Another successful season for Lindfield Juniors FC

By Helen Jones

On 1st July, close to 1,000 parents, players and coaches gathered together on Lindfield Common for the Lindfield Juniors end of season barbecue. The event has become a key date for many Lindfield families whose children pass through the club each year. It’s a celebration of all that the children have achieved: the friends they’ve made, the goals they’ve scored, and the losses they’ve endured.

Since it was formed over 40 years ago, Lindfield Juniors has played a pivotal role in village life - for many families, it forms the cornerstone of their weekends from September to August. We are all used to seeing the sea of green and black on Hickmans Lane fields, on the Common and down the High Street on Saturday mornings as the club’s players make their way to training - whatever the time, whatever the weather. The club is one we can be proud of for so many reasons - not least for its popularity among local boys and girls. The growth of the club has been staggering and it continues to go from strength to strength.

Next season, there will be a total of 38 teams playing at Lindfield Juniors making it the club’s biggest year by far. Of those, 29 teams are boys and nine are girls. To put this in context, in 2009 there were just eight teams in total - meaning they’ll have more girls’ teams next season than they did at the club as a whole 14 years ago. In practice, this means that over 600 children will be signing up from September. The players start at age four and go all the way through to playing at Under 17 level - a testament to their loyalty and enjoyment at the club that they’re still playing at that age.

Many of the players started as soon as they were old enough to kick a ball. Club secretary Tony Robinson told us: “When my son was four, I used to take him to Soccer Tots in the King Edward Hall and he’d see a field full of boys and always asked ‘when can I play like the big kids?’. He started as soon as he was old enough, is now 16 and has been playing with the club for over 12 years.” Darren Hughes, who coaches the U15 boys has been with the same group since they were in reception class: “Out of the team of 17 we have now, I’ve been coaching 13 of them since they were four. The club and the team are a huge part of their lives and they’ve developed some strong friendships through playing together. I’ve seen them develop into great players and lovely young adults, it’s a real privilege.”

Since the club launched its first girls’ team in 2018 the sport has seen a massive increase in popularity for local girls. From September, there will be over 120 girls playing for the club across nine different teams - with many year groups having multiple teams. U12 Girls coach Glenn Watts said: “Coaching the girls is the highlight of my week. I was so pleased that my daughter wanted to play football and I love being involved in her team. The girls have built up an amazing team spirit and have made friends who I hope they’ll play with until they’re much older. They have such a positive attitude to the game and really believe in themselves as a team. The success of girls’ football at Lindfield is something we can all be proud of.”

If you’d like to know more about joining the club or sponsoring of a team at Lindfield Juniors, get in touch with Tony on secretarylindfieldjnrs@hotmail.com.

To read the full article please pick up a copy of August’s Lindfield Life today.

2022/23 Highlights
• Lindfield Girls U9 won the Crawley & Maidenbower Summer Tournament
• Lindfield Thunder U9 were runners up in the Russel Martin Summer Tournament
• William Hartley, Lindfield Sharks U16 won the Golden Boot for U16 Div 2
• Lindfield Girls U12 were runners up in the County Cup final narrowly losing 1-2. These were our first County Cup finalists for 10+ years
• Lindfield Girls U12s won the Red Division of the Sussex County Women & Girls
• Lindfield Sharks U11 were runners up in the MSYFL Plate final
• Lindfield Storm U9 won the MSYFL Futsal tournament.
• Lindfield Spartans U11 were runners up of MSYFL Futsal tournament

Lindfield's latest defibrillator on the cricket pavilion

Numerous local groups have worked in partnership to bring a new safety device to Lindfield Common. With financial help from the Sussex Heart Charity (who have awarded grants to over 300 organisations), Lindfield Parish Council, Lindfield Football Club, Lindfield Junior Football Club and Lindfield Cricket Club - as well as support from Mims Davies MP - a new defibrillator has been installed on the outside wall of the cricket pavilion.

The defibrillator, which cost nearly £2,600 to install and is covered by CCTV, is available 24/7 and provides additional coverage for the village, which already has a number of defibrillators, including outside Selby’s chemist and King Edward Hall.
A full list can be found in June’s issue of Lindfield Life, or online: www.bit.ly/43NrKMx. The project, which has been delivered by Lindfield Cricket Club, was recently opened by Mims Davies MP and Matt Denison from the Sussex Heart Charity alongside the organisations who helped make this project possible.

