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Gnosall Parish Logo (Image) 

Gnosall Parish Council           

 (Including the wards of Moreton and Knightley)                                   

 

Dementia Friends Logo (Image)

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Cover

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Cover by Jim McGregor

PAGE 2

Introduction to GMK

I’m writing this in the depths of January, when the weather is decidedly chilly and promising snow, Christmas seems ages ago and holidays appear to be just a tiny dot upon the horizon! It’s a difficult time of year, both financially and in health terms, as we try to cope with the aftermath of a festive season upon our bank balances and our waistlines. I wonder how many of us will still be keeping up our New Year Resolutions when this edition is out in early March?

Those resolutions are like a promise to ourselves that we can do better, be better, aim higher and put right anything we may have let go last year. They are evidence of our ongoing commitment to self-improvement and that’s a journey with no endpoint. We are all a “work in progress”. That applies to the Parish Council just as much as it does to parishioners – and we are just a few weeks away from the local elections in May, when we all get a chance to change the local landscape.

Parish Councillors, too, will need to consider whether they are standing for re-election and this is an opportunity for everyone who has ever thought “I could do that job!” to put themselves forward. If we have more applications than we have vacancies, there will be a Gnosall election too. I’d like to ask you to seriously consider whether you have the skills, qualities, time and willingness to give something back to your community by joining the Council. We are always keen to welcome new faces and there’s no doubt that there is a lot of work to be done, so the more hands there are to help, the better. If some of those hands were attached to people of, shall we say, a slightly younger age-profile – that would be even better! At present, the “maturing like a fine wine” group is well-represented! For those who like their statistics: the average age of a parish councillor is 61; 25% of the present councillors have been in post for over 10 years; 60% of our number are men and just 11% of our councillors are under the age of 45. Now I’m not saying that our present councillors are too old – I’m one of them, after all. But I do think it would be great if we could better reflect the parishioners we represent. Have a think and see if you’re up for a challenge.

2018 was a very challenging year for the Council, with a number of demanding projects on the go at once and some other things had to take a back seat due to conflicting pressures. It puts a great strain on councillors and Officers when there’s so much to do but that’s when the value of teamwork is seen most clearly. It’s also one of the things I personally have enjoyed most about being a Councillor; the feeling of working with a team of people who all want to make a difference to our village is something I relish. It’s still hard work – but it’s so rewarding, especially at a time when, nationally, pressures have polarised communities and even families into distinct camps. It’s good to remind ourselves that in our village, we are able to put our other differences aside and work together to ensure that Gnosall has something to offer to all its residents.

On that note, I shall think of Summer and welcome you to the March edition of GMK!

Cllr Gail Gregory

Chair of Gnosall Parish Council

 

Smart Alerts and Neighbourhood Watch

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You may remember that an article was included in the Spring 2018 edition of GMK in which the Parish Council actively promoted setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.  The Council is aware that a dedicated group of people in Moreton and the surrounding area run a very successful Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.  The Council is again inviting anyone who may be interested in participating in setting up a scheme in Gnosall to contact grahampayne@gnosallparishcouncil.org, telephone 01785 822243 or patricia.alker@gnosallparishcouncil.org, telephone 01785 823271 and we will collate responses.  Alternatively you can sign up for Smart Alerts or volunteer for Neighbourhood Watch by visiting www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk .     

 

PAGE 3

New Councillor and Election Information

n the last GMK, we told you about our latest Councillor recruit, Jordan Archer, and reported that there had been two very well-qualified applicants. Since then we have had a further resignation as Councillor Green is unfortunately unable to continue due to family commitments. We shall miss her and her cheerful, hard-working approach but we wish her well.

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As the vacancy occurred within 6 months of the normal scheduled day of election i.e. Thursday 2 May 201, the Parish Council was able to co-opt a person to fill the vacancy and followed procedures in displaying a notice giving the public notification of the vacancy and not the option to call the election.  During that time there was no further interest, so it seemed sensible to consider the very recent unsuccessful candidate and we spoke to Janet Lammin. She confirmed that she was still interested in becoming a Councillor and was co-opted at our last Council Meeting.

Janet`s family have lived in Gnosall for over 50 years and she will be a familiar face to many thanks to her membership of local groups. Her skills and experience in customer service, IT, finance, local government and housing will certainly be very welcome indeed. We are fortunate to have her with us.

