Lindfield Primary Academy's call to the local community

By Lindfield Primary Academy PTA

At the time of writing, we once again find ourselves still in yet another lockdown. In the summer months the children of Lindfield Primary Academy loved spotting rainbows in the village windows whilst on their daily exercise. With the sun well and truly gone and grey skies a permanent feature, we put our thinking caps on to think of ways to brighten up daily walks.

We want to reach out to our beautiful Lindfield community, and invite you all to decorate your windows with beautiful stars that the children can enjoy spotting whilst carrying out their daily exercise.

Stars can be any size or colour and as many or as few as you like. All stars welcome! Let’s get Lindfield twinkling.

Editor’s note: When you’ve decorated your windows, why not send in a photo (editor@lindfieldlife.co.uk) with you or your children in it – so that we can showcase them in a future issue.

Lindfield Football Club's Under 10: running daily for NHS Charities Together

Dylan Humphreys

By Kirsty Warren

It’s been a bizarre start to the football season so far with surprising wins from teams such as Brighton, who’ve defeated the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Great for local Brighton fans but not so much for those on the other side. The silver lining? At least they get to play the game.

Clubs like our own Lindfield FC Juniors have to press the pause button a while longer, but how, without schools open and active PE lessons, do they keep healthy? LFC Juniors’ very own Dylan Humphreys made an awe-inspiring decision back in January this year to run 2k every day until he goes back to school. He told me: “Initially, I wanted to run to help with my fitness as I can’t play football or run around with my friends at the moment. But then I had the idea of challenging myself to run every day and look to raise money for an important cause at the same time.”

So, on 17th January Dylan began to run around the Ardingly Showground every single day, and with the help of his mum Clare, he set up a Facebook donation page where his supporters could donate to NHS Charities Together – a group of more than 250 charitable organisations that supports all of the National Health Service.
The page is still active where you can donate and see all of Dylan’s run times, photos and messages. You can find it here: Dylan’s fundraiser for NHS Charities Together

Lindfield U10s head coach Dominic Roberjot said: “Dylan’s commitment to staying fit and healthy, as well as his incredible fundraising efforts, have truly captured the imagination of everyone involved at the club. At a time when many of us were struggling for motivation during lockdown, his efforts have inspired his coaches and teammates to use this time as an opportunity to stay fit and active.”

In response to all his support, Dylan wanted to inspire his teammates further, explaining: “I challenged my football friends to run every day for a week wearing something unusual. Running gear has included crazy wigs, masks, cricket gear, party hats, a beach theme and a dressing gown! It has been lots of fun!”

The original target amount Dylan wished to hit was a modest £200, which got smashed in just 24 hours! They immediately raised the goal, but the new targets were reached again and again. At the end of January it was raised to a whopping £1,000, but as of the 12th February, Dylan’s charity had received a total of £1,450.

Clare posted on the Facebook page: “Dylan has been overwhelmed by the level of support! Not only from the donors but also from the messages of support and the encouragement that he has received. He even gets recognition from people when they see him out running, now that word has got out about what he’s doing.” Clare also mentions, “His running has been really helping Dylan’s wellbeing and fitness. It’s having something to focus on doing every day whilst there’s not a lot else to do at the moment. Therefore, I hope those having a go at their own challenges get as much out of it as he is.”

Did you spot the Juniors’ unusual dress runs in February? Or have you seen Dylan dashing around the Ardingly Showground? If you’ve been inspired to start running, let Dylan and his family know by commenting on his support page, where you can also keep up with his progress. With all this exercising, the Juniors will be ready to play a great game of football when the club can finally reopen!

Find more fun photos inside the March issue of Lindfield Life.

Lindfield High Street and the possible Traffic Restriction Order (TRO)

In 2019 an application was made to West Sussex County Council (WSCC) for a Traffic Restriction Order designed to limit HGVs from using the section of the Lewes Road between the High Street and Gravelye Lane as a short cut, avoiding WSCC’s recommended routing on the A272 and increasing pressures on the High Street junction. Despite all parties recognising the difficulties of the Lewes Road / High Street junction, residents’ support with over 1200 signatures and significant work by a group of Lindfield residents and Lindfield Parish Council (LPC), WSCC declined to support the application.

