Editor’s Letter
Happy New Year!
A huge thank you for reading and supporting BN5 during the past year. Looking forward to 2025, we’re pleased to see the biannual Village Fair planned in September after a long break, we have details of some of the show-tent classes and how to get involved on page 47.
While many of us will be having a leisurely day, Anne Dewdney, pictured above with her husband Rohan, is launching ‘Challenge Annie’ on 1st January. She’s taking on 10 separate challenges to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Henfield Haven. The Haven is a place close to her heart, as it’s supported her and Rohan through their journey with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia) after his diagnosis at the age of 56.
Please take a look at page 20 to see what she’ll be doing over the coming months and find out how you can support her and help to keep the Haven’s future safe for the village. We’re very much looking forward to the spectacular ‘Scrooge’, happening 9-11 January. The last few tickets were available as we went to print, so book yours soon!
Here’s to a happy and peaceful 2025.
Emma Cole, Editor
Copy deadline & contacts
06 What’s On from the BN5 area
09 News from the BN5 area
20 Local Interest Challenge Annie 2025
26 Local Interest News from Henfield Football Club
29 Festive Henfield Christmas Magic Displays Winner
36 Countryside Commons and Tanyard Conservation
47 Local Interest Henfield Village Fair 2025
54 Festive Henfield Henfield’s Christmas Evening
62 Index Of local advertisers
Many thanks to our editorial and photographic contributors this month:
Sally Gilbert, Malin Andersson, Sarah Witten, Andrea May and Jonathan Aikens.
Cover photograph of ‘Scrooge’ with the kind permission of Henfield Theatre Company, with graphic design by Ali at Fuzz Media.
BN5 magazine is printed on 100% FSC approved managed forests paper using vegetable-based inks.
Copy deadline for advertisements or editorial submissions for the February 25 issue of BN5 magazine is Friday 3 January.
If you have a local interest story for us please email editor@bn5magazine.co.uk. If your not-for-profit club, group or charity has an event you would like us to publish on our what’s on pages, please submit via our website www.henfieldbn5.co.uk, this gives you additional automatic website entry. Please note we no longer accept postal or email diary submissions due to potential inaccuracies when transcribing. Priority is given to local, charitable and non-repeating events when we are oversubscribed. Advertiser Terms and Conditions and all Disclaimers appear on our website. For advertising enquiries or to receive a media pack please email sales@bn5magazine.co.uk
Christmas Tree Disposal
Sat 4 January (book by Weds 1), collection from your home
Fundraiser for Scout Hut Building Appeal, £10 donation per tree. Contact 07929 840321 or Featherstone.n@btinternet.com to book.
Scrooge!
Thurs 9 – Sat 11 January, Henfield Hall
Henfield Theatre Company presents Scrooge!
A musical complete with joyful songs and holiday magic. Tickets £15 or £17.50 from Stevens or online www.henfieldtheatrecompany.com
Haven Community Lunch
Sun 12 January, 12.30pm, Henfield Haven
All welcome to the Haven community lunch, £15 for two courses, children under 12 £7.50.
Caravaggio: Art and Man
Mon 13 January, 2.30-3.30pm, Henfield Hall
Presented by the Arts Society, Henfield. A talk by Dr Alison Barker. Guests £10, refreshments from 2pm. www.theartssociety.org
Zumba Gold
Weds 8 January, 8.45-9,30, Henfield Hall
Zumba Gold with Jo is a low-impact, fun workout, ideal for beginners and over 50s. £8 each class, see www.zumbawithjo.com to book.
Book Nook
Weds 8 January, 10-11.30pm, The Chapel, Fulking
A wide range of fabulous pre-loved books as well as CDs and DVDs. All proceeds to St Andrew’s Church.
Wurlitzer Organ Concert
Sun 12 January, 3-5.30pm, Singing Hills
Musicals, big band and popular classics from the Singing Hills Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. www.sussexwurlitzers.co.uk
18th Century English Porcelain
Mon 13 January, 10am-12pm, Steyning Centre
A talk on English porcelain including Chelsea, Worcester, Bow and Derby, by expert Jane Gardiner, by the Arts Society, Steyning. £10 visitors.
