Author: Andrew Taylor

EAST Grinstead residents can now try out a range of free fitness-class ‘taster’ sessions that have been set up by the Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team.

The scheme was started as a small pilot project last November when places were snapped up in double-quick time.

As a result the programme has expanded quickly to meet public demand and new sessions are now available in East Grinstead for the very first time.

Throughout March, local people will have the chance to try up to four free fitness classes. The sessions are completely free and aimed at people who would like to return to exercise or who maybe have never taken any regular exercise before.

The classes are designed with the needs of beginners in mind, so they are easy to pick up and are conducted at a slower pace.

There’s the chance to try Zumba, the fun dance-based workout that is inspiring thousands of people across the country to take up exercise, or to blow off some steam and release some frustration with a Boxercise session.

Pilates classes show newcomers how strengthening core muscles can help to improve flexibility and tone the body, while Circuit training sessions offer a full body workout which improves overall fitness.

A full timetable of all the fitness taster sessions running March is below:

Day	Session	Time	Venue
Tuesday	Boxercise	18.15-19.00	Moat Church Hall, East Grinstead RH19 1ET
	Zumba	19.15-20.15	Moat Church Hall, East Grinstead RH19 1ET
Wednesday	Zumba	13.30-14:30	Christ Church Hall, Haywards Heath RH16 3LE
Thursday	Pilates	11.00-12.00	Marle Place, Burgess Hill RH15 8HZ
	Circuits	18.00-19.00	Harlands School,Haywards Heath, RH161PJ
	Pilates	19.00-20.00	Harlands School, Haywards Heath, RH161PJ

 “All of these exercise classes are completely free and run by trained fitness experts” said Councillor Christopher Snowling, Cabinet Member for Health and Community. “The instructors understand that many people taking part will be new to these types of exercise, so they take extra time to provide help, support and guidance.

“Regular exercise provides many long-lasting health benefits and it can help you to look and feel great too. I urge anybody who is interested in taking more exercise to contact our Wellbeing team, book a place and try this fantastic introduction to fitness classes.”

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team provides free advice and guidance on all aspects of health and wellbeing, including eating healthily, losing weight, giving up smoking, becoming more active, cutting down on drinking, managing stress and feeling happier.  Residents can contact the team directly or visit the Mid Sussex Wellbeing website www.midsussexwellbeing.org.uk, which provides a ‘one stop shop’ for information and advice on physical and emotional health matters.

If you would like more information or to book a space on any of the free fitness taster sessions please give the Wellbeing Team a call on 01444 477048, or email kamella.clough@midsussex.gov.uk

TRINITY Church has held a Commissioning Celebration to mark the start of a Food Bank in East Grinstead, followed by a church service led by Rev Geoff Bell.

The event was attended by members of several of the town’s churches, and by councillors John O Brien, Dick Sweetman and Council Leader Norman Webster.

The East Grinstead Food Bank is now open at Trinity Church at the following times:

• Mon 1pm to 3pm
• Wed 9am to 11am
• Fri 1pm to 3pm

For enquiries email info@eastgrinstead.foodbank.org.uk or telephone 07983 209940

The Food Bank relies on donations to feed local people in crisis. All its food is donated by individuals, schools, churches, businesses or through supermarket collections.

Once or twice a year collections are held at East Grinstead’s Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, where members of the public are offered a ‘Foodbank Shopping list’ asking them to consider buying an item from the list. Shoppers then leave the item(s) they have bought for the Food Bank at a collection point outside the supermarket and are thanked for their generosity by volunteers.

The food is then sorted according to type and ‘best before date’ before being taken off to the warehouse and logged. Any items not suitable for Food Bank use are passed on to help those using Crawley Open House.

Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, Citizens Advice Bureau staff, welfare officers, the police and probation officers identify people in crisis and issue them with a Food Bank voucher.

Clients bring their voucher to the Distribution Centre at Trinity Methodist Church where it can be exchanged for a three-day supply of emergency food. The combination of foods given has been decided by dieticians to provide recipients with a nutritionally balanced diet, but volunteers try to add a treat as well, if supplies allow.

Clients are welcomed with the offer of a warm drink and something to eat and the team is ready to listen if they want to share something of their circumstances whilst their food pack is put together.

Volunteers can also direct people to other organisations who can help resolve their longer-term problems.

As a Christian based organisation volunteers will also offer to pray briefly with a client before they leave, IF this is what they would like.

If you would like to give in-date, non-perishable foods, they would currently appreciate donations of:

• Long life fruit juice (1ltr)
• Small pots of jam
• Small/Medium jars of coffee
• Sugar (500g or 1kg)

Donations can be left in the dedicated box in Trinity’s Welcome Cafe. Please note, the Food Bank can only accept food which has at least 3 months before its ‘Best Before’ date.

Town councillors John O’Brien and  Dick Sweetman, and Council Leader Norman Webster with some of the Food Bank volunteers in their distinctive green pullovers.

CLOCKWORK and Clocksmiths is the latest exhibition at the town museum in Cantelupe Road.

It features locally-made clocks alongside the history of time and its measurement through the ages, in a fascinating exhibition which is on until 2 June.

Entry is free.

BOTANIST Steve Alton, who ran the Millenium Seed Bank project at Wakehurst Place for 12 years, is to help make East Grinstead bloom next summer.

With his wife Dr Karin Alton, an insect specialist, the pair have devised a wild flower mix which will brighten some of the darker corners around the town for up to six months, and encourage bees.