Since then, LPC and the residents have worked to gain further support, with Lindfield’s Mid Sussex District Councillors and Mims Davies, MP, visiting the junction and expressing their support.

Continued dialogue with WSCC has led to Highways advising that they are prepared to consider a further application to restrict HGVs but have recommended that a consultation be undertaken by a professional firm to independently analyse both the support for and objections against the proposal. Accordingly, as soon as coronavirus restrictions start to ease, the consultation will be launched by Lindfield Parish Council and the Project Centre via a dedicated website alongside direct communication with local businesses, schools, hauliers and other interested parties.

Lindfield Parish Council have underwritten the £6,500 cost of this consultation and MSDC hold ‘Section 106’ monies which can be used to implement the scheme, if the application to WSCC is successful.

Please look out for the launch of the consultation and contribute to it, both to evidence the support from the local community and underpin the reasons for WSCC to consider the application favourably.

All Saints Church 'walk the pipe' for Kagando's hydro-electric power plant

Members of All Saints Church have been making good use of their allowed exercise in January as a number of them supported a fundraising scheme for a partner charity project.

Kagando is a small village in Uganda which is home to a hospital serving the needs of the rural population around of some 350,000 people. The 250 unit has an unstable electric supply and so the charitable trust Friends of Kagando has begun fundraising the £1m needed to build a Hydro-Electric power plant to make use of a nearby mountain stream.

Lindfield resident and charity trustee Helen Tuddenham said: They experience almost daily interruptions to the electricity power supply. As trustees, we often discuss how we can best financially support the hospital in a sustainable way, allowing them to be more financially independent, and a hydroelectric power scheme would both save costs and generate income from selling surplus power to the local grid.”

Fellow church member Sarah Beeston commented: Having visited a hospital in another African country several years ago I have seen first hand the desperate need for resources. The more I heard about this Kagando project, the more I could envisage the need for the hospital to be self-sustaining and able to offer the best possible care to their community.”

Participants pledged to walk 2.5k each day in January – the equivalent of the length of pipe need to divert the water from the stream to the new power house. All Saints has set up a JustGiving page which can be found here: http://bit.ly/2KfjnGr

Cuckfield & Lindfield's Rotary stalwarts and the South Downs Marathon Walk

Undeterred by the cancellation of the South Downs Marathon Walk back in November, two Cuckfield and Lindfield Rotarians decided to do it anyway - on their own. The walk began in daylight at the Amex Stadium in Brighton and ended in darkness 43 km (26 miles) later at Eastbourne. No spring chickens, Andy Harrison (71), President of the Club and Philip Harrison (76) had been training for the event for weeks.

Waving goodbye to their transport at the Amex Stadium, they set off uphill to join the South Downs Way on the estimated 12 hour hike. First, they made their way over higher ground at Woodingdean, then descended to cross the River Ouse at Southease. before continuing on to Firle Beacon.

Progress over the Seven Sisters later on was hindered by the strong wind, which threatened to toss them over the edge at times. A short respite by the National Trust Café at Birling Gap was welcome as night fell and the rain got harder. With head torches on, and eyes down, Andy and Philip tackled the last six kilometres touching down earlier than expected at 6.15pm.

From family and friends, members of the Rotary Club of Cuckfield & Lindfield raised sponsorship of over £8,500 in support of the magnificent effort. At the next Business Meeting the Club decided on donations to:
The hospices of St Peter & St James and Chestnut Tree House
Family Support Work
Food Bank
Safe in Sussex
Mind in Brighton & Hove
Crawley Open House
Shelter Box
Impact

The Club also conducted an online Christmas Appeal specially for families in need, severely affected by Covid-19, and a street collection in Lindfield. If you would be interested in knowing more about a great group of people who enjoy making a difference, see: www.rotarycl.org

A recommendation for Bedelands Nature Reserve

By Claire Walter

Lockdown is back and so this means that some of the days out we had planned as ‘The Walter Ways’ are now on hold. I am therefore so thankful for our beautiful countryside. It’s good to get out and get walking in our local area when you can. We have so many places to choose from such as Blunts Wood, Ardingly showground (the road is great for the little ones on bikes and scooters) and Beech Hurst to name a few.