Woodmancote & Henfield WI
Weds 15 January, 2-4.15pm, Henfield Hall
Join a game of Skittles led by Nick Peniston-Bird. Fun afternoon with tea and cake. www.west-sussex.thewi.org.uk
Youth Club Jumble
Sat 18 January, 2-4pm, Henfield Hall
Annual HYC Jumble with auction, cake and coffee. Jumble on the day to the Henfield Hall please. henfieldyouthclub@tiscali.co.uk
Burns Night
Sat 25 January, 5.30pm, Tottington Manor
Celebrate a traditional Burns Night with piping in the Haggis, the reading and ceremony. Three course meal and a wee dram, £42.50. www.tottingtonmanor.co.uk
Tennis Club Jumble Sale
Saturday 1 February, 2pm, Henfield Hall
Bargains galore, auction, nearly new section and a raffle. Delicious refreshments. Jumble welcomed on the day.
Adur Protection Project
Weds 15 January, 7.30pm, Henfield Hall
Join SH2030 for their free public meeting to hear Tara Dawson from the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust talk about their 10-year project. Refreshments from 7pm.
Henfield
Repair Café
Sat 18 January, 10am-12pm, Henfield Haven
Come along with broken electrical, metal, wood and china items. Contact www.sustainablehenfield2030.org for details.
Games Afternoon
Thurs 30 January, 2-4pm, St Peter’s Church
Join the Friends of St Peter’s for board games, fun and laughter. Tea and cakes. Donations for the upkeep of the Church.
Wurlitzer Organ Concert
Sun 2 February, 3-5.30pm, Singing Hills
Featuring composer Andy Quin with his award-winning music featuring in countless movies, TV shows and advertisements. www.sussexwurlitzers.co.uk
Award for Terra at Tottington
The team at Tottington Manor are thrilled to announce they have won the Blue Ribbon Good Food Award for TERRA Restaurant for the second year in a row.
The Good Food Awards recognise the dedication and hard-working teams of those who present excellent food quality, customer service, and value within their industry. To receive one of these prestigious awards, an establishment will have mystery visits, and will be judged upon receiving positive guest feedback, quality customer service and reviews. Most importantly, they will be celebrated for producing exquisite, high-quality food based on the customer’s opinion.
Executive Head Chef of TERRA Restaurant, Chris Hilton said: “It’s such an honour for our menu and our food to be acknowledged in this way, we enjoy doing what we do and guest feedback matters to us and this means so much to all the team”.
Furthermore, the fantastic team at Tottington Manor have also been awarded the Blue Ribbon Good Hotel Award. Similar to the Good Food Award, establishments are chosen for this award based on their room quality, customer service, and value. With over 38,939 hotels entering the
Cinema at the Henfield Hall brought to you by A LITTLE
competition, this is an incredible achievement for the team at Tottington, who all strive to be the best Hotel in the South.
www.tottingtonmanor.co.uk
Sadie
Wigg
Lancing College partners with Sussex Raptors
Lancing College are delighted to announce their partnership with local Basketball club, Sussex Raptors. The College will support the Raptors with the launch and sponsorship of a new Women’s basketball team and development of their junior programme.
Lancing College will host the Sussex Raptors Girls and Ladies basketball team training sessions in the College’s Sports Hall and outdoor basketball courts. Females (13+) from the local community and Lancing College girls and female staff are welcome to join the training sessions and the team, which will compete in the Sussex League this academic year.
Together Lancing College and Sussex Raptors hope to become THE centre of Excellence for female basketball in Sussex. There are ambitious plans for the Sussex Raptor teams with the hope that an U16 Junior girls will compete in the Conference League, and to extend this across other junior teams age groups over the next few years.
The already established Sussex Raptors Men team are a large team, consisting of players aged 38-60 and have a great reputation across Sussex. Two of the players have represented GB at recent European and World Maxi-basketball Championships in Spain and Argentina.
