of inspiring organisations.”

After receiving the news in November, Paul had
to keep it secret until the official announcement in December. “Karen and I shared the news with our two older daughters, Lily and Ella, when the letter arrived, and we just about managed to keep it secret,” said Paul. “We told the younger children Phoebe and Annie a few days before the announcement.

“All the girls are really excited, particularly when they discovered that my OBE entitles them to get married in St Paul’s Cathedral!”

Paul, who began working at the Foundation as a Grants Assistant in 1998, working his way up to Chief Executive, is now waiting for the date of his visit to the Palace. “Karen is definitely coming with me,” said Paul. “And, if I can take a further two guests, my parents will be coming too.”

He’s also looking forward to rubbing shoulders with other recipients. “I saw there were a few England cricketers on the honours list, so I’m hoping I might to get to meet some of them too!”

Clean cars for Cancer Research

Staff at Scaynes Hill Service Station will once again open their car wash on 13th February to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Scaynes Hill Service Station

But this year’s event will be
particularly poignant as they
remember Jay Patel, who lost
his battle with cancer last year.
Jay owned the service station
with his brother Gunvant and
the pair started the annual
fundraiser in 2009. Since then
they have raised over £11,000 for the charity.

Last year saw the most successful event yet, with more than 250 washes sold and staff working extra-long shifts to cope with demand. Along with proceeds from a raffle, the event raised £3,150, smashing the target of £3,000.

This year the garage will be open for car washes between 6am and 11pm on Thursday 13th February.

Throughout the day customers are invited to ‘buy’ a car wash ticket by making a donation to charity. Tickets

are valid for 30 days, giving customers the option to return over the next few days. There is also the chance to buy raffle tickets in-store too. All the money raised goes directly to Cancer Research UK.