West Bergholt Open Gardens Day, organized by the West Bergholt Gardeners Association, is taking place on 22nd June from 1pm to 5pm. Admission is by programme available from the Methodist Chapel Hall, St Mary’s Church Hall and any of the open gardens on the day. We are asking for a small donation of £4 (accompanied children free). Proceeds from the event will go to our nominated charity “The Teenage Cancer Trust”, who supported a local young man through his terminal illness.
As well as 13 gardens to view you will also be able to pick up handy hints from our own keen “Allotmenteers” and see donkeys in one of the gardens! We will also be offering the opportunity to purchase refreshments at the church halls as well as at some of the open gardens.
Ample parking will be available at the Orpen Hall.
The Final Push is almost here! On Tuesday 19 November there will be a Coffee Morning with a Christmas theme in aid of St. Helena Hospice, at St. Mary’s Church Hall, West Bergholt from 9am – 12pm.
As well as a play area for small children, we will be serving hot and cold drinks and offering a selection of scones – donations of £2 are requested for a drink and scone.
There will also be an opportunity to buy Christmas foods, decorations, tickets for a grand raffle, St. Helena Hospice Christmas cards, diaries and calendars.
Our goal is raise about £600 to bring the total of money raised for St Helena Hospice in 2013 to £4,000, in memory of our friend Maria. Please come and support us.
The following article has been reproduced here with kind permission from the Gazette.
Inspirational Tom, 19, passes away after raising £100,000 for charity
Inspirational Tom
THE PROUD family of a fun-loving teenager have praised their “phenomenal” son.
Tom Bowdidge, 19, died on Friday. He had been diagnosed with a rare, aggressive stomach cancer last summer. While undergoing treatment the West Bergholt resident raised £100,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. As well as shaving off his hair for the charity, he organised fundraising events and even featured on a song to raise awareness.
Proud parents Nikki and Richard Bowdidge and sister Emma were at his side when he passed away on Friday.
Mum Nikki said:
I asked him what we were going to do without him and he said ‘you’re going to crack on’.
We were privileged to be able to say goodbye to him.
The fact we were able to hold his hand when he took his last breath, there’s something comforting in that, that we talked him through it.
Tom had come to terms with it, he was at peace. He said ‘we have been dealt these cards and now we have got to get on with it’.
There was one clear message when Tom was feeling poorly, he said ‘I never want to see it written I lost my battle with cancer. I haven’t lost anything, it no longer has a body to live in so the cancer committed suicide’.
Tom’s final wishes were that we were to ‘crack on’ and we are going to endeavor to do that.
Tom, a former Colchester Royal Grammar School sixth-former, was at work last summer when he collapsed. Doctors initially thought he had appendicitis. Less than 24 hours later they broke the news he had a large tumour in his abdomen. He underwent several lengthy bouts of chemotherapy, all the time continuing to fundraise.
Teenage Cancer Trust has ringfenced the money Tom has raised to spend on refurbishing the ward where he received his treatment, at University College London Hospital.
Dad Richard said:
We are overwhelmingly proud of Tom and couldn’t be more so.
I’m going to carry on fundraising. From my perspective Tom’s legacy is that the work and support the Teenage Cancer Trust provided Tom and us with carries on for other people who go through this, no matter what road they take.
He got to see the plans and even put his own influence on them, which meant a lot to him.
Tom’s funeral will be held at St Mary the Virgin Church, West Bergholt, on Wednesday, October 30 at noon.
Everyone has been asked to wear a hint of blue, Tom’s favourite colour.
Nikki added:
Tom often used to say ‘carpe diem’. And he’s right, you should seize the day.
Tom’s legacy is also about not worrying what the future holds, living every day for today.
He was absolutely phenomenal.
Since Tom’s death wellwishers have gone to his fundraising page to donate in his memory.