Sussex Raptors Girls and Ladies Training takes place on Tuesday evenings in the Lancing College Sports Hall, 7-9pm and outside on the courts in summer months.
If you would like to find out more, please contact the Club info@sussexraptors.org
Kat Field
BEAR GOES A LONG WAY PADDINGTON IN PERU (PG)
Tue 28-Jan 7:30pm
Henfield Probus Club
The next meeting of Henfield Probus club will be in White Hart on Tuesday 21 January at 12 noon. The speaker this month will be Mike Russell, Chairman of Henfield Bird Watch Group, who are celebrating their 25 years. Until recently Mike was also closely associated with Sussex Wildlife trust. His talk is titled ‘HenfieldA Sussex Village and its Birds’.
A further date for your diaries is Tuesday 18 February, when the speaker will be Kathy Hillman from Rushfields Plant Centre who are celebrating 40 years of the business.
The club welcomes new members. If you are interested to join the club or would like to hear Mike’s talk, please contact our joint secretaries
Anne/David Hubner at d.hubner@btinternet.com
Arun Agarwal
Henfield Computer Club
The Computer Club will be back after the festive break on Wednesday 8th January. Then the following week, will be our first presentation of 2025 on Wednesday 15th January 10am-12pm in the Garden Room at The Henfield Hall.
The ever-popular Daniel Sykes from Surrey & Sussex Cyber Security will be joining us and this time he’ll be covering a refresher relating
to Online Safety, an Introduction to AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Disinformation on the internet.
All welcome, members £2, guests £3 and refreshments included. It’s a great opportunity to come and join us or renew your annual membership for 2025, still only £5. Remember, if you have a specific issue, you would like assistance with, do drop us a line beforehand so we can arrange for the ideal mentor to be able to assist you. Email: henfieldcomputerclub@gmail.com for more information.
Dawn Butcher
Aqua Yoga – gentle non impact exercise, stretching and relaxation - class suitable for all as exercises can be adapted for specific health conditions - fibromyalgia, Parkinsons, MS to name a few, or simply for some Wellbeing ‘me time’
Aqua Natal – 14 weeks to full term – gentle exercise, breathing techniques and ‘me time’ with your baby. Where possible we run aqua natal specific classes
Aqua March – perfect for pre / post op hip, knee, back issues, breathing problems, arthritis of all kinds and mobility / stability issues
Aqua Cycle / Yoga – cycling on a noodle and yoga exercises – great for improving core and stability
40 minute classes in lovely warm private pool
Henfield Road, Small Dole BN5
2025 – do you need to restart a gentle exercise regime? Need to gain better movement following hip or knee surgery? Need to improve your balance or stability or do you just need some relaxing ‘me time’ after the Christmas period? Small friendly groups.
Website : slkaquayoga.co.uk
Email : slkaquayoga@gmail.com
Facebook : SLK Aqua Yoga
Aqua Natal
Robins Garth Pool
Henfield seed swap: Save the date!
Henfield seed swap will be taking place at the Haven, Hewitts, on Saturday the 8th of February, between 10am and 12.30pm.
Bring your saved seeds in clearly marked envelopes and pick up your free seeds in return. If you haven’t got any saved seeds, come anyway and buy them for 50p a packet.
The variety of seeds on offer is always staggering, come and try something new, or stick with your old favourites of flowers and vegetables. And an added bonus of delicious cakes and snacks at the Haven of course.
Elizabeth Taylor
Your bin collections over Christmas and New Year
There will be no bin collections in Horsham District on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.
Our operatives will be working on Saturday 28 December and will work additional Saturdays on 4 January and 11 January to catch up. Waste and recycling collections will be back to the normal schedule week commencing 13 January.
Garden waste collections will be suspended over the festive period from 23 December and will resume on Tuesday 7 January.