This time, I wanted to tell you about Bedelands Nature Reserve. It is in Burgess Hill so at the moment, this may not be deemed as local for some, but once restrictions are eased it is a wonderful place for you to get out and explore as it is a hidden gem. From the car park, you make your way into the woods to be instantly surrounded by so many different types of the trees.

Whilst walking through the woodland, be sure to look out for the wildlife, spot mushrooms hiding amongst the leaves, venture into the meadows and admire the ponds. As you wander further into the woods, you will hear the sounds of a waterfall in the distance. There are maps around the nature reserve to help you plan your visit and find the waterfall too.

The waterfall itself is always a wonderful sight. The last time we went, we happened to arrive there just as heavy rain poured down onto us, but this just added to the excitement with extra muddy puddles for the girls to jump into. It also meant the waterfall was a little more powerful than usual. Quite exciting to watch. A contrast to the flat, calm water in Mill Pond that leads into the waterfall itself. There is a small walkway which takes you across the top of the waterfall, so that the water gushes below you and you can look across the pond too. A breath-taking view all around.

We love to take time out here exploring, and if you have not been yet, hopefully we have inspired you to check out the wonderful Bedelands Nature Reserve when you can too.

For more ideas on places to visit, do follow us, @thewalterways, on Instagram and Facebook.

Virtual Scaynes Hill Flower Show - Live Sat 3rd April 2021

Scaynes Hill Flower Show is going high tech, no thanks to the secretaries but to a mother and son team who are very enthusiastic and have kindly set it all up so readers can still enjoy each other’s skills and talents, albeit a little low key. So many thanks to Debbie and Thomas.

There are only THREE RULES:

1) only one entry per Class
2) produce is home grown this year
3) the children’s entries are all their own work.
There are no size restrictions.

HOW TO ENTER
Simply take a photograph of your exhibit - each entry should be sent in a separate email to scayneshillflowershow@gmail.com with your name, the class number (and age if under 13 years) in the ‘Subject’ box, before 2pm on Saturday 27th March.

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A receipt email will be sent for each entry confirming the date of the Live Flower Show Display, YouTube link and details of how to vote.

GOOD NEWS
For parents whose children are home-schooling there are some fun classes for the under 13 year olds and the under 5s AND why not get the whole family involved in building a scarecrow in the FAMILY ENTRY. Please use old clothes as the winning scarecrow will have pride of place at Scaynes Hill Cricket Club scaring the wildlife away.

HOW TO ACCESS THE LIVE SHOW
Go onto YouTube (www.youtube.com) then search for ‘Scaynes Hill Spring Flower Show’ or use the following direct link: Scaynes Hill Spring Flower Show

HOW TO VOTE
The fun part of this Show is that you will be the judges. You can choose your favourite in each Class and submit your choice via email to scayneshillflowershow@gmail.com as follows:
e.g. Class 1 = Photo 4, Class 2 = Photo 7 and so on.

Sorry no multiple votes. These should be submitted by no later than 2 pm on Wednesday 7th April.

THE VIRTUAL FLOWER SHOW RESULTS
Will go live at 2 pm on Saturday 10th April. The winners will be marked in each category on the same YouTube link as above.

We hope you will enjoy our virtual flower show and all readers of Lindfield Life are welcome to enter.

We look forward to seeing all your entries. You can enter with immediate effect so start taking your photographs. Keep safe and take care.

Best wishes, Dianne (01444 831676) and Angela (01444 831599).

Lindfield 'Fills' Good at zero waste

Well-known Lindfield landlady Andi Frost has taken an unexpected turn in business as she tried to help the people of Denmans Lane during the first lockdown.

Remember the days when items like flour and pasta were in short supply? As Andi found herself without a pub to look after, she took the opportunity to focus on another passion of hers. Although nothing to do with the Stand Up Inn, she has been working on another project for about a year. One that is the beginnings of a zero waste store: Fill Good.