Haywards Heath Golf Club host charity day for Cancer Research UK

Haywards Heath Golf Club will be hosting a ‘funky trousers’ charity golf day on Friday 14th July to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The event is being held in memory of Richard ‘Quin’ Hawtin, past club member and former secretary of the City Livery Club Golf Society, who died from oesophageal cancer in November 2022. Richard could often be spotted at Haywards Heath Golf Club sporting his favourite harlequin-patterned golf trousers, which earned him the nickname ‘Quin’.

Players at the charity event in July will be challenged to don their funkiest, most colourful golf gear in Quin’s honour. A prize will be awarded to the best dressed players – those daring to wear neutrals or monochrome may be fined! Players can enter as singles or a pair and will be grouped into a four-ball team.

Registration on the day opens at 8.30am with a coffee and bacon roll. A two-course meal will be provided once the rounds have finished. The cost is £95 per player. To enter, visit: https://forms.gle/Zrt8vfArca41yyig6 Or to donate, scan the QR code from your phone’s camera.

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Lindfield Juniors' girls are league champions

The Lindfield U12 Girls team have been crowned League Champions in the Sussex County Women & Girls Football League U12 Red Division. The girls finished the season with 40 points, losing just one game and drawing one game. Out of 32 teams in Lindfield Juniors FC this season, the U12 Girls are the only ones to take the coveted league title which comes off the back of their appearance in the County Cup final last month.

They’ve faced some tough opposition from teams across Sussex on their way to the title, but at all times the girls have never lost their sense of fun, enjoyment and determination to play fairly. As one of the parents said: “Playing for the team gives my daughter such happiness and enjoyment - being outside and having fun with her friends. It’s a true joy to be part of this team.”

Coached by Glenn Watts, Matt Stuart and Matt Costin and supported by coaches from the U12s wider squad, the winning girls are a close-knit group of Year 7s from local schools who have been playing together for a few years. Matt Stuart commented: “It’s an absolute pleasure being involved with this talented squad of players. From humble beginnings three or so years ago, trying to make sure we could get a team of seven out, we have now assembled a squad of 30+, winning leagues, playing in county cup finals.” Glenn Watts added: “We are so lucky to coach such a wonderful group of girls.”

Club sponsors travel company Stuba are delighted to be involved: “The togetherness, friendship and spirit running throughout the squad is so evident too, so very proud and lucky to be associated with this group of girls and the parents that support them.”

Follow @lindfieldjuniorsfc on social media next season.

The Lindfield Girls Under 16 team is welcoming new players 2023/24

With women’s football continuing to take the sporting world by storm, Lindfield is looking for to expand its own pride of budding Lionesses.

The Lindfield Girls Under 16 team is welcoming new players for the 2023/24 season. Girls starting Years 10 and 11 in September are eligible. The team plays on Sundays either on the Common or Hickmans Lane with training being planned for the next season on Thursdays at Handcross Park School. There are also occasional training sessions with professional players from Brighton and Lewes women which have been extremely popular.

The team was formed in 2018 when four Year 6 and 7 players turned up for the first training session! Since then, the club has attracted girls of all ages and now has teams from Under 9s through to the Under 16s team which is sponsored by Potential Personal Training and Haywards Heath Landscapes. The Lindfield girls are already making their mark on the local football scene with the Under 12s reaching the County Cup final this season.

“Our focus is to enable girls who start playing football in primary school to keep playing for Lindfield right through to leaving secondary school,” said coach Steve Harris. Off the field, the girls have enjoyed social events including barbeques, paddle boarding, pizza nights and, of course, trips to support Brighton & Hove Albion Women and the England team when they played at the Amex Stadium. “If you love football, have played a bit before and want to play with a lovely bunch of girls with lots of laughs, then come along for a kick around,” Steve added.

The club would be delighted to hear from all age groups. For more information, email: secretarylindfieldjnrs@ hotmail.com. For next season’s Under 16s, Steve can be contacted by phone on 07712 897309 or email: sah@harriskeane.com.

https://lindfieldjuniorsfc.co.uk/

Lindfield Arts Festival hosts blues gig at Bent Arms

As a part of their stand-alone events this year, Lindfield Arts Festival is hosting a music event on 30th June upstairs at The Bent Arms.