Get a collection notification the night before bin day! Have you downloaded the Horsham District Council app yet? When you do, you can enable our bin collection notification. The notification arrives at 4pm the day before your bin collection to remind you which bin will be collected. You’ll also be notified of any changes to your collection calendar.
https://www.horsham.gov.uk/mobileapp?utm_ medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Horsham District Council
Vacancy for Henfield Parish Council
There is currently a vacancy for a Councillor on Henfield Parish Council. If you are interested in volunteering to work for your local community, please contact the Parish Office for more details by calling 01273 492507 or email office@henfield. gov.uk
Application forms will need to be completed and returned to the Parish Office by 5pm on Friday 17th January 2025 and will be considered at the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 4th February.
Kevin Wright Clerk – Henfield Parish Council
Youth Club Shout Out!
2024 was another fantastic year for us at Henfield Youth Club as we welcomed many new members and our new volunteer Trevor. Our team of leaders along with Debbie our Manager continue to work hard providing a safe, caring space for our young people to develop and grow.
We wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year and to thank all the various organisations, businesses and individuals who have generously donated their time, money or resources to us. Every single donation is greatly appreciated and allows us to continue offering the young people of our village a wide variety of opportunities and experiences.
We have been very lucky to have received various grants over the past year, which is mainly down to our amazing Jackie, who tirelessly applied for grants and funding on our behalf, so thank you Jackie for all that you do. All your hard work and determination helps to keep us going.
We must also thank a very kind individual who has so generously covered the cost of new flooring in our coffee bar area. It is a wonderful gesture and will make the room so much more welcoming.
Our building is now 19 years old, and we are hoping that this is the start of the improvements we plan to carry out. www.henfieldyouthclub. co.uk
Lucy Watson
Dementia Awareness Pop In
A drop in to be held on Monday 10th February, 9.30 – 14.30, at Henfield Haven.
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, one in two people will be affected by dementia in their lifetimes, either by developing it themselves or caring for someone living with it. You may encounter people living with dementia every day, so knowing how to help and what to expect is invaluable.
This pop-in is for everyone – so please come along and find out more about dementia from
symptoms, adjusting to a diagnosis and what help and support there is available, for those who may need it. Everyone is welcome to drop in, please help us to make Henfield dementia friendly. Further information in February’s issue.
Lorette
Mackie, Manager Henfield Haven
Poppy Appeal 2024
A big thank you to everyone in Henfield and surrounding area who donated to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal this year. After a few late running payments have been added in we have made the grand total of £7,335, which is extremely impressive.
TERRYS CROSS HOUSE
Terrys Cross House is a small, friendly, registered care home providing a high standard of care in stunning surroundings. We welcome all applicants. We occasionally also have vacancies in Bramwell Lodge, our flats designed for independent living.
Please Contact
Thank you as well to everyone who assisted in the collection, including the shops and businesses who displayed collection boxes, the door-to-door collectors and the street collectors, it couldn’t happen without you.
Liz Taylor, Poppy Appeal Coordinator, Henfield
Christmas Alpine Adventure
Horsham District Community Transport, part of the charity Community Transport Sussex, is delighted to partner with Swan Walk Shopping Centre to bring the magic of an Alpine Adventure to Horsham this festive season. Running until January 5, 2025, this enchanting initiative invites the local community to embrace the spirit of the season through joy, connection, and giving.
Complete with a gondola ski lift perfect for photo opportunities, sparkling decorations, and an immersive winter experience, the Alpine Adventure offers visitors a chance to support Horsham District Community Transport, a vital service operated by Community Transport Sussex. Through their local depot, essential accessible transport is provided for children with SEN to get to and from school, elderly residents, disabled individuals, and those experiencing rural or social isolation, ensuring no one is left behind.
whether to a medical appointment, a social outing, or simply a moment of social connection is filled with goodwill to Horsham residents. Join us this holiday season at Swan Walk to experience the Alpine Adventure and help support a community where everyone belongs.
Marieclaire Macintosh
“We are deeply touched by Swan Walk’s efforts to bring people together and support our mission,” said Elaine Horne, Horsham Depot Manager.”
This installation is more than a festive attraction— it’s a powerful example of how community partnerships can make a lasting difference in people’s lives.”
