Author: Andrew Taylor

JULIAN Spencer and a team of fellow musicians played a live concert for the staff and members of the town’s Saturday Dementia Respite Club of Age UK at Swan Mead on December 14.

The Christmas get-together was also attended by carers and family members who enjoyed the entertainment and ended up singing and dancing with the live music.

Cllr Danny Favor, who helped to organise the event, has also received a cheque on behalf of the Respite Club from Sue Joy of East Grinstead’s Justice and Peace group.

Cllr Favor thanked the J&P group for “their continued support, kindness and generosity” in contributing to the invaluable work carried out on behalf of members of the dementia club and their families.

AS the Town Mayor I would like to wish the residents of East Grinstead a very Happy Christmas.

Since taking office in May I have been very lucky to meet many kind and generous people – we are indeed fortunate to have so many fantastic people who give their time to help others.

I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year and hope that I will have the opportunity of meeting many more of our townsfolk in the coming months.

With my very best wishes,

Margaret Belsey

TOWN Mayor Margaret Belsey flicked the switch to turn on the Rotary Club’s Christmas tree lights in the High Street on Saturday.

Meridian FM had been touting the event since noon, and encouraged by a town crier many of Saturday’s shoppers took a break to gather around the tree for carols accompanied by the East Grinstead concert band.

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THE Town Mayor’s bazaar on Saturday was a success with many local charity and community groups taking part to raise much-needed funds.

Mayor Margaret Belsey opened the event which was held at East Court and attracted a steady stream of shoppers who were entertained by Choir Power as they shopped.

FATHER Christmas will be making a tour of parts of East Grinstead, Ashurst Wood and Lingfield in the run-up to Christmas to raise money for the East Grinstead Rotary Club’s annual appeal for the needy.

Last year the Rotarians gave 350 families and individuals a helping hand in December thanks to the generosity of local people who contributed to the sleigh ride appeal through the town’s residential areas.

Santa’s schedule for this Christmas has just been announced, so make a date to catch him and please give generously to a very worthy cause.

Saturday 7 December Stuart Way
Monday 9 December Lingfield
Tuesday 10 December Estcots Estate
Wednesday 11 December Hurst Farm Road
Thursday 12 December Herontye Estate
Friday 13 December Blount Avenue
Saturday 14 December Fairlawn Drive/Heathcote Drive
Monday 16 December Blackwell Estate
Tuesday 17 December Ashurst Wood
Wednesday 18 December Woodbury Avenue
Thursday 19 December Sackville Gardens
Friday 20 December Stockwell Road/Dunnings Road
Saturday 21 December Gardenwood Estate

EAST Grinstead’s Filipino community has raised £2,300 from a charity event held at the Tarana in Lingfield in aid of the Philippines relief fund.

Cllr Danny Favor helped to organise the event, which was attended by Town Mayor Margaret Belsey, fellow councillors and representatives from many of the town’s organisations and community groups.

The money will go towards helping the millions left bereaved and homeless in the wake of typhoon Haiyan which caused widespread devastation and loss of life.

An additional £2,124 was raised by the parishioners of Our Lady and St Peter’s Catholic Church in East Grinstead to support the work of CAFOD in the stricken islands.

Speaking after the Lingfield event Cllr Favor said: “On behalf of the officers and members of the Extra Care Team and the entire Filipino Community here and back home, we would like express our sincerest gratefulness and deepest appreciation to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, kindness and generosity during this terrible time.”

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On Friday 8th November, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, smashed into the Philippines killing over 4,000 people with Typhoon Haiyan sweeping away entire coastal villages and leaving utter devastation in the region’s main city. This Typhoon has affected over 11 million people, 4 million people have been driven from their homes and 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed. The people who have survived do so without clean drinking water, food or even clothes.

We have a strong knit Filipino community in East Grinstead and we want to do our best to help them.

On Monday 9th December at 7:30pm, this fantastic charity fundraiser, Flame of Hope is being performed at Chequer Mead, with all profits going to aid the Philippines Super Typhoon Haiyan Appeal 2013.

We are so lucky to have the relentless support of such fantastic acts, like, Chris Andre who wowed the Chequer Mead crowds back in September, X-Factor performer Andrea Magee, classical cellist extraordinaire Lizzy May with Silken Strings, Kyla & Nat Stroud, King of swing Stephen Dunnett, and the wonderful Bullfrog Youth Theatre, with the whole night being compered by the wonderful Cheryl Baker!

Please come along on Monday 9th December not to just have a fantastic night but also to show your support for a very deserving fund. Tickets are selling fast so please book your tickets to avoid disappointment

All tickets are £15, with all profits going to the Philippines Super Typhoon Haiyan Appeal, and available from the Box Office: 01342 302000

We hope you can join us on what will be a very special evening.

TOWN Council staff Jenny Watson and Katrina Hamill took part in a recording of Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time at Wakehurst Place in November and Katrina’s question – about next summer’s planting scheme for the High Street beds – was one of ten chosen to be answered by the panel of experts.

You can hear what they advised Katrina when the programme is broadcast on Friday 13 December at 3pm and again on Sunday 15 December at 2pm on 92-95FM.

TOWN Mayor Margaret Belsey was among the hundreds of people who enjoyed the traditional London Road festivities in the run-up to Christmas. Margaret is pictured below with the Lion’s Club mascot outside Santa’s grotto.

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