“During lockdown I started with just a couple of bags of flour,” Andi explained, “and each sale gave me just enough profit to add more to the list.” The most recent lockdown gave her the opportunity to finish off her own website (www.fillgoodstore.co.uk) which now has over 100 products listed on it. “I have invested in ethical and circular companies - ones that will refill and reuse containers rather than send them for recycling, like the milkman, rather than those that sell cheaply to gain the most profit.” Christmas and gift items from local businesses were also added to her store recently, as she seeks to support local sellers too.

Whilst this business is very new, Andi is hoping that the new year will enable her to get on the road with a vehicle and a mobile shop, where people can bring along their jars and boxes to refill.

“Being a positive example for my children is also a massive driving factor. I love that people can leave their jars on the doorstep on the morning school run and come back to them full, and that it’s so visible to the kids that they accept that’s how it should be.”

Christmas lights of Lindfield

With a rather wet and miserable lead into autumn, it seems many homeowners have taken matters into their own hands to brighten up the streets of Lindfield in the run up to Christmas this year!

Most streets in the village have numerous impressive displays of festivities adorning houses and trees, as residents find ways of staying positive in 2020 but also connecting with neighbours and walkers as they pass by.

Lindfield Life went out at dusk to capture a few examples…

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Check out the January issue of Lindfield Life for more twinkling photos!

The right ingredients to IMPACT Lindfield

As a local charity, IMPACT Foundation in Haywards Heath has been supporting Mid Sussex residents to cook healthy meals on a budget for 17 years.

At the beginning of the pandemic, IMPACT started providing recipe boxes which included all the ingredients necessary to make 3 healthy meals. Deliveries have been made throughout the summer and during October half term. The charity delivered just over 1,000 meals to residents in the run up to Christmas, including many in Lindfield and the surrounding area. Each box included plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables along with essential non-perishable foods to make Christmas that little bit more special for those who may be struggling. Recipes include Ruldoph’s Tasty Soup, Turkey and Vegetable Stir Fry and Bubble and Squeak Rosti.

One of IMPACT’s volunteers, Lucinda Meagher, has been the driving force behind the initiative which has included a large team of volunteers. She has coordinated the collection of donations and organised an ever growing team of volunteers. 17 of these loyal volunteers were involved in the packing and delivery of the recipe boxes.

Local businesses and residents have been keen to support the venture. In Lindfield it has been a family affair as the Chief Executive, Judi Stagg is a local resident. Her daughter, Emma, has coordinated donations from neighbours and her local school Lindfield Primary Academy, along with enormous support from Andi Frost at the Stand Up Inn in Lindfield.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed,” said Judi. “We are so grateful to the efforts of the local community in helping to make this initiative a success, particularly at Christmas. As a result of their generosity we have been able to increase the number of families benefitting from the deliveries from 40 to 70.”

IMPACT has also been running cookery sessions to give people an opportunity to learn new skills, build

confidence in the kitchen and try new recipes. Before lockdown, one to one, socially distanced sessions were held at Saltworks in Haywards Heath. These have now been replaced with online sessions and will be extended into the New Year.

If you would like more details of this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact IMPACT by email to: tastyteam@impact.org.uk.

Winter Fair 2020 - postponed due to lockdown

New date for SEAS Winter Fair 2020

Please see the following statement from the South of England Agricultural Society about the Winter Fair that was scheduled for the end of this month:

In light of the current lockdown, the South of England Agricultural Society can confirm it is now going to hold the Winter Fair on 5th & 6th December 2020, government guidelines allowing, instead of 21st and 22nd November as planned.

Corrie Ince, Show Director for the Society said: “The Winter Fair is all about great shopping with Christmas fun alongside. We know that many of our trade exhibitors rely heavily on the pre-Christmas period and have had a terrible year so far.  We want to support them and provide our members and visitors with a Covid-Secure opportunity for Christmas preparation and family fun.”

Those who have already booked a ticket to the Winter Fair will be automatically transferred to the weekend of the 5th and 6th December, with Saturday and Sunday selections remaining in place. The Society is contacting members and ticketholders with more detailed information.

The Winter Fair is held by, and in aid of, the South of England Agricultural Society—a charity that funds and supports agricultural education and countryside learning.  The Society organises and hosts shows and events that promote agriculture, horticulture and the countryside including its flagship event, the South of England Show, which takes place in June each year. The Society also delivers educational events including conferences, schools days and competitions and provides grants, awards and bursaries for those with an interest or involvement in farming or other land based industries. All the Society’s activities aim to celebrate, build awareness and develop understanding of products that come from land-based industries, as well as the use and support of local suppliers.

