Leiston Community Land Trust wins East Suffolk Awards 2023

The Trustees of Leiston Community Land Trust (CLT) are delighted to have won an award in the category of High Street of the Year, sponsored by East Suffolk Means Business at The East Suffolk Awards ceremony (previously the East Suffolk Business & Community Awards) held on Tuesday, 28 February 2023 at Snape Maltings.

to transform an underused and isolated piece of land next to the United Church in Leiston creating a usable community space, known as Church Square, including an accessible ramp into the Church, a bandstand, seating areas and sensory garden planting. The area has already hosted a wide variety of successful events with more planned for the future.

Leiston Community Land Trust are thrilled to have won this award, which recognises East Suffolk’s best high streets with exceptionally strong local communities and business groups who are ensuring the future vitality of their high streets. This includes initiatives and projects enhancing the high street experience for residents, visitors and businesses. There are so many individuals and organisations that helped the CLT to achieve this and the CLT thank them all for their contribution to the project.

Despite the two years of pandemic restrictions, the Trustees worked throughout to raise the funds required

It’s proving a hugely exciting time for Leiston Football Club, both on and off the pitch.

On the pitch the first team are flying high near the top of the Southern League Central Premier division and pushing for promotion to the National League, while off the pitch the hopes of a 3G FIFA Pro Community football surface to replace the current grass pitch at Victory Road, edge ever nearer.

Blues chairman Andy Crisp said:

“This is a very exciting time for Leiston Football Club and the local community.

“Yes, our pitch will enable our teams to train at ‘home’ rather than all over the county. But just as importantly, it will enable local clubs to also have a training facility to use. We also want to expand women’s and girls’ football, vets football.

“All this will be able to take place on a surface that can take the strain of lots of football, rather than a grass pitch that wears.”

Leiston’s Jake Hutchings celebrates a goal. The Blues are having a fantastic season on the pitch and are in the play-off positions with just a handful of games to go.

Leiston want to have the pitch installed in the summer and have already secured a good proportion of funding. However, local people and businesses are welcome to get involved to see if they can have any input, with the finished surface set to benefit not just Leiston FC, but the community as a whole.

Funds are still being raised for the Project and if anyone wishes to discuss on how they can help in any way, email Andy Crisp on acrisp5@aol.com

Leiston FC are the highest-ranked nonleague club in Suffolk. Only Ipswich Town play at a higher level. For more info: www.leistonfc.co.uk.

After the great success of past joint fundraising concerts between the Leiston Works Railway Trust and Leiston Saint Margaret’s Church, both organisations are thrilled to announce that they are again collaberating together on another exciting venture – with profits from this event, once again, being shared equally between the two organisations. This will be the third time that the LWRT and Leiston St. Margaret’s Church have joined forces together.

The ever popular keyboard player Tom Horton will be in concert performing a wonderful variety of music with pieces from the musicals, films, light classics and much more. As well as playing the magnificent Binns Pipe Church Organ, and to add something a little bit different from his last concert, he will also be playing his own top of the range digital piano! St. Margaret’s Church makes for an ideal concert venue with it’s excellent accoustic qualities. The concert will be in two halves, with refreshments available during the interval. There will also be a draw during the evening.

This is the second time that Tom has played a concert for the two organisations and following the great response from the appreciative audience last time, they felt that it was time to organise another one. Tom, who performs concerts all over the country, is of course no stranger to Leiston, as he is also well known for his musical talent at the pantomimes at Leiston Film Theatre. The concert will take place at Leiston St. Margaret’s Church on Saturday 20th May 2023 starting at 7.30 pm. Tickets (including light refreshments) are available in advance at £10.00 per person, by contacting Stephen Ginger on 01728 831902, Sandra Harle on 01728 833578 and Jim Girling on 07800 500 278.

More are urgently needed for help to set up a charity for Leiston Community Defibrillator. Currently there are three people waiting to set up and become trustees of the proposed new charity. A minimum of three people are needed to set up a charity, but this would leave the charity in a rather precarious position. Leiston Community Defibrillator is the name given to the 24hr Community Public Accessible Defibrillator (CPAD) site located at Leiston Family Hub in Waterloo Avenue. It was installed with the permission of Suffolk County Council who own the building, and it is currently the sole responsibility of the project organiser. The project was completed through receiving grants and donations, with the assistance of Leiston-cumSizewell Town Council. The council kindly looked after the funds and all the monies raised were used to purchase the defibrillator, the cabinet and a 10year worry-free consumables package. Now a charity needs to be formed to enable a bank account to be set up to start fundraising for when the worry-free package expires. Since the installation in July 2017 the defibrillator has gone out thirteen times and has been used once. Trustees will be responsible for the following:

Raising funds to keep the defibrillator supplied with batteries, electrode pads and starter kits. After the current 10year worry-free consumables package expires in June 2027, items will have to be purchased as required. Batteries are replaced when low, electrode pads are replaced when they reach their expiry date or have been used, and starter kits are replaced when they have been used. Some additional funds will be required for other maintenance costs and administration.