Together with a support act, Brooks Williams and Aaron Catlow will bring a bluesy-folk vibe with their guitar and fiddle performance. Aaron Catlow is a master violinist and half of the Bristol-based duo Hawes and Catlow, with guitarist-singer Kit Hawes. Cambridge UK-based, Georgia US-born, Brooks Williams has a longstanding solo career in both North America and the UK. He is named one of WUMB-FM Boston’s Top 100 All-Time Artists.

For further information about the artists: www.brookswilliams.com Tickets for the LAF event cost £10, and are available from https://williamsandcatlow.eventbrite.co.uk

Lindfield Arts Festival art show - 17th June 2023

Artists from Lindfield will be among the exhibitors at an art exhibition at King Edward Hall on 17th June, between 10am and 4pm. More than 20 professional and amateur artists will be showcasing their work at the exhibition, a stand-alone event for Lindfield Arts Festival (LAF). They include organiser Hilary Kennett, who has run the event for several years, together with Maggie Lloyd. Professional artist Hilary will be showing her abstract seascapes, inspired by her annual visits to Cornwall. Another artist, Wendy Wren, who first exhibited with LAF in 2019, is returning after being inspired by fellow artists and by encouraging feedback from the public.

“I am pleased to be back, showing my new contemporary work of flora and forna, using the colours and contrasts in a contemporary style,” said Wendy, who has recently become chair of Burgess Hill Artists, helping and encouraging local artists to exhibit their work. Some of the Burgess Hill Artists will also be exhibiting in Lindfield. Another exhibitor is Lindfield resident Chris Jarvest who took up plein air painting after he retired and belongs to a small group of artists painting the Kent countryside and coast. “Since moving to Lindfield I have exhibited and sold work in a local gallery and have joined the Brighton Painting Group which meets once a month to paint the wonderful Sussex countryside and villages,” he said. “I have painted views from the South Downs, Brighton, Cuckfield , Balcombe viaduct and the pond in Lindfield and enjoy the challenge of painting plein air with the constantly changing light, weather and tide,” he added. Fellow Lindfield resident Claire Gill moved to the village at the beginning of lockdown and, while social distancing made life difficult, she enjoyed the opportunity to explore the area and discover nature on her daily walks. “Up to this point, my artwork had been largely inspired by the coast, but living here and being surrounded by green has inspired me to explore landscape,” she said. “This is not an easy thing to do with digital photomontage as the process involves cutting out details from many different original photographs and combining them together to create an entirely new scene,” she added. “I am excited by this new direction in my work and look forward to taking part in the Lindfield Arts Festival. I have wanted to be part of the local art scene since moving here and am really chuffed to have the opportunity to exhibit with the LAF this year.” Visitors to the exhibition can meet, Hilary, Wendy, Chris and Claire along with the other artists, and enjoy a chat over a cup of tea and a slice of cake on Saturday 17th June.

Lindfield Dads Group flourishes in community

By Claire Cooper

When Elliott Newlyn moved to Lindfield with his wife and young family, he looked forward to enjoying village life and becoming part of the local community. But with no family or friends living locally, opportunities to meet other parents and to build new friendships were limited. “I loved living in the village, but struggled to meet new people,” Elliott recalled. “I knew there would be other dads out there in the same boat, but how could I reach them?” Taking matters into his own hands, Elliott put a post on the Lindfield Facebook page, suggesting starting a new Lindfield Dads group, and setting up an initial meeting at the Stand Up. “I remember walking to the pub feeling like I was on a blind date,” he laughed. “I felt I should be wearing a flower in my lapel and was worried that I’d be stood up!” But Elliott wasn’t alone for long. He was soon joined by Ant Wood, now one of his closest friends, followed by several other dads. By the end of the evening, the Lindfield Dads Group was formed.

As friendships formed, the group has evolved to include a wide range of interests, ideas and activities. “There’s a lot of swapping of ideas of what to do with children and what’s on locally,” said Ant, dad to Blake, 9 and Scarlet, 14. “We’ve organised golf, tennis, football and board gaming nights, and last summer we enjoyed a fantastic camping trip to Hook Farm near West Hoathly,” added Elliott. “It was, of course, pure coincidence that the Missing Link Brewery was almost next door!” “It’s been great to see the children making friends too, particularly my son Blake who now looks forward to meeting up with them when he comes to stay,” said Ant. Arrangements to meet are made via the WhatsApp group, which members also use to share useful advice and information. “With quite a few or us working in London the WhatsApp was particularly useful during the recent train strikes,” said Ant. The group was also a lifeline for dads during Covid. “It was so important to have people to talk to during lockdown and to gradually meet up as restrictions were lifted,” said Elliott. Looking to the future, Ant and Elliott look forward to welcoming more dads to the group and widening the range of activities, particularly during the summer months, “I’d like to start a fishing group, arrange a barbecue on the Common and we’ll definitely organise another camping trip,” said Elliott. “It would be good to join in with events like Village Day too,” added Ant. For more information about joining the group visit the Lindfield Dads Group on Facebook

To read the full article grab your copy of May’s Lindfield Life today.

