If you want to find out more about being a First Responder the villages First Responders will be available to demonstrate the equipment and talk you through what they do on the mornings of Saturday 20^th September and Wednesday 24^th September outside the Co-op from 9am.

They really need more volunteers who can be available to be ‘on call’ for as little as 4 hours a month. No previous first aid experience is needed, full training is given. They’d especially like to speak with anyone who is retired or who works in the village and could be on the rota during the day. So please feel free to come and say hello, they think you’d be surprised at how easy it is to be part of this potentially life saving group.

The new term for the baby & toddler group begins on Monday 8 September in the Methodist church hall, Chapel Lane from 9am to 11.30am.

There will be a visit from the Health Visitor.

For further information contact Rachel Hopking 01206 242342.

Women’s Institute – July 2008 Report

Members

Two visitors were welcomed and information packs were given to new members. A minute’s silence was held in memory of Vina Cooper and Heidi Yusoff who had died.

Activities & Events

The outing to Wrabness in July was a success. 20 members enjoyed a ploughman’s lunch followed by a visit to a Mistley garden centre.

Speaker Gordon Bailey whose talk was entitled “Treasure Beneath Your Feet” brought items of interesting jewellery made of gold, silver, bronze and base metals which he had found with his metal detector in Essex fields. Members enjoyed the history relating back in some cases thousands of years.

There will be a Summer Tea Party on Thursday 21 August from 2pm to 4pm in the Methodist Church Hall. No charge but items for a bring and buy stall would be appreciated. Members may bring a friend.

Fundraising

£28 has been sent to ACWW who continues to bring clean mains water supplies to all parts of the world. The money was raised through pennies for friendship as every meeting members donated their spare change.

Calendars £3.20 and diaries £3.25 for 2009 can now be ordered from the secretary. Subscriptions for 2009 will increase to £29. The preserves and cake stall at the village fete raised £148.60p part of which was donated to the school.

There will be a coffee morning on Wednesday 13 August in the Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Lane, from 10am to 11.30am.

Gifts for cake and general stalls would be appreciated.

Greetings cards will also be on sale. Everyone can be assured of a warm welcome

Well not quite plundering and it was by prior appointment. Having won the Best Kept Village award (reported here on 10th July) some of our parish councillors travelled to Theydon Bois to collect the sign West Bergholt is now entitled to display. When they arrived the sign was firmly embedded in the village green and resulted in our delegation calling on local colleagues from the Theydon Bois planning committee to help.

Pictured is Harry Stone manfully trying to wrest the sign from the ground.

Courtesy of help from Norhurst Landscapes the sign can now be seen next to our own village sign on the corner of Colchester Road and Chapel Road.

The full story will feature in the next edition of the Village Bulletin.

The organiser of the Lifeboat collection in the village would like to thank everyone who helped to raise £896. Colchester District total was £8,484.54.

(Pictured is Clacton-on-Sea Lifeboat in action)