 

 

Because there are elections this May, Janet is aware that her tenure is short. But she is in exactly the same position as the rest of the Council – we ALL have to decide whether to stand again or not. And so do you because this is YOUR opportunity to stand as a councillor! There are some rules to note:

  • Every candidate, including existing councillors, must be validly nominated which means that you a completed nomination paper which includes your consent to stand.
  • These must be must submit with the Returning Officer at Stafford Borough Council by 4pm on 3rd April.
  • The candidate must be a registered elector for the parish, OR for the whole of the 12 months preceding the election, must have:
    • occupied land or premises within the parish
    • or lived within the parish
    • or had his/her main or only place of work within the parish
  • Candidates may not hold a paid appointment with the parish council
    • Or be a bankrupt (ie subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order)
    • Or have been convicted of any offence within the last 5 years and imprisoned for a period of not less than 3 months
    • Or have committed any other electoral or financial corrupt or illegal practices

If we have fewer applicants than seats available, the election will be uncontested and all candidates will be successful. If we have more, then a poll or vote must take place. All <imgcandidates, whether contested or uncontested, take office on the fourth day after the poll.

There is lots more information available to help you make up your mind about whether to stand, so just contact the Parish Clerk if you’d like an information pack. 

Meanwhile – welcome Janet!

 

PAGE 4

2019 Projects

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The Parish Council has a busy time ahead, completing ongoing projects and starting new ones that have been planned for some time but couldn’t be started due to pressure of work.

· At the end of 2018 the council was informed that its application to the Borough Council for the remainder of S106 funds (funds raised from new developments) was successful.  This was very good news and the £43K will help pay for some new play park equipment at the Brookhouse Road park, replacing a few items that are old and showing signs of wear and tear, including the safety surfacing which in places is very worn out.  

  • The S106 funds will also help buy outdoor gym equipment that will be located next to the tennis court.    Council is pleased to see the tennis court has been put to good use and play continued during the winter months.  The court was monitored during the colder weather and would have been locked if it had been thought that the court surface was too slippery but at the time of writing it has remained open and been used.
  • Council has set aside funds to replace some of the fencing around the park that is also showing signs of wear and tear and funds have been earmarked to make improvements to the play area car park surface.
  • The Grosvenor Centre will benefit from new kitchen cupboards, sinks units and additional storage as well as improved wi-fi as the council is aware that the wi-fi coverage has been a little temperamental in recent months. Plans for future enhancement of the centre will continue. 

As well as starting new projects, Council is very mindful of the need to preserve the quality of what we already have. Therefore, ongoing repairs and maintenance of Parish Council owned facilities will continue and the budget for this was increased for the 2019/20 financial year to allow for additional maintenance costs and repairs. For example, the MUGA surface will be cleaned and relined, the basket ball area will be tidied up, the tennis court surface must be cleaned annually, there is some tree work to be scheduled and repairs to the older sections of the boardwalk are needed as well as repairs to some notice bards and much more. It’s lovely to have sparkly new projects but we must keep our existing “estate” in good order!

GFest will be held in the summer and exciting fun-packed programme is already in place. Later in the year, a sensory garden will be planned in line with the Council’s Dementia Friendly status and there will be a film night in March. Somewhat less exciting, but nonetheless as important, the council has to continually monitor its policies and procedures ensuring rules and regulations are adhered to in line with Quality Gold status.

 

Annual Assembly and Parish Council Community Awards

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This year the Annual Assembly, which all parishioners are invited to attend, will be held on Wednesday 1st May at 7.30pm in The Grosvenor Centre.  The Assembly  (or Parish Meeting as it is often called), is a meeting to discuss parish affairs which have no statutory definition and it does not have to be exclusive to the business of the local council.  It is also, of course, an effective forum for the local parish council to engage with local residents.

Last year was the first year the Parish Council organised Community Awards and the same is being planned for this year.  The Parish Council would like to present two special Community Awards to recognise the commitment of some of those people and groups who enhance and greatly improve the village.  We need your help with nominating either an individual who has made a positive contribution that benefits our parishioners and visitors to our parish or an organisation/local business which has done likewise. Remember, the parish includes Gnosall, Moreton, Bromstead, Outwoods and Knightley.   