Lindfield Coffee Works to open on our High Street

Later this month, Lindfield Coffee Works will be expanding onto the High Street. In a move which has been in the pipeline for some months, Kris Whelan explained: “We are delighted to be taking over the shop which has been Field & Forest for many years. With our existing site on Alma Road, we have been keen to have a High Street presence for some time.”

In the short term, the team will be opening the shop as a Lindfield Coffee Works pop-up coffee shop, focusing on serving takeaway drinks and cakes. However, the shop will have a complete refurbishment and operate as The Black Duck, selling gelato, sandwiches, provisions, pastries and its own coffee. “Our Alma Road site will be more focused on being an ‘eat-in’ café for people to continue to enjoy that space in a more relaxed atmosphere with the addition of an increased space dedicated to our retail coffee bags for people to enjoy at home.”

The pop-up shop is due to open on 13th March, which will operate until the full refurb is completed around the beginning of June.

Lindfield's Bella raises for St Barnabas Hospice

One Lindfield resident is taking to new heights for charity this month. Bella Alcock will be heading up to the top of the 180ft main turret at Arundel Castle, only to abseil back down to earth! “I haven’t done abseiling since I was a Brownie at Blacklands Farm,” Bella explained. “I don’t believe there is any specific training, but I have been mentally preparing myself for that first look over the edge of the wall!”

Bella is taking the challenge on, in order to ‘do my bit to give back to St Barnabas Hospice’ after her grandfather passed away there last October. “The staff there went above and beyond, from keeping his spirits up to giving out union jack cupcakes during the Queen’s funeral – it was the little touches that made all the difference.
“My Oomi (Grandad’s wife) was particularly grateful for all the support the staff were able to give her too.” Bella, who has always wanted to do something big for charity, is following in the footsteps of her brother Harvey – who shaved his head – and dad Adrian – who ran a half marathon. “I know we aren’t the only ones with amazing stories – the staff at St Barnabas Hospice help so many families in Sussex. I was hoping to raise just a little to help, but I have been blown away with all the donations so far – thank you all.”

Bella’s total currently stands at over £800.

You can donate using this link www.bit.ly/3YEYAgd She will complete the challenge on 25th March. Good luck, Bella!

Could you run in the Lindfield Parish Council elections? - May 2023

Since its formation in 1987, Lindfield Parish Council has worked with residents to support village life, notable events include the annual Christmas Festival Night, initiating the annual Spring Clean and producing a Neighbourhood Plan to support appropriate development whilst protecting the village’s historic conservation area and green spaces. Its current main projects are the provision of new toilet facilities on the common and supporting an application to restrict HGVs from the Lewes Road.

If you want to help maintain and enhance our beautiful village, perhaps you could stand as a Councillor representing your community. The role is voluntary, although a nominal allowance and expenses can be claimed, but most importantly you will be in a position to develop plans for the future of Lindfield and deliver projects in support of village life. By becoming a Councillor, you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support - a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve.

• Representing the views of residents within the parish.
• As part of the council you will have responsibility for running local services which include: Wilderness Field, Denmans Lane Allotments, Denmans Lane Public Toilets and potentially more.
• Deciding on how much to raise through the precept (council tax) to deliver local services.
• Influencing and shaping the long-term development policy for the parish, and as part of the planning process, comment on planning applications in the parish.
• Improving the quality of life and the environment in the local area.
• Working to identify issues which are important to the lives of the residents.
• Working to bring about improvements through local projects.
• Engaging with other service providers (e.g. District & County Councils) and working in partnership with other parishes and agencies.

To stand as a Councillor in the parish elections*; you do not need any experience nor to belong to a political party; just enthusiasm, an ability to develop and implement projects with other members, alongside building relationships within the village and with District and County Councillors. You will be supported by a small but experienced Parish Office team and councillor training is available.