Funds raised during the Alpine Adventure will go directly toward transforming lives:
£150 provides 15 one-way trips for crucial medical appointments. £200 enables 10 individuals to enjoy social connections. £350 fuels vital transport services for a month. £1,000 keeps Dial-A-Ride services running for three months, ensuring freedom and accessibility.
Visitors can also view a vibrant mosaic installation and enter a competition to win £500 in Select Travel vouchers, adding even more festive cheer to this community-driven initiative.
Gill Buchanan, Centre Manager at Swan Walk Shopping Centre, expressed her excitement for the partnership: “The whole Swan Walk team is passionate about working with our local community and creating great connections. We’re thrilled to be supporting Horsham Community Transport this Christmas as their work enriches so many lives. I hope that our fantastic customers will feel able to tap to donate to this wonderful charity while enjoying their photo opportunity in our ski gondola and we look forward to seeing them in the centre soon.”
Together, Swan Walk and Community Transport Sussex are ensuring that with every journey,
FoSP Games’ afternoons
A board games’ afternoon with tea, coffee and cakes is held in the Church on the last Thursday
of each month to raise funds for the upkeep of our lovely St Peter’s Church. Many thanks to all those who have come along – we appreciate your support and your company.
There will not be a session in December, so our next one will be on January 30th from 2-4pm. We would love to see you all again and would welcome any new faces. Everybody is welcome, of any denomination, or none.
Lesley Hartley
Help Raise Vital Funds for St. Peter’s C of E Primary School
We have some fantastic initiatives to support our school and would love the whole village to help us. Read on for lots of ideas, many will cost absolutely nothing!
Cash for Currency
Donate your foreign coins and banknotes! Drop them off at Stokes or the school office to help us turn them into much-needed funds.
Your School Lottery
For just £1 a week, you could win weekly prizes and be entered into a £25,000 jackpot draw! Open to everyone—buy tickets here: https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/ schoolst-peters-henfield EasyFundraising App
Shop with top brands using the #easyfundraising app to raise money for the school—for FREE! It only takes 2 minutes to sign up: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-goodcause/ and type in the name of the school.
The Henfield Ball
Our exciting new event is happening on Saturday, 15th February! Enjoy food from Goodness Henfield, live music by ‘What The Funk,’ table entertainment, prizes, and more. Tickets go on sale 1st January 2025! Local businesses can sponsor or donate prizes—get in touch to support this special evening.
Thank you for your support, together, we can make a real difference!
Nikky Smith, St. Peter’s C of E Primary School PTA
Charities Christmas Fair
The Fair, held on 9th November, was a great success and much enjoyed by the participating charities and visitors.
Over £7,000 was raised on the day, including £225 taken on the door, which has been donated to Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance; an additional £100 from table revenues has been donated to the Chestnut Tree Hospice for Children.
The stallholders were all very sad to think that the 2024 Fair may have been the last and I am still hoping that someone will come forward and offer to take over the future organisation of the Fair. There is a wonderful atmosphere at the Fair and it would be such a shame to lose what has been, for over 30 years, a much-loved and wellsupported village event.
If you would like to know more, please contact me at charitieschristmasfair@outlook.com, thank you.
Marilyn Jones
Henfield football club Christmas raffle
This year Henfield football club and their very generous sponsors gave away £2,000 worth of prizes! Henfield FC gave 20 chances to win £100 vouchers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Argos and many more.
All money raised will go towards Henfield football club and their continued commitment to giving back to the local community.
Last year we donated £1000 of vouchers to local food banks to be distributed to those families less
Chanctonbury Ring Morris
Morris Dancing Taster Sessions
All welcome- come and try it!
Every* Wednesday night at 8pm at the Catholic Church Hall , Henfield from now through to May
*Contact us for details at crmm.org.uk
fortunate at this time of year. This year the aim was to match that contribution and even more! Alongside this, the past 4 years Henfield football club junior section have written over 1,200 Christmas cards to the elderly and residential homes of Henfield and surrounding villages. While our juniors have been busy writing over 350 cards this year, we will then distribute the cards personally and pay a visit to those who may be alone at Christmas. These small kind gestures, put huge smiles among hundreds of residents and care workers, especially the little sweet treat
Slimming World
Henfield
Corpus Christi Church Hall
Tanyard, Church Lane, Henfield
West Sussex BN5 9PE
Tuesdays 5.30pm & 7.00pm
Call Sarah on 07986 513562
we deliver along with the cards as well. From myself and everyone involved at Henfield FC, we cannot thank our very generous sponsors enough donating so many vouchers and to all those that took part in the raffle.