The London Marathon - Lindfield's 43 laps!

Lindfield runner Florence Robinson was one of many who ran a marathon on the ‘official’ day of the London Marathon last month.

While that marathon took place with only a handful of selected participants, Florence ran her first ‘London Marathon’ around Lindfield Common!

The secondary school teacher and mother of two had been planning and training for the marathon in April, which then got moved to October, which then got pulled completely. “After restarting my training plan four times during lockdown and contracting an Achilles injury in the summer, I was thrilled to make the run, taking in 43 laps of the Common to reach the 26.2 mile goal,” Florence explained.
“Paula Radcliffe helped me along through my London Marathon app - but the best bit about doing the event virtually and locally was the sheer weight of support from friends, family and strangers who clapped every lap. I was truly overwhelmed by the Lindfield community, whole families coming out in the rain and individuals jogging laps alongside me - so hugely motivational. The atmosphere was incredible despite the damp weather conditions!”

Florence was raising money for the charity Victa, which supports blind children; and so far has raised over £1,800.
“Over the past few years, I have been humbled to work alongside young people with sensory impairments,” said Florence. “Their attitude to learning and life in general is inspiring – they never let their disabilities affect their participation and eagerly get involved alongside their able-bodied friends.”

If you would like to add to her total, you can do so via the official Virgin Money Giving: https://bit.ly/2GVfmpb

Swap your shop

By Isabella Mortimer, age 12

“This is a precious world and each of us can use our actions and our voice to save our planet.” - David Attenborough

On 1st October, plastic straws, cotton buds and drinks mixers were officially banned in the UK. That’s amazing! We still see lots of packaging though including non-recyclable plastic, packaging the non-plastic cotton buds!

Here are some easy swaps, perhaps one a week... it will really make a difference:

Plastic packaged toilet rolls SWAP for Bamboo, paper packaged at Cloughs
Paper napkins SWAP for Cloth ones
Kitchen paper/roll SWAP for Old cloths
Cling film SWAP for Reusable wax wraps
Throw away/recyclable coffee cups SWAP for Reusable coffee cup/mug
Plastic shampoo bottles SWAP for Shampoo bars
Plastic handwash bottles SWAP for Soap bars and wood scrubbing brush
Coffee jars/foil wrapped SWAP for Freshly ground in Lindfield
Cotton pads/facial wipes SWAP for Cotton washable cloths at Cloughs
Bought plastic packaged tortillas SWAP for Home-made tortillas (easy recipe), freezable.

Lots of the swaps are available at Cloughs, who also offer paper bags to buy quantities you want for your weekly shop of grains, nuts, pulses and much more.

IDEAS:
• Use a reusable bag to pick up take away food.
• Keep empty pasta sauce or mayonnaise jars to store food.
• Start a compost heap to make your own soil and avoid the plastic bags they come in.
• Grow herbs in a jam jar of water (mint, oregano, sage, basic, thyme and rosemary)
• Blend wilted greens, freeze in an ice cube tray for smoothies or cool drinks.

There are lots of us making changes, helped all the more by local Lindfield shops offering plastic free options, Cloughs and Pauls to mention just two. On a larger scale, there are lots of initiatives to sign up to to help big organisations make changes too for a brighter future. Small steps, big changes. We can do this together!

Local Poppy Appeal

By Val Upton

This year the poppy appeal will be different. There will be no door-to-door collections and no street collectors with trays.

However, there will be an opportunity to buy poppies. Between 31st October and 7th November volunteers will man a table to enable socially-distanced collection and donations.

Our Service of Remembrance on 8th November at All Saints Church will be limited numbers and you will need to sign up for it. It will commence at 10.30am, starting with wreath laying and then a short service. Everyone must wear a mask. There will sadly be no parade this year.

PTA adapting in this ever-changing world

By Lynne Roberjot

Year 1 outdoor classroom, part-funded by the PTA

There is no doubt that 2020 has been an incredibly tough year for charities. The need for new and innovative fundraising ideas, which are safe and Covid-19 compliant, are essential.