Please contact the Parish Clerks, on 01444 484115 or clerks@lindfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk if you would like to know more about standing as a candidate.
You can also register your interest online at: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KDNP6Y5 More information on the May 2023 elections including candidate nomination packs can be found at: www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting/upcoming-elections

* You will need to be over 18 and an elector, have lived in the parish for 12 months before the day on which you were nominated or on the day of the election have resided within three miles of the parish as owner or tenant of any land or premises, or had your principal or only place of work there. You must be nominated and seconded by electors in the locality.

Greener Lindfield is here to support sustainable gardening practices

In partnership with Lindfield Rural Parish Council and several local organisations including Lindfield Horticultural Society and Fairer World Lindfield, Lindfield Parish Council are pleased to launch Greener Lindfield, an exciting new initiative bringing together groups, individuals and businesses across the village to encourage and support sustainable gardening practices.

The aims of this alliance are to help local residents find ways to reduce garden waste, improve biodiversity, protect wildlife, and promote alternatives to harmful chemicals. We plan to achieve this by bringing people together to share existing knowledge and generate new ideas, and by encouraging everyone to take the initiative and try something new. If we all work together we really can make a difference.

Lindfield Life have kindly invited us to contribute a monthly article with hints, tips and ideas for combining a love of gardening with a love of the environment. But we’re far from experts, so would love to hear from anyone who has suggestions or who has made their own contribution towards greening the village, which we could support and possibly emulate. In addition to these articles, please join our Facebook group or email us on greenerlindfield@gmail.com if you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting new project and have ideas to share, whether as an individual or part of a group or business.

March is generally considered to be the start of the gardening year, and now is a great time to think about sowing seeds. Even if you haven’t grown flowers or produce from scratch before, why not try sowing a few seeds in a pot on the windowsill? Perhaps some tasty tomatoes, or flowers like marigolds which will not only add a splash of colour, but also encourage pollinators and deter pests.

Our goal is to stimulate a dialogue throughout Lindfield, working as an umbrella organisation to draw together and increase visibility on existing projects and to provide a forum to support and empower everyone to get involved. Just like with the seeds, if we can provide the right conditions for growth, who knows what we might achieve!

Lindfield Heritage Trail proves popular

Lindfield Heritage Trail – a Lindfield Society 60th anniversary project – is becoming a popular pastime for residents and visitors to the village. The trail, which begins at King Edward Hall where there is an etched map on the wall, can be accessed online via a QR code or participants can use a physical leaflet to aide their walk.

David Macmillan explained: “We are grateful to all participating outlets for having a stock of brochures available for pickup. Our initial print run of 3,000 was exhausted in mid-December, and we expect an average of around 150 brochures to be taken each month going into this year.”

Chairman Gil Kennedy said: “We are delighted that the trail, developed in cooperation with the Lindfield History Project Group, has proved a popular new resource for the village – including schools. We encourage all readers to make use of this opportunity to learn more about our historic village.”

Did you know, for instance, that Lindfield’s own former fire station still exists on Lewes Road, which was opened in 1899? And, on the opposite side of the road, one of the oldest medieval houses in the village, dating back to the 1300s? As the weather begins to improve (we hope!), perhaps now is the time to learn more about the place where you live? Get started via www.lindfieldsociety.org.uk or scan the QR code here.

Lindfield Horticultural Society’s Seed Swap and coffee morning

Lindfield Horticultural Society’s Seed Swap and coffee morning will take place at King Edward Hall on Saturday 4th February. Visitors and society members are invited to drop into the Jubilee Room from 10am, for a coffee and bring along any seeds they have collected over the autumn to swap for something new.

There’s also a chance to buy ‘Just Julia’ Sweet Pea seeds for growing and entering into the Society’s two special Sweet Pea classes in the July Summer Show (one for adults, one for children). The seeds cost £2 for 10 seeds. There will be another chance to buy Sweet Pea seeds at the February talk on Wednesday 8th at King Edward Hall at 8pm, when expert Darren Everest will share his knowledge and experience of growing and showing Sweet Peas.

Lindfield Junior coach trains with the best

When Lindfield Junior coach Paul Hicks was invited to join Aston Villa’s winter season training in Dubai, it offered a unique opportunity to pick up some top professional tips to bring back home to the village team. But, perhaps more importantly, it also provided the chance to grant a special Christmas wish for friend and fellow coach Matt Richardson - one of Villa’s biggest fans. The pair travelled to Dubai in December after Paul, who works for CSM Sport and Entertainment, was asked to lead the project team supporting the club’s Winter Season training programme.

