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KSM QE2 Field Group

The Recreation Field in Kington St Michael is owned by the Parish Council and in October 2011, Kington St Michael Parish Council approved a Deed of Dedication for the Recreation Field to become a QEII Field in Trust. This means that the field will be forever protected as a recreation facility. 

Events

Event Volunteers Needed – we are in need of additional volunteers to help with events planned for the remainder of the year. If you are willing and able to help, email ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com with your contact details.

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News

2024

September: BONFIRE NIGHT - Our annual KSM Bonfire & Fireworks night will take place on Saturday 2nd November.  With a bonfire, fireworks display, and plenty to eat and drink, we look forward to gathering our community together for this popular annual family event.  Keep an eye on Facebook for more information and posters will go up around the village once advance tickets go on sale; we look forward to seeing you.  This event is organised solely by volunteers - if you'd like to get involved and help on the day or evening, please email ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com.

ENHANCEMENTS AT KSM QE2 FIELD - We are excited to share that the resurfacing of the kickwall area at the recreation field has now taken place!  Once the new surface has dried, markings will be painted allowing a variety of recreational sports to be played, and new fencing will also be installed.  In addition, an accessible pathway will be created leading to the kickwall area.  We are also happy to report that new gravel will soon be laid on the existing pathway from the BBQ area down to the bridge near the entrance to Nymph Hay Wood.  KSM QE2 Field Group would like to thank the
Parish Council for supporting these projects!

July: Those who have been up to the recreation field recently may have noticed the new fencing around the children’s play area; many thanks to the Parish Council for its support in funding this.
The kickwall area upgrade is imminent with new 3-metre fencing, resurfacing and markings all in the pipeline.  KSM Field Group is also currently looking into storage options for shared equipment at the recreation field.  We are pleased to report that that the football goalposts have recently been repainted and new nets have been put up; many thanks to David Roberts and other volunteers for their help in maintaining these.
 
May: Kickwall update - Plans are underway for the refurbishment of the kickwall area, thanks to the Parish Council, with 3-metre fencing due to be installed later this month by Merv and team.  Resurfacing and marking plans for the kickwall area are also being investigated by KSM QE2 Field Group.
Playground update – We are working on plans for improvements in the children’s play area - watch this space!

March: KSM QE2 Field Group has some exciting plans for the recreation field in 2024, including the redevelopment of the children’s play area, and more.
However, we are a very small team of volunteers and we need some help to make things happen.  You do not need to join a committee and there is no obligation.  You can be involved as much, or as little, as you wish.  But things only happen when there are enough hands to help  

 

If you are interested in helping to improve our recreation area in KSM this year, we would love to hear from you.  Get in touch: ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com.

2023

November: Bonfire night was almost a sell-out and the weather stayed kind.  The event raised an amazing £1,500 (£500 more than last year) that will go towards enhancing the QE2 Field.
The QE2 committee sends special thanks to all those who helped - KSM Shop for selling advance tickets, the fireworks team for a spectacular display, Chippenham Pallet Company, MJ Church, and those who came along and supported this event!  This annual community event could not be held without you.

April:The Progressive Supper and Auction held on 28th January was a big success with a fantastic turnout!  We raised a whopping £3,361 towards future enhancements at the QE2 Field.  Special thanks to Susan, Lyn and Em for organising it, and a big thank you to the hosts, those who bought tickets and donated delicious puddings, KSM Shop for selling tickets, KSM Club for use of the venue, Gavin for running our auction and everyone else who helped before, during and after the event!

2022

November:
A huge thanks to everyone who came along to support our annual bonfire and fireworks on 5th November.  Despite the rain, we had a great turnout and managed to raise just under £1,000 in profit towards future enhancements at the QE2 Field. This event is run solely by volunteers so we really couldn’t do it without those who helped before, during and after to ensure a safe and successful night. Thank you.

September:
Nymph Hay Maniacs - The first-ever Nymph Hay Maniacs fitness event, held on 29th August, was a great success and enjoyed by all who took part,  It included a 4km route with obstacles around Nymph Hay wood, followed by a BYO BBQ for family and friends.  Huge thanks to Stewart Harrison for his support in running this event!  We raised £130 that will go towards improvements at KSM QE2 Field.

Community Orchard - Plans are being finalised for our small community orchard, for planting this winter at the QE2 Field.  If you (or your group) are interested in sponsoring a tree, this is the final call to get in touch - ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com. 