Here at Lindfield Primary Academy PTA – a non-profit organisation run by parents and teachers of children at Lindfield Primary Academy – we consider ourselves a resilient and resourceful bunch.

In the last academic year, despite a global pandemic that shut down our school and saw the cancellation of planned events including the Summer Ball and Summer Fair, we raised £24,000. This followed a record-breaking £40,000 raised the year before.

These much-needed funds further enrich our children’s learning and environment. Recently, the PTA has helped to fund a Year 1 outdoor classroom and learning area, online subscriptions which have been invaluable in supporting home learning, booster groups and mountains of books.

New initiatives have included EasyFundraising and Amazon Smile, enabling families to gift donations to the PTA through their everyday online shopping. We have received generous one-off donations and the continued support of corporate sponsors, including Lloyds Bank.

Last month we held our first virtual PTA Annual General Meeting, with a significant uptake in attendance on the previous year. New committee members were voted in by the current committee, and heaps of new ideas proposed.

With current PTA Co-Chair’s – local businesswomen Anna Ashley and Rebecca Downie - stepping down after two successful years at the helm, we are delighted to welcome new Co-Chairs Victoria Tischendorf and Sharn Smith. Tasmin Broadstock adopts the role of Secretary, replacing Lynne Roberjot, while Treasurer Steve Hall and Vice-Chairs Carrie Faraday and Julia Barham-Wick continue with their roles.

While we are currently unable to run in-person events, including our much-loved and profitable Christmas Fair, we will be making Christmas special for the children and their families with some new and virtual festive fun!

We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazingly supportive school and local community. We thank everyone who continues to donate, volunteer, partner and support us and we wish our newest PTA committee an exciting (albeit unprecedented) fundraising year ahead!

Lindfield Front Garden Festival winners

With some 46 gardens to view from the pavement, hundreds of visitors enjoyed walks around the village through the summer and helped raise £2,300 valuable funds for local hospice, St Peter & St James.

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The winner of the People’s Choice prize for the best garden was ‘Edenmore’, Lewes Road, owned by Ron Harris, while the prize for the best planter went to 33 Barncroft Drive, owned by Vera Stevens. One lucky person also won a prize when their vote was the first name draw from a hat.

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The organisers, Sue and Jim Stockwell, said: “We are delighted with the feedback from visitors and much appreciate the support from the sponsors, Pots and Pithoi, Jackson Stops, and Heather Martin Garden Design. Covid regulations permitting, we hope to organise an Open Garden event on Sunday 30th May next year.”

Lindfield Parish Council launch climate change plan

Working Group members standing below one of the bird boxes

Lindfield Parish Council is pleased to announce that it has adopted a Climate Change Action Plan, which commits to helping tackle the environmental emergency at a local level. A copy of the plan can be found on the Parish Council website via this link: https://bit.ly/3duZ3el

A Climate Action Working Group has been set up and tasked with developing short and long-term actions. Councillor Wood chairs the Working Group, which also includes Councillors Grace and Wilson.

The Working Group is currently at the stage of researching the potential for a range of projects and creating networks, including with other councils and environmental groups.

We want to work with the local community including local groups, businesses, and other councils, to raise awareness of climate and sustainability-related issues, share good practice and identify actions we can implement in Lindfield. We would welcome any interested residents or local businesses to contact us if you would like to become involved or have any ideas which you would like us to consider.

Ideals can be submitted using the following link: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BPPDSZJ

One of our aims is to seek to encourage Lindfield based businesses to be environmentally sustainable. Alongside this, we would like to encourage residents to make changes in their behaviours to be more carbon neutral. This will include promoting encouraging recycling, re-use and repair as well as walking and cycling as leisure activities.

Bird and bee boxes
The council has begun to act in helping to improve the environment. Recently, the parish orderly installed bird and bee boxes to enable the maintenance of the wildlife in the Wilderness Field, which is an example of how the council is seeking to use one of its assets to demonstrate its commitment.