Please contact the parish office for a nomination form or, if it’s easier, please send your nominations by email to clerk@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk by Monday 15th April.   All nominations will be considered and the winners will be announced at the Annual Assembly on 1st  May.

 

PAGE 5

STAR Clerk!

Jayne Cooper with NALC Chair  Councillor Sue Baxter  (Image)
Jayne Cooper with NALC Chair Councillor Sue Baxter

It seems an awfully long time ago that a couple of us sat down and entered our Clerk, Jayne Cooper, in the NALC (National Association of Local Councils) Star Awards under the category Clerk of the Year. This is a prestigious national competition, open to every local council in the UK, so we were aiming high. Without her knowledge, we wrote and told them just why we believed our Clerk was outstanding.

We told them that Jayne has a wealth of knowledge, experience and professionalism and can always guide us in the right direction but wears her knowledge lightly, beneath a calm, confident and professional demeanour. She encourages all her councillors to take up relevant training and anticipates the new skills which devolution of services demands, planning ahead to ensure these are developed. Whatever you need to know, Jayne is the one to ask – but she never makes you feel foolish for needing to.

Personally modest and unassuming, never wishing to blow her own trumpet, she is always ready to celebrate others’ achievements, leaving no stone unturned in her desire to make council the best it can be. She is highly knowledgeable on the legal aspects and regulations around council work, guiding quietly but firmly when needed. Jayne has great empathy with others and because of this she’s greatly respected and trusted. Her huge appetite for work and highly-developed organisational skills allow her to prioritise a massive workload with efficiency and flexibility – despite a “to-do” list of staggering proportions. She even volunteers at the Youth Club each week! Our council achieves a vast amount on a small precept and Jayne is the vital beating heart behind it all.

Most of you will know by now that she not only got through to the finals in October – she won, despite there having been a larger entry than ever before! Words cannot express how delighted we all are that her work, and that of the Council, has been recognised in this way. I think it took Jayne herself several days to fully realise what she had achieved. There is no doubt that the Council could not achieve a fraction of what it does without her. Well done that woman!

 

Gnosall Festival (GFest): 13th – 21st July 2019

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Plans are progressing well for this summer’s GFest with plenty of events to appeal to everyone.  The draft programme is filling up nicely and there are a few new events this time around too. 

There will be a Dog Show on 13th July on the Grosvenor Centre field as part of the Community & Countryside event, so get your dogs in shape to put their best paw forward.  Other new events are an Over 50’s Health & Fitness session, an event at the new Gnosall Library, Sports day and the Canal Festival 19th-21st July (see separate CFest article).

Popular events making a return appearance include the Made in Gnosall craft fayre, church service & tour, family fun run and bike ride, Heritage Group open day, antiques & collectibles valuation, and for the music lovers among you the Classical Music concert, Gnosall Singers Concert and Moreton Folk Night – what a talented bunch we are!  There will also be a Youth Club treasure hunt and BBQ, quiz night, pond dipping, and the Fun Fair on 19th-21st July.

We will hold a photography competition and exhibition, plus “Gnomesall” the Gnosall gnome festival.

All events are subject to change.  The draft programme will be distributed to all households probably in early April, and the final programme in June.  Meanwhile if you have any questions or would like to organise an event, please contact the Parish Office. 

 

PAGE 6

Dementia – where are we?

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In last time’s GMK we outlined to you the Parish Council’s commitment to be Dementia Friends. As a large village with a mature demographic, we are likely to have a significant number of parishioners diagnosed with Dementia and related conditions – and that means we will also have a very significant number of individuals and families who are supporting those with the condition. Depending upon the exact diagnosis, and on the stage reached in the Dementia journey, the demands of supporting and caring can be very heavy indeed.

Last time, we shared with you our plans and asked for your comments and suggestions but, sadly, nobody has yet made any comment. We urge you to let us know if you think we are on the right track or give us your suggestions for things that we haven’t yet thought of. We really do need your input on this one if we are to help you to do your best in this difficult situation. Just contact the Parish Office and leave your comments, or email Councillor Gregory to share your thoughts. It will be much appreciated.  Just to remind you, we suggested things like:

Information packs


We are thinking of producing a simple information pack detailing basic facts about the condition and suggesting ways in which organisations or businesses might show support. Once produced, the pack would require only minimal updating.