July:
Thank you to all who attended our BBQ event on 4th June. The weather was lovely, we had a fantastic turnout and it was great to see KSM QE2 Field and its facilities being enjoyed by all ages! Thanks to those who made donations (and the shop & Club for having custody of our donation bucket afterwards!) - we raised £132 which will go towards further improvements at the field. Remember the BBQ (with water facility too) is available to hire for a small fee and deposit, simply get in touch to book!
 
Dog poo bags: Please get in touch to let us know if the dog poo bags run out at KSM QE2 Field - ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com. 
 
Play area – We are seeking feedback from parents with children under 18 years old who use the playground and play equipment at the field. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/K8KM3KQ  to complete the survey and share your views!

March:

BBQ HIRE
Spring has arrived, so it’s a good time to remind everyone that the BBQ at KSM QE2 Field is available to hire! Only £15 per day (returnable cash deposit also required).  Funds go towards enhancements on the field. If you are interested, please email ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com.

CAN YOU HELP?
KSM QE2 Field Group comprises of a small group of volunteers, who want to help enhance our recreation field for the benefit of the whole community. If you’d like to get involved in some way, we’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch via ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com.

February:

 
With many thanks to Kington St Michael Parish Council, there is now a brand new noticeboard, new bin and dog poo bag dispenser at the KSM QE2 Field.

January: KSM QE2 Field Group raised a record £1,800 from the village bonfire night in November, with a fantastic turnout!  Thank you to everyone who supported this event.  
Donations of £250 from Wessex Water and £50 from the village Book Recycling Scheme, were received.  These funds will contribute towards future enhancements at the QE2 Field.  
Last year we made significant improvements to the kick-wall area, which we aim to continue working on, thanks to grants received from Wiltshire Council’s Chippenham and Villages Area Board, totalling around £3,500.  This year, we are also investigating the planting of fruit trees and other general improvements to the facilities at the QE2 Field.  
Last summer, KSM QE2 Field Group hosted the KSM day with participation from many different village groups and clubs. If you are interested in getting involved once again this year, then please get in touch via our Facebook page or email: ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com.

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Good news! The wrapping is off and the new table tennis table is now officially open and good to use. Take your own bats and balls and go along and use the newest facility!
Thanks to Clive Grace for his work in making the area ready and safe to play on.

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KSM QE2 Field Group was formed in 2016 as a voluntary group comprising parishioners and users of our village recreation field. The Group’s vision was (and still is) to create an enjoyable place for people to play and provide a more usable outdoor recreational space to bring together our community.

Over four years on, and now with a smaller (but still great!) team, we need NEW members who can play an ACTIVE role in helping to enhance facilities and shape the future of our QE2 Field.

If you’d like to get involved, we have a variety of roles that need filling and jobs that need doing to help move things forward. Perhaps you are new to the village and would like the opportunity to meet new people? Or maybe you have young children who would benefit from improved facilities at the field? Whatever your interest, we’d love to hear from people who are keen to get actively involved. We can ONLY make things happen with enough support and volunteers to continue the work we have started.

Please contact us via ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com, call (01249) 750270 or message us via Facebook @ksmqe2field.

2019

Bonfire Thanks
The QE2 Field Group would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to our Bonfire & Fireworks Night on Sunday 3rd November. From organising and planning, setting-up, sourcing pallets, building the bonfire, lighting, managing the fireworks, and helping on the night with food and drink, to all those who sold, attended and bought tickets and, of course, those who also cleared up afterwards and many, many more helpers. This annual community event is a huge effort to organise and we simply could not hold it year after year without the help of (many) willing volunteers. Considering the challenging circumstances this year with a last minute postponement due to adverse weather, it was a fantastic village effort with a really spectacular fireworks display, and we managed to more than break-even, returning a small profit of just under £200 – thank you all.

New Football Goalposts
Some of you may have seen the brand-new football goalposts, which have replaced the old broken ones, up at the QE2 Field recently. Thanks to the Football Foundation, KSM QE2 Field Group received a grant of £528 towards this equipment, to increase recreational use of the field and encourage more children and families to play football. This grant was successful thanks to the support of Castle Combe Colts, who used our pitch for their U11s team on a Tuesday night from Easter until October this year, and plan to use again next season.  This means that children and families from our village community, and the local Castle Combe Colts, can all benefit from the new equipment, which comes with the added benefit of being portable (on wheels) for re-positioning around the pitch area as required.

2018

Bonfire Night 2018

On behalf of KSM QE2 Field Group, a massive thank you to all the amazing volunteers who helped in the lead up to and on the day/evening on Saturday 3rd November, to make our annual bonfire and fireworks event a success! Over £750 was raised towards enhancements at KSM QE2 Field.