Firstly this week it is with great sadness that Bergholt Heath has to report that one of our ex-players, Tom Bowdidge, passed away on Friday morning after a brave fight against cancer, at just 19 years old. Tom will be greatly missed by all those that knew him around the village and beyond. As a mark of respect all three Bergholt Heath teams wore black armbands during this weekend’s matches. Tom started a cancer charity “Teens Against Cancer Baby” last year and spent the last year of his life bravely raising money for his charity at every opportunity. Should anyone wish to donate to the charity in Tom’s memory, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tom-Bowdidge.
The following message is on Tom’s Facebook page (linked above and from picture):
We have organised Tom’s funeral now. It will be on Wednesday 30th October at 12 noon in St Mary the Virgin Church, New Church Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, CO6 3JF. It was Tom’s wish that he had a massive funeral so we would be delighted to welcome as many of you as are able to attend. We would like it to be a time when we mourn his loss but also celebrate his life. Dress code will be dark but we hope people will wear a touch of blue which was Tom’s favourite colour.
With our love as always xxxx
On to the football:
BHYFC Results 20th October
Brooklands vsBHYFC Under 9s
Bergholt Heath Under 9s faced their toughest game of the season today against unarguably the best team in the league, Brooklands.
Before the game started the Bergholt team put on black armbands in respect of Tom. After the torrential rain that preceded it, the game kicked off in sunshine and began brightly for both teams with Bergholt matching the hosts for possession. Brooklands then started to take charge of the game, but try as they might they could not break through the Bergholt defence with the boys battling for everything and if they did get any shots on target, then Daniel’s handling was faultless.
For all their performance Bergholt fell behind with a well-taken goal. This didn’t get the boys disheartened and they tried to get back on level terms and Thomas L, with his usual once-a-game long range effort, came close to finding the net but the keeper got down well for the save. With the half-time whistle imminent, Brooklands went further ahead when a powerful long range fizzed right through a crowded penalty area and with Daniel unsighted, found the corner of the Bergholt net. HT 0-2.
As with the first half, the beginning was fairly even with Bergholt almost getting on the score sheet but James’ effort was just held by the Brooklands keeper. However, minutes 30-36 will be 6 minutes that Bergholt will want to forget. Once again, Bergholt’s luck deserted them as Brooklands extended their lead when a deflected shot caught out an unlucky Daniel. From this, another 3 goals rattled in quick succession as Brooklands tried their luck from outside the box – each shot gave Daniel no chance. The last 4 minutes, Bergholt managed to regroup themselves and see the game out without further loss. FT 0-6. Although Brooklands were the better team and deserved their win, the scoreline was particularly harsh on Bergholt who played really well. Credit should go to the defence today who were superb and didn’t deserve to be on the end of that scoreline.
Bergholt Heath player of the match: Thomas Lloyd – a captain’s performance with some excellent tackling and energy.
BHYFC UNder 11s vs Halstead Town Reds
The Under 11s were the only team at home this week and comfortably beat Halstead Town Reds 5-1 with goals coming from Jonah Murray and Richard Frost with two each and one more from Tyler Webb.
Stanway Rovers vs BHYFC Under 15s
Following last weeks league cup win, the Under 15s were in round two action of the Essex Cup, but luckily – with the whole of Essex to be drawn against – their away match was only a couple of miles up the road to play Stanway Rovers, their local rivals in the A league!
Bergholt started slowly, which seems to be a trend so far this season, and in the first 10 minutes they allowed the home side to have several tester shots at goal – but luckily Connor comfortably handled anything that came his way. Just before the quarter of an hour mark Bergholt got forward to create something for the first time in the match. Stanway gave away a free kick on the left, Ollie Sanderson played the ball diagonally into the box, James Holden got a flick on and Sam Clark finished at the far post – only to find that the linesman had raised his flag!