Perhaps local businesses or individuals might help us by sponsoring all or part of its production costs?

Grosvenor Centre Booking Fees


If local groups wish to host dementia-related events, such as socials for sufferers or support meetings for carers, drop-in meetings and so forth, we would waive our booking fee. We hope this will encourage parishioners to join together to do what they can to support members of the community.

GMK articles


On a fairly regular basis, we would like to have articles about dementia, sources of support, first-hand experience and advice so that we could share these with others at different stages of their journey.

Could you offer something along these lines or do you have suggestions about what we might find out and share?

Fund-Raising


If possible, we would like to have one dementia-focused fundraiser every year, with money raised going to local dementia-related activities.

Any ideas?

 

PAGE 7

A sensory garden

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Dementia sufferers often find that noise and bustle confuse them and they become anxious in noisy environments. Carers often value a bit of peace and quiet in which to reflect or sit quietly with their relative. GGs Youth Club has taken this idea on board and will be working to create a quiet sensory area at the rear of the Parish Office.

Do you have plants to donate, especially those with a good scent, colour or texture? Would you like to remember a relative with dementia by sponsoring a flowerbed or bench? Would you like to do a bit of ongoing maintenance once we have set up the space? Ideas please!

We shall be starting work on the Sensory Garden in the Spring, once the weather improves and Youth Club want to make this part of their year’s work, so we should see progress on this very shortly. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Parish Council share of Council Tax

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   2018/19    2019/20   
Charge per household (Band D)  £32.28 £35.51 
Charge per week     62p     68p

 After considerable discussion and very careful monitoring of the Council`s financial position, Council agreed that it was necessary to take the decision to make a small rise in the precept to meet expanding costs.  If it had not done this the Parish Council may have had had to reconsider its activities and the services it provides.

The concurrent grant (a grant awarded by Stafford Borough Council to parishes to fund services which would usually be undertaken by the Authority) that is received to help meet the costs of certain services, has also reduced in recent years.  In 2008 the Parish Council received £5617 whereas since 2012 it has received £3680, a drop of almost £2000.

The Parish Council is responsible for maintaining many areas and facilities within the parish that come with ongoing maintenance costs.   All these increasing costs have to be budgeted for.  The Parish Council always looks for funding opportunities and is successful with many of the applications it makes. However, as we all know, the cost of all services has risen and continues to rise.  To maintain the standards that we are used to extra funds are required.

The Parish Council feels that we provide excellent value for the precept, when other local Parish Councils charge more than we do for less service provision. Gnosall Parish Council provides many facilities and services and arranges community events during the year to the benefit of its parishioners.  

At a time when Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police are making cuts to the services provided, parish councils are finding it necessary to deliver more and every penny the Parish Council receives is allocated to be spent locally on key services for local people.

For many years, the Parish Council has tried to keep its costs to parishioners low but finds it necessary to make a small increase to the precept to meet the financial requirements.   The council tax for a Band D property in 2019/20 will be £32.28 per year, a rise of only £3.23 and equates to approximately 68p per week.

PAGE 8

Grosvenor Centre Working Group

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Regular readers will be aware that the Parish Council has been working with a view to improve facilities at the Grosvenor Centre for some years now. When the project was first mooted, funds were more readily available and there were several sources which could provide grants for work such as this; therefore, we were reasonably confident that a complete rebuild might be achievable. Much work was therefore done in planning what might be necessary or desirable and several other centres were visited to assist in planning.

 

But, as we know, the financial situation changed dramatically with the onset of austerity and almost all funding streams dried up fairly rapidly. It became apparent that a rebuild was simply not going to be possible. So, with that in mind, the Working Group began to concentrate on refurbishment of our existing facilities and short-term cosmetic improvements have already been completed, with more to come in the next few weeks. Longer term plans were put on hold as other projects demanded so much time and we also felt it necessary to concentrate on maintaining the quality of the facilities we have, especially our outdoor areas.

 

Now we are in a position to start considering longer-term plans afresh. In January, the Working Group met and considered various options. It was decided to obtain detailed building plans of the existing building, so that we can use them to see whether our current space could be reconfigured to provide greater flexibility. As buildings change slightly over the years, little corners and corridors lose their function and become redundant space; odd areas are created by minor extensions which are unused and offer potential for streamlining.