Special thanks go to Kington St Michael Village Shop for selling advance tickets, the members of Kington St Michael Club, who were amazing, including the guys from Amberon, to Simon Jones and Bruce Low for the spectacular firework display and Scouts from 3rd Chippenham Scout Group for helping to build the bonfire (and the Guy!). Too many other kind volunteers to mention but your help was invaluable – thank you so much. Great teamwork and community spirit to make this event happen. We hope everyone who came had a great night!

April: New bike racks have been installed on the QE2 Field.

KSM QE2 Field Group Needs New Volunteers
KSM QE2 Field Group is a community group comprising local volunteers whose aim is to enhance the recreation field for the benefit of the whole community. We are proud of what we have achieved in the past couple of years but are a small group and now need more HELP to make further improvements!

 

If you can help to coordinate or support future community events and/or help with the planning of longer term projects at the QE2 Field, then we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch and send us a private message via Facebook www.facebook.com/KSMQE2Field Thank you for your support.

2017

13/10/17 - The work on our community BBQ area is almost complete.  The water supply was installed last month and the slopes around the hardstanding area have now been weeded, ready for the grass to be seeded before winter sets in. Huge thanks go to Steve and the team at Greentrees Tree Services for weeding this area in support of KSM QE2 Field and the village community!  Thank you - this has saved our volunteers hours of work and is very much appreciated!

July:
Community BBQ & Picnic Area Update & Thanks

KSM QE2 Field Group is delighted to report the completion of the hoggin finished BBQ area, installation of the secured community BBQ and arrival of the new picnic tables. The secure boxed stand pipe is installed and ready for the permanent water supply to be connected on 11th September, in plenty of time for our Bonfire Night event.

Our thanks go to Wiltshire Council for supporting this project including a £3,821 Community Grant from Chippenham Area Board. We are pleased to announce that KSM QE2 Field Group was also presented with a £250 Wessex Watermark Award on 11th July, which will also go towards funding these new facilities.

KSM QE2 Field Group’s intention is to make the BBQ available for group hire. Details will be posted on the website as soon as booking details are finalised. However, in the meantime, if you are interested in hiring the BBQ for an event, please contact Jessica, Treasurer, KSM QE2 Field Group, by phone: (01249) 750270 or email jessicapuddy@gmail.com.

We ‘Had a Field Day’!
Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the Have a Field Day event at KSM QE2 Field on Sunday 9th July. A glorious sunny afternoon was enjoyed by many, along with our first ever KSM Rounders Festival, other fun and games, BBQ, Pimm's and beer! It was lovely to see so many villagers and families enjoying our outdoor recreation area and making use of our new community BBQ and picnic area.

Many thanks go to all those who helped, before, during and after! We raised around £400 which will go towards further projects and enhancements at the QE2 Field.

And last, but definitely not least, congratulations to The Sloggers team, who gamely won the KSM Rounders Festival, followed by the Roundheads in second place.

March:

Thanks to Wiltshire Council's approval of £3,811 Section 106 funding, the KSM QE2 Field Group is delighted to report that all funding is now secured for the planned water installation and community BBQ/picnic area. Work will proceed over the coming weeks and we hope to have this project completed and ready in time for the summer months!

January:  KSM QE2 Field Group would like to thank the Grolman Group for its kind donation of £50 towards enhancement of facilities at our recreation field in Kington St Michael! 

 

2016

December:

On Saturday 10th December the KSM QE2 Field Group volunteers were busy
clearing metal and nails left over from the recent village bonfire event!
We have done our best to remove as much metal as possible, but can dog owners and parents with children particularly, please avoid the bonfire area just in case there are any nails remaining?! Thank you.

November:  There was a fantastic turn-out on bonfire night – attended by over 425 people from our village community - and an amazing firework display too. More than £900 was raised which will go towards projects on the recreation field and next year’s fireworks! Thanks go to everyone who helped, supported and attended this popular village event.

 

Area Board Grant Success for Community BBQ and Picnic Area

KSM QE2 Field Group is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a £3,821 Community Area Grant by Chippenham Area Board, towards the planned community BBQ and picnic facility at the recreation field.

The project includes permanent water supply installation and a natural hoggin finished hard standing (similar to the path down towards Nymph Hay) to include fixed and secured BBQ and picnic benches/seating. This community area will be located to the left of the gate on the edge of the field and adjacent to the road side.

Having ready access to water and permanent BBQ and seating facilities will really help to support future village events and encourage people, clubs and groups to make better use of the recreation space available.

More updates will follow on this project soon!

Bonfire Night - Thanks!

October: The QE2 Field Group is delighted to be the 56th beneficiary of a £50 donation from the village Book & DVD recycling scheme - thank you.