Henfield football club would like to thank all their sponsors, Harrity building and construction, JMR, Steve Bray coachworks, Grommets, Johnson & Sons, Henfield Storage, AIP exhibitions, MGAC, OB carpentry, Southern Piling ltd, Steve Prescott recovery, Property Project, The Electrical Pod, Henfield Home Check, The Barista Project, C&T Radmall funeral service, Edburton Contractors, Southern Beeches ltd, Neptune scaffolding and Mounted Memories in scoring smiles this Christmas.
Sam Witherden, Chairman Henfield FC
News from the Henfield Hall
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. The Hall was super busy and the Christmas shopping event was, as usual, a brilliant evening. The Hall was involved for the first time, and hopefully we can now be part of this super event and add more things each year! A huge thanks to Stokes who donated the toys for my skills game, it was such fun watching lots of excited children having a go!
January is traditionally supposed to be a quiet month, but we have a busy month here at
the Hall. Scrooge is sure to be a wonderful show, and just the thing to finish the Festive season off nicely! We also have Jumble sales, and a “Keepfitathon” for the children’s charity “Kangaroos”. There is also a Vintage and Retro Fair and of course the Cinema returns to bring January to an end.
Along with all the regulars the Hall is busy nearly all the time, so a good time to look at our super online booking system and get your date in the diary! The Hall has lots to offer, and such reasonable rates. Before you know it, Spring will be here and I know the Caretakers are looking forward to making our garden look rather lovely.
Lots of things to look forward to, my new year resolution is….not to have one! Happy New Year from the Trustees and all of us here at The Henfield Hall. I never did get Kevin and Marc to dress as panto dames…. ahh well, always next year!
Caroline Allan
Correction
On page 14 of December BN5 a news item regarding play equipment at Blackstone Playing Fields was incorrectly attributed to Roger Noel rather than Liz Trundle from Woodmancote Parish Council, for which we apologise.
Editor
Wanted By Collector
OLD VICTORIAN BOTTLES, POT LIDS & ENAMEL SIGNS
Contact Henry
St Peter’s Reverse Advent Donations
A big thank you to the generous parents and children from St Peter’s Primary School who have donated hundreds of items during Advent for their Reverse Advent initiative. The useful storecupboard items and festive treats will make a real difference to local families this Christmas.
Roger Bentley, Henfield Coordinator for Horsham District Foodbank, said; “A huge ‘Thank You’ on behalf of Horsham Matters for the wonderful collection of Foodbank items. I counted well over 300 as I sorted them yesterday afternoon (and evening), and the seasonal items will be straight to Horsham today in time for distribution. Mrs Maurice’s guided Reverse Advent Calendar worked really well, and stock items such as Jam, Pickles and Gravy Granules should keep us going well into next year. I’ve never seen so many Cream Crackers! Thanks also to PTA members who worked so hard for this tremendous charity. It’s appreciated.”
Editor
Thank You BP Guild
On behalf of my husband Don I want to say a Huge Thank You to the BP Guild who brought Father Christmas and his sleigh to Parsonage Road on Tuesday 10th December. It was wonderful to see and Father Christmas surprised us by taking the time to get out of his sleigh and come over to our front door to shake hands with my wheelchair bound husband and to wish him a Merry Christmas with lots of Ho Ho Ho’s.
Henfield is very lucky to have so many kind, and generous with their time, people who bring so much happiness to others.
Margaret Hollingsworth
10 months of challenges –let’s GO Annie!
You may have seen the article in last month’s BN5 about Anne Dewdney’s tremendous efforts for the Henfield Haven with “Challenge Annie”. We’re now pleased to bring you a month-by-month schedule of her plans and activities, perhaps you’d like to join in, too?!