 

Once we have our plans (which will in any case be necessary for any structural changes we may make) we can take professional advice as to how the existing building could be better organised and how minor modifications might provide bonus space. Then we can see whether we need to consider more radical plans in order to accommodate the facilities we feel should be provided, based on what residents have told us. And once all that is done – we can see exactly what money we need and concentrate on getting it!

 

Definitely more of a marathon than a sprint, this project, but we hope that we shall eventually get an improved Grosvenor Centre for all to enjoy!

 

It’s Film Night Again!

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Following previous successful film nights, the GFest Committee have arranged  another event on Saturday 16th March, so keep the late afternoon and evening free for 2 blockbuster films. At 4.30pm Early Man will be shown, an animated comedy film directed by Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame, about Stone Age Dug and his friend Hognob, followed by Bohemian Rhapsody at 7.30pm (a sure sell out), which is a celebration of Queen, their music and lead singer Freddie Mercury and the story behind their rise to fame.

Tickets for both films are £5.00 for adults and £4.00 for children under 16yrs and are available from the Parish Office and GG’s Youth Club.

 

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PAGE 9

GG’s Youth Club News

GG’s members enjoying Film Night (Image)

GG’s Youth Club continues to grow and thrive, with a loyal membership attending every week. However, that brings problems of its own!

We desperately need more volunteers to help supervise the youngsters. This allows us to run more activities and makes YC generally more interesting for everyone. So could you volunteer to help us? Even if you can’t do every week, a regular commitment would be very much appreciated. Get in touch with Jordan Archer or the Parish Office if you are interested. The more, the merrier!

Of course, running Youth Club requires money. We were fortunate to start off with a healthy balance handed over from the County Council club, but that has now been used up in replacing consumables, materials used in our activities, cooking ingredients and also in purchasing large items such as the cooker. It has also paid utility bills and part-funded some trips.  Do you know of any funding opportunities that we could tap into? Are you aware of any grants that we might apply for? Do you know of any firms or businesses which might make a donation or sponsor an activity? If so, please get in touch!

In February, our weekly fees increased from £1 to £1.50 per session. Fees represent the only regular income we get and unfortunately, we just couldn’t make ends meet with such low subs. However, we are totally confident that GG’s represents excellent value for money, especially when compared with other local clubs.

Finally – do make sure that we have up to date Emergency Contact numbers for you, just in case we need to get in touch. We do our level best to avoid accidents but you never know – and we must be able to reach parents or guardians if we need to. Thank you for updating us on any changes you may make to the contacts for your child.

 

Gnosall CFest 19-21 July 2019

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This year, GFest will be extended to include a canal festival called CFest over the final weekend 19th to 21st July. Already there has been a great deal of work being undertaken in the background and it promises to be an excellent addition to the GFest programme.

The event will be over five sites, with the main emphasis on the canal. There are already at least 14 trade boats registered to attend, selling products ranging from your favourite tipple, cheese, coffee and fudge to  handicrafts including pen-making, decorative items and a floating art gallery.

To complement this, 9 old working boats have said they will be visiting us, with more expected. Some of these will be open to the public to demonstrate how people used to live and work when canals were at their most important. 

There will also be boat trips on the Saturday and Sunday, starting from the Navigation Inn, on a day boat kindly provided by Norbury Wharf. 

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The canalside inns will be hosting a number of exciting events, including live music, a Cider and Gin Festival and special menus. There will be a festival garden at the Navigation with a number of stalls from canal organisations, who will explain the work they are doing to enhance and preserve the canal network. Historic guided walks will also start from the garden.

On Saturday 20th July the Methodist Hall will be opened up to the public where there will be an exhibition, talks and guided walks to explain the history of the canals and Gnosall. Light refreshments will be provided by the Methodist Hall.

Norbury Canal Festival courtesy of  Roving Canal Traders Association website

PAGE 10

Rights Of Way in the Parish

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We have found more helpful work by landowners as reported in the last issue of GMK: one has taken out stiles and replaced them with kissing gates to improve accessibility; another has cleared an overgrown path.  Unfortunately, in other cases, our group has found problems.  For example, crops have been planted and the right of way not reinstated later.  Some stiles are very unstable or even dangerous.  We are taking action where we can on these.