September: The KSM QE2 Field Group has been busy planning the next steps for enhancement of the QE2 Field, with full support from the Parish Council (as landowner) and taking into account feedback from the community.

A permanent water supply is planned to enable community events to be held more easily and which will include a secure enclosure for standpipes and taps located on the edge of the field near the roadside. Alongside this, a hardstanding area (in keeping with our natural and rural environment) will also help to support community events and encourage greater use of our QE2 Field. This will also be located along the edge of the field and will include a community BBQ (secured and fixed) with picnic benches and tables (also secured) overlooking the green pitch area.

May: The QE2 field group has been getting ready for summer; the hole on the recreation field has now been filled in, the goal posts have been repainted and moved and there are now new football nets on the goal posts.

 

March: Grant puts group on the right track - Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, Thursday, March 31st 2016, page 6.

Kington St Michael footpath receives funding Wiltshire Gazette & Herald On-Line, March 27th 2016.

March: Great news - thanks to Fields in Trust, we are delighted to confirm that KSM QE2 Field Group has been awarded up to £1,178 in funding towards improvements in access on the recreation field.

As a result of this funding, a new pathway has now been constructed, providing a much safer access route which we hope will encourage greater use by all members of our village community. This is a great start to mark the beginning of our efforts to make our field and the surrounding area much more accessible and usable for everyone.

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March 16th: The junior swing at the QE2 Field has been repaired and is available to use once again....

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KSM QE2 Field Group held a very successful Clean for the Queen event on Saturday 5th March, involving villagers of all ages. The community clean-up took place at the same time as the nationwide Clean for The Queen event and kick-started our plans to enhance our outdoor recreation area for the whole village.  Thanks to all those who volunteered and joined in.  What a great start to the QE2 Field enhancement project in Kington St Michael!

Many thanks to Leigh at M J Church for clearing away the rubbish on behalf of KSM WI and KSM QE2 Field Group.

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Thanks to Merv Singer and Sam Butler the zipwire has been removed and will be stored ready for when a new suitable location has been identified.

Thanks also to Steve Griggs at Greentrees Services, for volunteering with his team of helpers - the football goal posts were been sanded down and primed, ready for repainting, and new nets are on order.

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Progressive Supper Update

The QE2 Field group is delighted to confirm that over £1,400 was raised from February 27th's Progressive Supper; this will go towards enhancements at the QE2 Field.

As always, it was a super evening – on behalf of the QE2 Field Group, thanks go to all the hosts who generously opened up their homes and provided starters and main courses, as well as those who donated delicious desserts, and everyone who volunteered their time to organise and plan the event.

Thanks to Avril and KSM Village Shop for kindly supplying the wine on the night and to Allington Farm Shop and Brinkworth Dairy for donating cheese for dessert.

Generous raffle donations were also gratefully received from Helen and Simon at The Jolly Huntsman, Hilary at Folly Row Café and Whitehall Garden Centre – with many thanks.

And finally, a huge thank you to ALL those who came along on the night to support this event and our efforts to enhance the QE2 Field.

Community Update

Many thanks to all those who also attended the community update on the morning of February 28th.

It was very encouraging to receive feedback on our thoughts and plans for enhancing the QE2 Field and we really appreciate all the support recognising our efforts and intentions to make improvements to the field for the benefit of the wider community!

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KSM QE2 Field Group Update

The new KSM QE2 Field Group is now up and running with a great team of volunteers on board. Our vision is to create an enjoyable place for people to play and a more usable outdoor space to bring together our community.

We will be working closely with the Parish Council to establish how we can enhance the recreation field and its facilities in the future. There is a lot of work to be done, so please bear with us as we go through the initial research and planning phases.

Play Equipment Update
Following a recent safety inspection at the QE2 Field, the junior swings in the children’s play area have been identified as needing replacement parts and are therefore currently out of action for safety reasons.

The Parish Council has ordered the necessary replacement to ensure the swings can be used again as soon as possible.

As many of you know, the zip wire is also out of action (and has been for a long time) due to safety concerns regarding the foundations. The new QE2 Field Group will be looking at a new zip wire as part of the QE2 Field Project as it is recognised as being very popular. A replacement and relocation is likely to be incorporated as part of a future plan for the QE2 Field and its facilities.

2015

December:

On December 29th the QE2 Field Group was made aware of a significant amount of broken glass located up at the QE2 Field in KSM, which was scattered across the entire hard standing area underneath the basketball hoop and also down by the kick wall area on the other side of the field. It is extremely disheartening and disappointing that a very small minority of people choose to spoil our recreation area for others, by displaying anti-social behaviour and carrying out such mindless acts.