The pair travelled to Dubai in December after Paul, who works for CSM Sport and Entertainment, was asked to lead the project team supporting the club’s Winter Season training programme. CSM organises Fan Experiences around sporting events, such as the Six Nations, Autumn Internationals and The Hundred, along with projects which help football clubs to engage with their international fans. “My role was to support my team in Dubai, helping curate, plan and deliver the engagement programme alongside the Winter Training,” said Paul. “This included giving on the ground support during the activations. “It was a great opportunity to watch and learn some teaching tips, for Lindfield Raiders (under 7s), from an elite premier league manager in action on the training pitch, taking the Aston Villa first team through the training session,” he added. “But it was also an opportunity for Matt to join us in Dubai, to hang out meet the players, watch the exclusive training session and get involved in the Brand Experience element on Le Mer beach.” As well as visiting the team’s hotel, JA Resorts - where all the big football teams stay - the pair enjoyed meeting of the players on the golf course and were given exclusive access to the conference room to view the set up and understand how premier league players are treated when overseas. “We were also invited to watch an exclusive training session of the 25 Villa players and manager, Unai Emery and coaches,” added Paul. “Prior to the session, we had exclusive access to all the Villa back of house team, from groundsmen to marketing, chatting to them on the training pitch, learning about the new manager, past managers and the Villa set up. “We then joined 20 other VIPs in the small stand to watch the 2-hour training session, where we were just a few feet away from the action, before meeting the players, getting pictures, videos and autographs and asking questions.”

For Matt, it was the experience of a lifetime, particularly when Ollie Watkins, Villa’s number one striker, sent a personal video message to his son Leo. “Following on from this, we managed to arrange a meet and greet back at Villa Park for Leo with Ollie Watkins, after the game on 15th December, bringing a dream to life,” said Paul. Leo also presented Ollie with a children’s book for his daughter, written and published by his mum Nikki. “It was amazing to join an elite Premier League club training session and to be part of such a fantastic experience for Matt and Leo, who is best friends with my son Teddy,” said Paul. “Being part of the training session has also enabled us to gain further knowledge and skills for set training pieces, positioning, movement, pitch space that we can apply to our very own Lindfield Raiders U7s to help improve our grassroots game.”

Scaynes Hill Open Gardens requires your displays

Do you live in Scaynes Hill? Do you have a garden that you are proud of? Would you like to open it for a good cause?
Scaynes Hill Open Gardens will be happening again this year and we would love to have some new gardens to include. It will be on Saturday 17th June 2023 from 1.30pm until 5.30pm and proceeds will go to St Peter and St James Hospice. If you love your garden and would like to share it with others, please get in touch. It does not need to be perfect! If you would like more information, please contact Helen or Martina. Helen: 07804 320 470 or helenhicks99@hotmail.com or Martina: 07815 311 319 or martinacowen@ gmail.com.

Mid Downs Hospital Radio searching for volunteers

Mid Downs Radio

Radio station seeks new members By Sol Mead

Mid Downs Hospital Radio (MDR) with studios at the Princess Royal Hospital is seeking to recruit new members to participate in the running of the station including becoming presenters. The station broadcasts to patients, visitors and staff across the PRH complex on 1350AM. It also can be heard online around the world through the MDR website and also via the TuneIn app and Amazon’s Alexa with programmes that include music, entertainment, news and community and health information.

The station has been broadcasting for 46 years and is a charity registered with the charity commission and is run entirely by unpaid volunteers. We now want to recruit more people to get involved in different elements of the station’s operations ranging from managing its finances through to production and technical work in maintaining our broadcasting services, in addition to new presenters.