We have started collating a list of landowners in the Parish of Gnosall, with their contact details where they have provided them.  This helps Gnosall Parish Council try and resolve a right of way issue informally in the first instance, which we feel this is the best approach.  If we make no progress on the issue we will then refer it to Staffordshire County Council, particularly if something is dangerous. If you are a landowner who has a public right of way over your land, such as a footpath or a bridle way, it would be most helpful if you could give the Parish Office your details and map references.

Householders in Glendower Close will probably be aware of the official closure of Footpath 84 which used to run through that area.  The Parish Council is working with SCC to ensure that the way through from there to Willey Lane via the snicket is kept open; we understand that the process for establishing a new Public Right of Way is taking place.

A lot of people seem to be out walking in the Parish this winter, which is good to see.  If you would like to know where our paths are, please check the Definitive Map of Staffordshire. It is available for viewing both at the Parish Office during opening hours and at County Offices; we have also included a link on the Parish Council website. Anyone interested in our work can contact the Parish Office and ask about the PROW Group.  Happy walking!

 

Gnosall Community Library News

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By the time you read this our new library should be well and truly open, at last.  It has taken longer to finish off the ramp and other external works than anticipated, but we think it will be worth the wait.  It should be a friendly, welcoming place to drop in.  As well as books of all sorts, you will find a computer available for public use.  It may be a good idea to book a slot if you want to come and use it at a particular time.  Details of how to do this will be available in the library, or ring Gnosall Library on 01785 895750.  Online you will find free access to popular services such as genealogy for tracing your family history.  There are also e-magazines which library users can read.  If you haven't got a library ticket, come and sign up for one.

GLEAN Hub trustees have been fundraising.  At the Christmas Lights Switch-on our raffle and a share of donations raised about £150.  A folk concert in aid of the library is being held with three local groups taking part.  If you can help us raise funds, please send or deliver a cheque made payable to Gnosall Library Environment & Nurture Hub or a cash donation in an envelope addressed to the Hon Treasurer, GLEAN Hub, Parish Office, High Street, Gnosall ST20 0JD.  All donations will be acknowledged if contact details are given. 

You can email GLEAN at info@gleanhub.org or ring 01785 822685.  To keep in touch with progress, please look at the website

PAGE 11

Christmas Lights 2018

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This event is very much looked forward to by our younger residents and their families; each year more and more people attend to enjoy the entertainment which was provided by the very popular Pee Wee – hopefully Pee Wee will be back in 2019.   Festive refreshments, most of which were provided by Gnosall’s Co-op, were enjoyed.   The Scouts, once again, were very helpful cooking and serving hot dogs and retained any donations for their own fund-raising causes.  The carol singing was led by members of Gnosall Singers, just before the lights were switched on by the winners of the Christmas card competition - which received over 100 entries, making it very difficult for the judges to choose the winners! Santa found time in his busy schedule to make a special appearance and gave all the children a goody bag and an advent calendar. The grown-ups had to settle for mulled wine and mince pies!

Other donations, raised from tickets, a tombola stall and a raffle, totalled over £330 which were split between GG’s Youth Club and GLEAN (library) for which both groups are very grateful.   Six Christmas trees were erected across the parish - one of which, as in previous years, was kindly donated by Norbury Park Estate and for which we are grateful.  JWH Ground Maintenance donates time free of charge ensuring the trees are positioned and secured and they are all monitored throughout the Christmas period by the Council’s Handyman on a voluntary basis.

This truly is a time when the community pulls together, donating and giving, whether that is time, essential supplies or funds to ensure this event is the best it can be for the benefit of our parishioners. 

This year the Christmas show and lights switch on will be held on Saturday 23rd November – save the date!

 

Over 84’s Christmas Party

Guests enjoying their Christmas Party (Image)

Lowering the age to 84 meant that we welcomed some new invitees and their guests to the Christmas Tea on the 14th December.  Nearly 60 people gathered in a beautifully decorated Grosvenor Centre to enjoy cakes, savouries, mince pies , tea and – of course, being Christmas – crackers and a glass of sherry.  

The helpers seem to enjoy these events as much as everyone else, it is a real team effort and thanks must be given to everyone who cooks and helps.  We are also very grateful to United Charities who now finance this increasingly popular occasion. 

The next Tea will be the Spring one on the 27th April.  If you, or someone you know, has recently become 84, please let the Parish Council Office know.