To re-cap, the Henfield Haven celebrates 10 years since it was rescued from closure by local volunteers in October 2015. That’s 10 years of high-needs care, 10 years of carer support, and 10 years of the Haven Community Café! This milestone celebrates countless hot lunches, endless hours of dementia support and limitless levels of love and care for vulnerable people in our community. It’s well worth celebrating and we’d love you to celebrate with us, and at the same time secure the future of the Haven for the whole village.
Anne knows exactly what a lifeline the Haven is. Since her husband Rohan’s diagnosis at the age of just 56 she has found essential support and friendship; so much so that she wants to ‘give back’ by going through 10 challenges to raise money and awareness. Challenge Annie is the outcome!
To follow is a count-down of Annie’s challenges in 2025. She’s under the expert guidance of personal trainer Katie Novis and has been training for months, so we have every confidence that with your support and encouragement she’ll smash every challenge.
JANUARY: 100 sit-ups a day
Kicking off at Berrett’s Farm Coffee Shop on 1st January at 2pm, Annie will be completing 100 sit-
ups every day during January. If you’d like to join her for this new-year challenge which is sure to burn off some Christmas mince-pies, please get in touch!
FEBRUARY: HenRox @HLC
In conjunction with Henfield Leisure Centre, there will be a Hyrox event taking place on 2nd February – a fitness event combining running with workout challenges. Contact Henfield Leisure Centre to get involved!
MARCH: Brighton Half Marathon
Intrepid Annie will be running the Brighton Half Marathon with her two children and a team of local runners – please get in contact if you already have a place and would like to raise money for the Henfield Haven with Annie; running shirts will be provided.
APRIL: Henfield Football Club Youth Teams Challenge
Members of the Junior teams at HFC will be joining Annie as she walks lap of the King’s Field, more details and date to follow! Look out for Haven fundraising at their annual Football Tournament too.
MAY: Sea Swimming every day
We’re hoping the sea will have warmed a little by May, as Annie will be taking a daily dip, whatever the weather! She’d love some company, there’s already a group of swimmers keen to join in –please get in touch if you’d like to challenge yourself.
JUNE: Spin Bike Challenge @Berrett’s Once again our friends at Berrett’s are kindly hosting Annie as she completes a spin-bike
challenge, please come along and show her some encouragement!
JULY: Annie’s Wing Walk
Showing immense bravery, Annie will be completing a Wing Walk, please follow her social media pages for photos and evidence! Sponsorship is warmly welcomed.
AUGUST: i360 Drop
Abseiling, but not as you know it... Putting her trust in a single rope, Annie will literally hang off the side of the i360, Brighton’s landmark. She’ll make her way down the 138 meters to terra firma, rather her than us!
SEPTEMBER: Climb Snowdon
The steep climb of the highest mountain in Wales is an arduous challenge, which Annie will be completing with a small team. To celebrate her ascent, Rohan will be joining her after taking the train to the summit.
OCTOBER: Head Shave at Henfield Haven
As a final sponsorship commitment, Annie will be shaving her hair for the Haven! We definitely think this is a worthy final challenge in her 10 months for the Haven.
HOW CAN I HELP?
You can join in a challenge. Some of the months Annie will be inviting people to join her. If you are looking for a fitness challenge, you’re more than welcome! Challenge your friends and family to sponsor you and help us to raise awareness of living with dementia. You can donate!
Any amount, large or small, is so appreciated. The easiest way is to go to the Just Giving link by scanning the QR code on this page or follow the Challenge Annie Facebook page.
You can sponsor a challenge. We have some fabulous sponsorship opportunities for local businesses or individuals, a huge thank you to everyone who’s already signed up. Please contact Digby, challengeannie@henfieldhaven.org
You can spread the word…
By following the Challenge Annie 2025 Facebook page and sharing, or by giving her a positive comment or two! At the same time you’ll be letting everyone know how important the Haven is to Henfield, and you’ll be raising awareness of living with dementia.
With your help we can do this.