However Bergholt were not to be denied and within a minute another attack saw a corner conceded and Sam rose high at the far post to loop his header back over the Stanway ‘keeper and into the roof of the net. These two quick fire attacks and the goal spurred Bergholt into life and they restricted the hosts to long range attempts for the rest of the half. Half time: Stanway Rovers 0 -1 Bergholt Heath
The second half started in completely the opposite manner to the first and within 2 minutes Bergholt were further ahead. Leo Tiffney picked the ball up centrally just outside the Stanway area. Owen Bernhardt ran in from the right and called for the ball to be played through, Leo picked him out superbly and Owen comfortably slotted the ball into the far corner. A brilliantly worked goal. Within 2 minutes Bergholt scored their third goal. James chased a long ball into the left of the area and under his pressure the defender handled the bouncing ball. Penalty. With Ollie now off the pitch resting having been ill during the week, Captain Jamie Bowden took the spot kick and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way to score his now customary goal against Stanway Rovers.
The game was now being controlled by Bergholt, however the hosts got on the score sheet with around 10 minutes remaining. An attack was cleared into the midfield but was stopped by an alert Stanway player who immediately played it back. The ball evaded the Bergholt midfielders and as Sam came across to cover the obvious gap, the striker flicked it though to his partner who had the run on the blind side of Jamie and he finished well as Connor tried to close the angle. However this was the one and only clear cut opportunity for the hosts and Bergholt saw the match out comfortably to move into round three of the Essex cup, when they will be at home to the Romford Flyers. Final score: Stanway Rovers 1 – 3 Bergholt Heath. Bergholt man of the match: Jamie Bowden.
The Quiz Night organised by the Village Bulletin Team was held in September and was a great success, with twelve teams entering. They were all from local organisations or a groups of friends, as the criteria for entry is that at least part of the team must be residents of West Bergholt.
The quizmaster was Susan Leng who also wrote the questions. Some teams surprised themselves with how much they knew on certain subjects – and when they did well, they wished they had played their joker, which doubles the team’s points in that round! However, each team distinguished themselves in some way and the team with two teenagers congratulated themselves on having someone who knew an answer about “Grand Theft Auto V”.
Bernard Colbron, editor of the Bulletin, kept the scoreboard up to date. Other members of the team ably assisted with marking, and distributing answer sheets as well as refreshments and a big raffle. With two extra helpers the evening ran very smoothly, and, thanks to the Parish Council who kindly allowed the use of the Orpen Hall free, the evening raised £270 for “The Teenage Cancer Trust” which is very dear to the hearts of many people in West Bergholt.
The final winners, after a closely run contest, who went home with the Challenge Cup, were The Orpen Players. They were also the previous winners – will they make it a hat-trick next year ? The runner-up prize went to a family team from Albany Road – they too are determined to capture the cup next year ! Come along and join us next time, and see if you can be “The Brains of Bergholt”
Having missed last year we see the return of the Annual Village Quiz on Saturday 21st September this year. Starting at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall teams of 4 are invited to compete for the Challenge Cup in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust:
Our vision is a future where young people’s lives don’t stop because they have cancer. We make sure they’re treated as young people first, cancer patients second and everything we do aims to improve their quality of life and chances of survival.
Around seven young people aged between 13 and 24 are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK. They need expert treatment and support from the moment they hear the word ‘cancer.’ We’re the only charity dedicated to making this happen.
Refreshments will be provided, but please bring your own drinks. Teams consists of 4 people who can be from a village club or group, or just good friends, as long as at least one team member is a West Bergholt resident. Entry fee is £16 per team, with all proceeds to the Teenage Cancer Trust, cheques should be made payable to “West Bergholt Parish Council” or pay on the night, as long as you have booked your team in by 14th September. Please contact Susan Leng ([antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]) to book your team in or get more information.
The Methodist Church in West Bergholt are running their annual house to house collection to raise funds for “Action for Children” from 2nd to 14th September. They would be delighted to have some more helpers to do rounds, so they can cover as much of the village as possible. If you can help, even for only a small round, please contact Sylvia Wilks, 76, Mumford Road (01206 242511) as soon as possible.