The Challenge to live differently
Have you thought about how you could make an action that could help the environment? Here are some suggestions:
• Commit to recycling more
• Try to re-use rather than dispose of items
• Commit to using your car less
• Buy from environmentally friendly businesses
• Grow more of your food

Pet care hits the right notes

A former executive assistant from Lindfield has taken her employment status into her own hands recently.
Arabella Beresford- Mitchell was made redundant from her job in London back in February but a friend encouraged her to think outside the box, to do something different and avoid the dreaded commute! So, over the summer, Arabella launched Toe Beans Pet Care.
“I grew up with various pets, including cats and dogs, and currently have three cats whom I adore,” she explained. “For me the best part of owning a dog are the walks.” This is one of the services she’ll be offering pet owners in the area. Arabella is also able to pop in to feed cats and dogs for the duration of a holiday, be a pet taxi service or even enable the pets to enjoy some music therapy.
With a degree in Classical Music (she more recently completed a Masters in Composing for Film & TV), Arabella knows that certain types of music can help pets calm down and relax. “My cats often fall asleep in my music studio whilst I am working,” she said, “and respond positively when I play guitar to them.”
If you are in need of a break and need someone to look after your cat or dog, or if your pet needs a break and wants to relax – Arabella could be worth a call! For more information see her advert on page 30 of Lindfield Life magazine or her website: www.toebeanspetcare.co.uk.

Lindfield Medical Centre's Plans for Flu Clinics

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, our flu clinics at Lindfield Medical Centre are organised differently this year.

For those patients over 65 years (born on or before 31st March 1956) and those age 18-64 deemed ‘at risk’, we will be offering a pre-booked appointment. We do not have the facility to see any patients who arrive without an appointment. The clinics’ dates will be added to our website (www.lindfieldmedicalcentre.co.uk) and displayed in the reception window, but given the large population we need to immunise we will be sending out allocated appointment times. Please be aware the first two clinics are for patients on our NHS shielding list and their household members only. You will be contacted with your appointment time by 1st October.
To help our clinics run smoothly and maintain social distancing, we are asking that you do not arrive more than five minutes before your allocated time slot. In addition, please can you wear a face covering and be assured the staff will be taking appropriate precautions to protect you. We would also ask that you wear appropriate clothing to enable quick presentation of your upper arm.
As with all our booked appointments, we request that you do not attend the clinic if you or a household member have had any Covid-19 symptoms within 14 days of your appointment.

We are anticipating a high level of demand for the flu vaccine and it is going to be a challenge to vaccinate all eligible patients in a short space of time, so please only contact the surgery in extenuating circumstances. Please see our website for the designated flu email address.
*To see if you are in the eligible group of atrisk patients please refer to our website or https://bit.ly/2DPExYx

This year the flu vaccine is being offered on the NHS to:
• adults 65 and over
• people with certain medical conditions (including children in at-risk groups from 6 months of age)
• pregnant women
• people living with someone who’s at high risk from coronavirus (on the NHS shielded patient list)
• children aged 2 and 3 on 31 August 2020
• children in primary school
• children in year 7 (secondary school)
• frontline health or social care workers
Later in the year, the flu vaccine may be given to people aged 50 to 64. More information will be available later in the autumn. However, if you’re aged 50 to 64 and in an atrisk group, you should not delay having your flu vaccine.

From Lindfield Swan to Sussex Shark

Unless you closely follow local cricket you may not have known that Lindfield Cricket Club, meeting on the Common, has recently celebrated a young junior player at the academy going right through to England U18s and a professional contract with Sussex. Here is Abi’s story in his own words…

By Abi Sakande
My journey towards becoming a professional cricketer for Sussex began on the Common at Lindfield when I was around 10 years old. I was introduced to the game of cricket by one of my best friends – Geoffrey Lawrence. Our endless games of backyard cricket during the 2005 Ashes sparked my interest, and his late dad (and former Chairman) Mark convinced me to join Lindfield, sending me to my first Sussex Junior Trials. Without Geoff’s infectious love of the game and Mark’s steady advice - to my parents to get me some kit as an U12 – I would never have begun on the path that has led to me representing Sussex in 24 professional fixtures over the last 3½ years.

To read more about Abi, what it’s like to live a day in the life of a Shark (not the swimming kind) and what Abi’s plans might be for the future, find the full article on page 40 of September’s Lindfield Life magazine.