Wiltshire Bobby Van Fundraiser
Gifts galore at fundraising sale for Wiltshire Bobby Van - THE popular Devizes Autumn Fair, which has been running for more than 20 years, will once again be featuring unique gifts, clothes and crafts to raise funds for the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust at The Corn Exchange in Devizes from 10am to 4.30pm on October 3rd.
The fair will feature dozens of stalls from craftsmen and women and producers from across the South West. There will also be refreshments available at the event’s pop-up café.
Tickets are £5 per person but anyone booking online in advance can get two for the price of one. Tickets are available at www.devizesautumnfair.org.uk/
The charity operates two vans, both staffed by former police officers, which visit homes across Wiltshire and Swindon to offer free practical home security measures, fire safety assessments and online safety guidance for people over 60 or over 18 with a registered disability.
It works in partnership with Wiltshire Police and other organisations including Victim Support, Age UK, housing associations and Wiltshire Council’s trading standards department to identify people who need help and reassurance.
Director Jennie Shaw said: “This will be a wonderful chance to get started on the Christmas shopping, with so many stalls featuring some unique hand-crafted gifts from local producers – and help us to continue keeping older and vulnerable people safe in their homes.”
For further details contact Gary Lawrence on 07866 422308 or gary@meadowcomms.co.uk
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Defibrillator at The Jolly Huntsman
Please note that the defibrillator at The Jolly Huntsman is currently out of commission; the one at the school remains available. The defibrillators are now over 14 years old and past their guarantee period, so the Parish Council has been asked to consider replacing the one at the pub when councillors meet next in September.
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Nigel's Bike Ride for Dorothy House
Village resident, Nigel Farr is doing a sponsored bike ride from Hyde Park back to Kington St Michael, on Sunday 14th September. This is to raise money for Dorothy House and is in memory of his sister Kathryn, who some of you may have known. If you would like to support Nigel and this worthy cause, please visit his Just Giving page. Thank you.
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QE2 Field News
The large climbing frame in the children’s playground has now been repaired, but volunteers are still needed to clean up the main timber supports and apply wood preserver.
Both sets of replacement swings are due for delivery imminently. Once delivered, these will be installed ASAP by Merv and team. Volunteers will also be needed to help tidy/refresh the safety surfaces (repair kits are on order).
If you are willing to help with either of the above (at a time convenient to you and with all materials/expenses covered), please email ksmqe2fieldgroup.com.
Markings in the games court area will be laid soon and new football nets have been ordered. Discussions regarding future playground design and equipment, plus storage options at the field, are also underway.
Bonfire Night - Help Required: Help is urgently needed with this year’s fireworks night currently planned for Saturday 1st November. The team is now sadly reduced to just a few people and the biggest event of the year requires additional help for it to go ahead.
There are two principal areas where help is needed:
1) firework set-up on the day
2) planning/admin tasks
You do NOT need to join a committee – just be part of the event support team to help run a safe and successful night. This has been a village tradition for decades and the QE2 team would love it to continue.
If you can help, please email: ksmqe2fieldgroup@gmail.com
Reminder also that the community BBQ at the field is available to hire for just £15 - please email to make a booking.
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Shop News
The shop is looking very summery at present, thanks to locally grown, fragrant bunches of flowers that are currently being offered for sale at very reasonable prices.
Stocking village and local produce is always a bit special and the team is excited to be able offer local honey, some of which is from KSM bees. The shop is also enjoying the gifts of plants and garden produce that people have donated to the shop to sell. If you have any surplus produce, please drop it into the shop at any time when it is open; the best part of this initiative is that customers get fresh produce with low food miles and it also helps the shop.
It has been a successful summer so far with a regular flow of customers, which is steadily increasing, so thank you if you have supported the shop. The shop is popular with canine customers too – with sales of Marshfield doggy ice creams reaching 29 in 4 weeks!
The volunteer team is slowly growing, but if you can spare a couple of hours a week and would like to join the team please do get in touch – pop in, call (01249) 750181or email hello@kingtonstmichaelshop.co.uk. It’s a very friendly environment and no experience is necessary as training is given.
If you’ve heard that the shop is looking for a new part time co-ordinator, please don’t panic! Claire Pugh, our lead co-ordinator, is planning long term and looking some months ahead to decide the best way forward for the shop and the team.
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Book Recycling Scheme
The
83rd donation of £50 from this scheme, goes to our community-owned village shop. The scheme is run from the shop foyer and books are only 50p
each. Village organisations that would like to be considered for a
donation should contact Linda Durno via kingtonstmichael@btinternet.com.
~*~*~*~News from St Michael & All Angels Church The church and church yard are open every day for you to enjoy.
Batteries, ink cartridges and medication packets (the foil & plastic part) can be left in the porch for recycling.
We are looking to do a census of the plants and wildlife in the churchyard with the aim of making it a richer and more diverse habitat. If you would like to help or have any knowledge of plants, birds, insects or small mammals we would love to hear from you. Please contact Alison on (01249) 750742 or 07748 759661.
The church has been given a £500 grant to hold a Choral Evensong followed by refreshments at 6pm on Sunday 28th September, to celebrate our Patronal Day, St Michael.