Action for Children (formerly National Childrens Homes) is a national charity founded over 140 years ago. It is dedicated to supporting and speaking out for the UK’s most vulnerable and neglected children and young people, for as long as it takes to make a difference in their lives… In short they:
work directly with over 250,000 children, young people, parents and carers;
run more than 650 services across the UK; and
tackle issues such as child neglect and abuse.
Their vision is:
For a world where all children and young people have a sense of belonging and are loved and valued. A world where they can break through injustice, deprivation and inequality to fulfil their potential, shape their own destiny and experience the joy of life.
For those who enjoy their gardening this news update will be of interest, also to those who are keen to show their artistic side.
Little Bentley Waterways & Gardens
This annual show, which runs from 1st June, is one of the largest annual garden shows in east Anglia, regularly seeing over 8,000 visitors. This year, there is an opportunity for your artwork to help raise funds for a local charitable organization. Austin Hicks explains:
The Rotary Club of Colchester Centurion has been invited to run a fundraiser at The Little Bentley Waterways and Garden Show on the weekend of 1st & 2nd June. We are calling it ‘Art on the Run’ and we are hoping to collect 400 pieces of original Art and, in return for a donation of £10.00, visitors will pick a ticket and be guaranteed a piece of art. Funds raised will be donated to Rotary charities, particularly East Anglian Children’s Hospice (EACH).
We are interpreting the word ‘art’ in its widest sense – paintings or drawings, sculptures, photographs, pottery, wood carvings, embroidery or tapestry, quilting or any other item that can be admired for its creativity. Anything original or limited editions would be much appreciated.
Local Parish Councillor Chris Stevenson will be attempting to cycle the 1,000 miles or thereabouts, from Land’s End to John O’Groats between 30th April and 13th May. As well as being a personal challenge, Chris will be raising some sponsorship for St Helena Hospice. Chris will be cycling with Erwin Deppe, a work colleague who works closely with him at Essex County Council. Sponsor If you would like to sponsor Chris please indicate this by email by clicking this link and saying simply “YES” and the amount you would like to sponsor. As a suggestion you could sponsor Chris 1p per mile which would equate to about £10, or just nominate the amount you would like to donate. You don’t need to do this before they start, anytime in the next few days would be fine. Chris will contact you after he has (hopefully) completed the ride to ask for your donation. Progress If the technology works Chris will be posting details and photos of his progress to Facebook and you should be able to track this by clicking on this link.. You don’t have to have a Facebook account to view this information!
Thanks for any support, and let’s hope the weather is kind to them, and the wind keeps off when climbing the Scottish hills!
This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
Buyers Earls Colne Airfield is proud to introduce our Car Boot Sale, working in conjunction with our Open Day raising funds for Help for Heroes. Gates open at 10am, and the day occurrences will end at 4pm. Entry is FREE, although donations are welcome for this very good cause. Catering is available on the airfield.
Sellers Gates open at 9am, and will close at 5pm. Plots are to be pre-booked and can be done so by contacting Victoria Pratt on 07734 822541 or [email protected]. Each plot costs £5.
Click on the picture to view the poster.
This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
West Bergholt Open Gardens Day, organized by the West Bergholt Gardeners Association, is taking place on 22nd June from 1pm to 5pm. Admission is by programme available from the Methodist Chapel Hall, St Mary’s Church Hall and any of the open gardens on the day. We are asking for a small donation of £4 (accompanied children free). Proceeds from the event will go to our nominated charity “The Teenage Cancer Trust”, who supported a local young man through his terminal illness.
The Final Push is almost here! On Tuesday 19 November there will be a Coffee Morning with a Christmas theme in aid of St. Helena Hospice, at St. Mary’s Church Hall, West Bergholt from 9am – 12pm.