Appointing the Primary Guardian and Supporting Guardians. The Primary Guardian is responsible for ensuring that the defibrillator status details are kept up to date on The Circuit - The National Defibrillator Network, ordering replacements items, and carrying out regular site checks and maintenance. When the defibrillator has been returned, the Primary Guardian or a Supporting Guardian will check it and replace any used items, before returning it to emergency ready status on The Circuit. Supporting Guardians can assist the Primary Guardian by carrying out additional site checks when passing. Trustees will be able to take on these guardian roles.

If you would like to become a trustee, please contact the Primary Guardian by calling 01728 833903 or by mailing linda.hawes1@btinternet.com

For further information see: https://www.facebook.com/ leiston.community.defibrillator/ https://www.gov.uk/set-up-acharity

After two years closed through Covid restrictions the Club re-opened in March 2022 and has continued since then to run every Tuesday with a few exceptions. During the winter months we started at 2.00 pm. but with the coming of the summer months we now start at 2.30 pm. through til 4.00 pm. Sadly we have lost some of our long term members recently, Sheila, Mary, Madge, Pam and Maureen and they will be missed by us all.

Although we start at 2.30 p.m. people do come along early to have a chat either to us as volunteers or as other friends come in. We have a draw each week and apart from our usual bingo sessions we try to have a speaker or visitor at least once a month. Our Soup with Roll days are

The group is still flourishing in numbers and all sections have been enjoying activities in the Spring term, we have just held our end of term Campfire at the Christian Hall at Sizewell which was for all our Scouting members and their families, campfire songs, smores and hot chocolate were the order of the day and enjoyed by everyone who attended. For the District camp being held at the end of May at Henham Park we have 38 of our members attending for what should be a great weekend of activities always successful as well as our Summer Strawberry cream tea and Christmas lunch and party.

Tea and biscuits are served in the middle of the afternoon. We have some themed days coming up with Easter and the Coronation so cake is usually included which always goes down well!

If you would like to come along and join us please just turn up on a Tuesday at the Community Centre before we start or ring one of the numbers below. We are ably supported by the C.A.T.S. team at Colonial House for anyone who has mobility or transfer issues.

As committee members we are all volunteers not carers but do our best to make sure everyone who comes along has an enjoyable afternoon.

Rose and Sweet William Club Committee

Ann Bayley 831219

Julie Cook 830441

With an increase in our numbers we are STILL looking for more volunteers to join our team in all sections, maybe you were once a Scout and would like to get involved again, there is no age limit but you must be 18 years of age. It does not matter if you cannot commit to every week as job sharing is an option, going into uniform is not essential. If you would like any further details then please contact; leistonscouts@aol.com steve.burch@suffolkscouts.org.uk

07889799415

Steve Burch GSL

The Leiston Youth and Community Angling Society committee have closed off another very successful Angling season, culminating with the clubs presentation evening held in late March at St Margaret's football club.

Over 130 trophies, and shields, which are mostly sponsored by local businesses or individuals were presented to participants of last seasons events. The club also provided 60 medals for runner up places. A very well done to all the recipients.

The committee would also like to thank the bailiffs, members and Town Council, for their ongoing support as another season gets underway. Many thanks also to those who have donated fishing tackle over the year.

Preparations are well underway for the 2023 fishing season commencing 1st April and annual membership prices remain the same as 2022 at £15 adults and £10 children/ concessions.

The first event of the season was a children’s competition on the evening of Wednesday 5th April.

The Ladies competitions that we introduced last year proved very successful and will be expanded on this year.

The club runs fun fishing competitions and teach ins for children every Wednesday evening and adult/ladies competitions every Friday evening, with some Saturdays from April through to September.

If you would like to become a member or find out more about LYCAS, please contact any of the bailiffs via the details on the notice board at Haylings pond or pop into Saxmundham Angling Centre.

Girlguiding is an official partner of the Big Help Out. Everyone is being encouraged by the King to roll up their sleeves to help out in their local community as part of the coronation celebrations. The Big Help Out starts on Monday, 8 May and carries on through the summer. This is the UK’s biggest volunteer recruitment drive since the London 2012 Olympics.

Girl guiding is a fantastic opportunity for people to volunteer and enjoy the fantastic opportunities guiding offers. Volunteering with Girlguiding not only helps the girls know they can do anything, but also meet new friends, learn new skills and build confidence.

Our Rainbows have recently completed their First Aid badge, Brownies their Live smart, Jobs, Mindfulness badges, the Guides Innovate and Guiding Traditions badges. There has been lots of fun challenges, games, making things and cooking during the Spring Term. We held our District Thinking Day celebrations which included songs and games of skill.

We are looking forward to the summer term and when you will see us out and about, do say hello. Plans are well underway for Scavenger Hunts,