The church is planning a day to celebrate the church’s part in village life and history, so if you have any memories or photographs which you would like to share, or have any ideas for the day, please do get in touch with Alison Greenhalgh - email alison.mulley@btinternet.com or Chris Laskey chris.laskey@outlook.com.
For details of more news, events and church services, please visit the Church's page.
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Wood Carving Group
Cilla Labouchere will be running another of her wood carving groups in the village
- if you are interested in joining, please give her a call on 01249 750222
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Village Shop Banana Competition
The competition to guess how many bananas were sold in March
was won by 8 year-old Xanthe, who was closest to the answer of 105.
She was delighted with her prize of a bunch of bananas and an Easter egg.
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Parish CouncilAt May's Annual Meeting Peter Macdonald was elected as
Chair and Alex Hall was elected as Vice-chair; Fiona Twisse was co-opted on to
the council, bringing it up to its full contingent of nine. New
Councillors, Ollie Mead and Tim Mead were welcomed on to the council and it's
believed that Ollie (who is in his twenties) is the youngest councillor we have
ever had.
Here's a full list of our Parish Councillors:
- Peter Macdonald (Chair)
- Alex Hall (Vice-chair)
- Gerry Gamble
- Ollie Mead
- Tim Mead
- John Newton
- Will Roe
- Fiona Twisse
- Steven Woodhead
If you have something that you wish to bring to the Parish Council’s attention, please contact the Clerk, Viv Vines, on 01249 657695 / 07785 717665, ksmparishclerk@gmail.com.
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Accessibility Along Pavements
A repeat of a previous request, to help our disabled and visally impaired residents (and those with children in buggies):
~ Please do not block lowered pavements with parked cars.
~ Please do not park on pavements, partially or otherwise.
~ Please don't block the pavement with wheelie bins or black boxes.
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If
your property is next to the pavement or footpath, please trim back any
overhanging branches, shrubs, etc. Of a dark evening, and with the new
lower lighting, it's no fun walking into prickly or wet overgrowth!
Please trim
back lower shrubs too, as these affect children. Thank you.
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Progressive Supper Results
The recent progressive supper, held in the village in aid of the restoration of the church’s Saxon porch, raised an amazing £2,923.81.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and supported this wonderful event. Special thanks to the organisers, all the starter and main course hosts, everyone who kindly donated desserts and auction prizes, KSM club, Kington St Michael village Shop for selling tickets, and Gavin Aplin, as our wonderful auctioneer.
This event has been a village tradition for decades and it is heartening to see what a wonderful community event this continues to be.
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Community Pub Project's January Update
Many thanks to everyone who bought our Christmas cards, tankards and mugs
and to those who visited us at the village Christmas Fayre and bought from our
stall – our Christmas cards quickly sold out.
Our tankards (£25) and mugs (£10) continue to sell well and will make
great gifts, with Father's Day soon upon us. To get
yours please contact Alex Hall on 01249 750602, alex.hall@kington-st-michael.com,
or Linda Durno on 01249 750514, kingtonstmichael@btinternet.com.
Unfortunately, just before Christmas, we received the
news that the Community Ownership Fund had closed and that there will be no
further application windows on the COF programme. The current government “…took
this difficult decision due to the challenging inheritance left by the previous
government”. Whilst the Community
Ownership Fund has closed, the government states that it “…remains committed to
the communities’ sector and community empowerment. The government will deliver on its manifesto
commitment to replace the community ‘Right to Bid’ with a strengthened ‘Right
to Buy’ Assets of Community Value, creating a more robust pathway to community
asset ownership”.
We had hoped to have been successful with an application to COF, which would
have provided a large grant, and so this is a blow to our fundraising. However we are fortunate to have your pledges
of shares and are seeking further advice on future grants.
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Dog Fouling and Dog Walking
Recently there have been multiple incidents of dog fouling on pavements throughout the village, especially regularly along the main street towards the café. Wherever you are walking your dog in the village - street, public footpath, QE2 Field, Nymph Hay Wood or the surrounding fields - picking up after your dog still applies! If anyone sees an owner letting their dog foul in a public place please report it to Wiltshire Council, either by 'phoning 01249 706111 and asking for the Dog Warden, or email publicprotectionnorth@wiltshire.gov.uk or via an on-line form on Wiltshire Council's website. Photographic evidence of the owner neglecting to pick up is always a help. Your personal details will be treated in strict confidence and you will be informed of the outcome of the complaint. Please note that complaints regarding aggressive dogs should be made to the police.
Now that it is lambing season, please keep your dogs on leads when walking in fields with sheep in, as well as when walking on the footpath that leads through the farmyard, as there are sheep and lambs about.
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Environment Agency Flood Recovery Guide
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Poppy Appeal 2024
This year's Poppy appeal in the village raised £258.75.
Joan Gilbert, who co-ordinates the collection, would like to thank all who donated.
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"The Kingtons" Book - Available Now!
Get your copy of "The Kingtons" now - available from the village shop or Kington Café at only £14.95. Commissioned by the parish council, this book gives an interesting history of the ancient parish of Kington St Michael with Kington Langley,
written by Louise Ryland-Epton.