MDR’s track record of recruiting new presenters shows that many people join us without any experience of putting together a radio show, talking over a microphone or operating a studio desk, but with our hands on training they have gone on to present their own show and take part in outside events. Many presenters who have joined hospital radio have also gone on to make a career in radio/television, which shows that hospital radio has long been the starting point for well-known broadcasters. For instance, Charlotte Wright, who is Political Editor on BBC TV South East, started out with MDR. Anyone interested in volunteering with MDR please contact John O’Sullivan on membership@mdr.org. uk. There is also further information on the website: www.mdr.org.uk

Mid Sussex Applauds - the results are in! 2022

Mid Sussex Applauds 2022

By Claire Cooper

Community champions from Lindfield were rewarded for their outstanding contributions to village life at this year’s Mid Sussex Applauds Awards, picking up honours in several categories.
From Lifetime Achievement and Stronger Together, to Business in the Community and Take Pride in Mid Sussex, Lindfield residents impressed the judges in the annual awards, which showcase the amazing people, groups and organisations in the district and highlight community spirit.
Christina Chelmick, Mark Plass, Trevor Carpenter, Andi Frost, Esther Featherstone, and Michael Wain were among those who gathered at the South of England Showground to receive their awards from High Sheriff of West Sussex James Whitmore.
Christina was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by JobsGoPublic, in recognition of her work with Good Neighbours Care.
Set up by the Methodist Church in 1983, Good Neighbours Care has around 150 volunteers who support more than 300 clients with transportation for shopping trips and hospital, GP, and dentist appointments. Founder member and current chair Christina, was nominated by volunteer Len Kruse, describing her as ‘a selfless individual, who has always shown compassion in abundance’.
“Following ‘timeout’ raising a family, she undertook a position of volunteer secretary and for the last five years Christina has been the chair,” added Len.
“The Covid issues presented various logistical challenges, but Christina and her team overcame most problems, especially when some clients felt vulnerable, often leading her to make courtesy visits and assisting with any potential needs.”
A delighted Christina said: “I was astonished to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award - it makes me feel very old! However, I was delighted to accept it on the behalf of all our volunteers who have worked so hard over the last 40 years, giving practical help to the elderly and housebound in the local area.”

Lindfield Repair Café founder Trevor Carpenter was thrilled to pick up two awards - overall winner of the Stronger Together Award, sponsored by The Orchards Shopping Centre, and commended in the Take Pride in Mid Sussex Award, sponsored by ID Verde.
Single dad Trevor was nominated by several residents including Repair Café volunteer Liam Dasey: “Trevor set up the Repair Café a year ago and has created a great community of helpers and repairers who come together once a month to help the local community repair objects that would otherwise end up in landfill,” said Liam. “However, Trevor has gone beyond just the core Repair Café activities and continually invites in other groups and organisations with the same ethos and philosophy as the Repair Café, to move towards a more sustainable way of living, reducing waste and landfill. “Trevor’s energy, drive and enthusiasm is what encourages the other helpers and repairers, who together have made the Repair Café the success it is.” Attending the award with his son Kai, Trevor said: “The award means so much as this year has brought a lot of personal challenges. It makes all the hardship feel worthwhile. For me the best moment was seeing my son so proud of me! “I feel a slight fraud because so many volunteers have given up their time to make the Repair Café such a success, so I accepted this award on their behalf. It is wonderful to be recognised. We are blessed in Mid Sussex with so many organisations and volunteers who also deserve acknowledgement for what they do. “We all know how hard life is getting, I applaud anyone who gives their time, and it is true that you get more out of giving than receiving.”

Described as ‘a superb example of community spirit in action and an encouragement to those around him’, Mark Plass was Highly Commended in the Take Pride in Mid Sussex Award, following a nomination from Lindfield Life editor David Tingley.
“Mark’s passion for those around him truly came to the fore during the first lockdown,” David explained. “After volunteering with the Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group in Haywards Heath, he organised a food collection station in his garage for the foodbank, which he then expanded to include small household items of furniture needed by those in emergency accommodation locally. In the early days of Covid, Mark even sourced and delivered PPE to nearby care homes and doctors’ surgeries.” David added that Mark also sprang into action after seeing the rise in overflowing public waste bins during lockdown. Leading by example, he gathered a group of friends to help collected litter on the Common. This group has evolved to become the Love Lindfield Litter Action Group.
“Since Covid, Mark has thrown himself fully into the organisation of Lindfield Village Day. He was responsible for running the redefined Food & Drink Quarter and for booking in and liaising with vendors and other parties, creating fantastic additions to the event,” added David, who is also co-chair of Village Day. “You can’t put on fantastic events like Village Day, without amazing people like Mark on your team. He’s a community superstar!” Thrilled with his award, Mark commented: “I am just one of many Wombles that help make Lindfield the amazing village it is. I do hope I can inspire at least one other person in the village to get out there and make things happen.

To read all about the other deserving winners around Lindfield, pick up a copy of January’s Lindfield Life and turn to page 16.

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