“There are 40 varieties in the mix we have chosen,” said Steve, “including viper’s bugloss, cornflowers and poppies, which have been selected because they are practical and will help insects to pollinate the area,  and because they have a ‘wow’ factor.”

The East Grinstead in Bloom committee asked Steve for help after reading about the work he has done on grass verges in Ardingly.

The two areas they will seed are around the new East Grinstead railway station and the grassy area on the corner where College Lane meets the Lewes Road.

But if the scheme is successful the knock-on effect could spread around the town, said Steve.

“I’m really excited about this scheme. The changes around the station in particular are going to look great – imagine a splash of colour around the new building.”

And lazy gardeners will be glad to know that Steve is all in favour of mowing the grass a little less too. He suggests lawns should either be dug up and replaced with flowers, or that gardeners should simply mow a pathway through their lawn and let wildflowers grow naturally in the long grass.

Julie Mockford, for the Bloom Committee, said they welcomed Steve’s expertise.

“It’s particularly timely because this year we are entering the whole town into the competition, not just the High Street.”

* Sowing will start this month and the first flowers should be out in June.

TALENTED youngsters from Chequer Mead’s Hawthorn School will be bringing their guitar ensemble and their senior choir to Chequer Mead theatre for a lunchtime concert on Tuesday 5 March.

Quintessential, formed in June 2012 under the direction of Ashley Hards, is a classical guitar quintet with an eclectic repertoire, and they use their performances to support the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.

The girls will be performing a relatively modern set at Chequer Mead, including a Beatles’ Suite and some contemporary blues pieces by the Croatian composer Miroslav Loncar.

The Hawthorn’s School senior choir draws on some 90 members. Within the senior choir is the Chamber Choir, overseen by Michael Burbidge as an ensemble made up of invited singers, aiming to develop confidence in performing some very complex music.

The children learn to blend their voices, thereby creating a rich sound. The choir has thrived and developed over the years, with successful past tours to Germany and Paris. Helen Hankey took over as Director of Music in September 2002 and during her tenure, the Choir has performed at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London to 600 people at a charity event for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, and participated in concerts at The Royal Albert Hall and the O2 arena.

Locally, they have performed at a number of venues, winning festivals and being proclaimed ‘Youth Choir of the Year’, and are now thrilled to be participating in the Barnardo’s Choir of the Year Competition.

2013 also brings the exciting challenge of touring in the Czech Republic to participate in The Young Prague Festival.

Tickets: £5. For more information contact the Chequer Mead Box office 01342 302000.

THE Town Museum in Cantelupe Road has retained its accreditation after meeting Arts Council standards for its management, services and facilities, and for the way in which its collections are curated and displayed.

Museum chairman Mike Hollins said: “The award demonstrates the quality of service we offer the local community and the museum’s commitment to managing its collections effectively for the enjoyment of our visitors. It reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers and we would urge anyone who hasn’t been to the museum before to come – this definitely shows we are worth a visit.”

Natural Landscapes and Life through the Seasons from 15 to 20 March

AN exhibition by Surrey artist John Burgess who works with oils to create evocative pastoral scenes. The artist also creates enchanting pencil drawings of British wildlife and other animals.

Original work and limited edition Gicleé prints will be available.

For full details of What’s On, including  times and ticket prices, see the theatre website at: www.chequermead.org.uk,  or contact the box office on 01342 302000

Gerard Kenny – Saturday 2 March at 8pm

PERFORMING on the grand piano especially purchased for Chequer Mead with proceeds from his earlier fund-raising concerts, international singer-songwriter Gerard Kenny returns for a relaxed evening of hits from his legendary songbook including Made it Through The Rain,  I Could Be So Good For You and New York, New York (So Good They Named It Twice).

Tickets: £12. Chequer Mead Friends: £10.

Deborah Lamb Theatre School presents Living Art – Saturday 9 March at 1.30pm and 7.30pm

A theatrical extravaganza featuring performing arts students 5 – 18 years.This is a youth production.

Tickets: £12.

Los Endos presents Ultimate Genesis – Sunday 10 March at 7.30pm

LOS Endos capture the excitement of a live Genesis gig from the 70s and 80s with nearly 3 hours of scintillating musicianship and a state-of-the-art light show.

Tickets: £15.

Cuisine Studio presents Jazz Café on Friday 15 March at 7pm

RELAX and enjoy the best of live Jazz with the New Orleans Echoes combined with Cuisine Studio’s finest bistro menus. Tickets £5. Please reserve a table in advance by ringing Mandy, Roger or Paul 01342 324860.

Authentic live tribute to the Music of Pink Floyd on 16 March at 7.30pm

THE Floyd Effect 8-piece tribute show spans the complete Pink Floyd canon and includes much loved material including  Wish You Were Here, Animals, Meddle, The Wall, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell. Featuring lasers and projections, the show concludes with a complete performance of one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, Dark Side of the Moon.

With special guests, the Ariel Drama Plus Academy.

Tickets: £17.50.

Celtic Flames on 23 March at 8pm

A spectacular show of music, song and dance direct from Ireland, this atmospheric production generates a brilliant and energetic night’s entertainment.

Tickets: £10.

THE Town Mayor’s Ball will take place on Saturday 27 April at the East Grinstead Sports Club.

Tickets at £35 include Dinner, live entertainment from Naked Bass, a disco and pay bar.

All proceeds in aid of the Town Mayor’s Charity The Advance Centre.

Tickets available from East Grinstead Town Council at East Court or email l.williams@eastgrinstead.gov.uk