Thank you!
Emma Cole, Trustee, Henfield Haven
A NOTE FROM US AT THE HAVEN…
We know that dementia is indiscriminate. Facing a sudden diagnosis is shocking for the person concerned, as well as their family, friends and loved ones. The early days of adjustment can be especially challenging.
The Henfield Haven is a bright spot for anyone facing the news that they or a lovedone has recieved this diagnosis. The professionals, carers and volunteers at the Haven provide a safety net of information, understanding, kindness and care, and are there during the good times and the tough times too. The Haven is a daily reminder that living with dementia can be joyful, as evidenced by the smiles and laughter always present during their hours of care.
The Haven supports those caring for a loved one; giving them some well-deserved time off. It’s an important place for everyone in our village, not just those with dementia, it helps elderly and vulnerable people every day. The Community Café is open for everyone, pop in to see us!
Without the lifeline of the Haven many local people would be lost and lonely and may even fall through the care gaps. We want to make sure the Haven, a lifeline for Henfield, is secure for the future, whatever is on the horizon.
Complete Interior & Exterior Renovations
Landscaping Projects
Bespoke Garden Rooms
Small local business based in Henfield, with over 18 years’ experience.
Focus on your HEALTH and WELLBEING this new year
Bank House Clinic, located in the centre of Henfield, was established in 2021 by our Osteopath, Andre Stout. Here to serve the local community with our ever-expanding team of qualified and skilled practitioners. As a team we are passionate about treating and supporting a wide range of conditions, encompassing both physical and mental and emotional wellbeing.
Whether you are suffering from an injury, experiencing pain or would like to focus on your mental health, creating life changes or relaxation and emotional balance, we are here to guide you to the right treatment and our practitioners can work together to offer you the best pathway of treatment.
Bodywork treatments include OSTEOPATHY, (including CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY), which can be further supported with remedial or deep tissue massage from our MASSAGE THERAPISTS, Caroline and Suzanne, who also offer a range of relaxing massages including REIKI, HOT STONE and REFLEXOLOGY, to ease away stress and tension.
Our FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER, Caroline, focuses on nail care, diabetic foot checks, treatments for corns, calluses, hard skin, cracked
and ingrown toenails. Andre specialises in ORTHOTICS, offering semi-bespoke orthotics and insoles for flat feet and heel pain.
We can also take care of any EAR DISCOMFORT and HEARING LOSS due to excessive wax with our safe and effective EAR MICROSUCTION AND IRRIGATION treatment.
HOMOEOPATHY and ACUPUNCTURE effectively treat a very broad spectrum of both acute and chronic physical and emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, injury, fertility and women’s health, skin conditions and many more. Homeopathy can also help with coughs, colds and sickness bugs.
Emma offering LIFE COACHING and NLP, a powerful tool for creating change and achieving goals, and Sam who offers COUNSELLING. Both Sam and Emma offer free, no obligation calls to initially discuss working together and how they can support.
You’ll receive a warm welcome from our friendly team on your visit and all treatments are carried out in our professional and comfortable clinical setting.
Bank House Clinic
High Street, Henfield
Have you visited the Pavilion Restaurant at Singing Hills? Special Winter Lunch Menu
Available Monday-Saturday - Two Courses £17.00 or Three Courses £24.50
Starters:
Bubble & Squeak Cakes
Herb Salsa Verde
Poached Egg, Salad
Ham Hock Croquettes
Piccalilli & Crunchy Salad
Soup of the Day (v)
Bread & Butter
Main Courses:
Pie of the Day with Mustard Mash
Seasonal Vegetables, Gravy
Smokey Fish Pie, Double Cheese Mash Buttered Greens, Warm Ciaba tta
Harissa Halloumi
Tahini Yogurt Wrap (V)
Fries & Aioli
Desserts:
Warm Chocolate
Brownie (V)
Berry Compote, Ice Cream
Fresh Fruit Salad (v) & Sorbet
Dessert of the Day ** ALLERGENS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
Also available: All Day Breakfasts, Sandwiches, Ciabattas, Bar Snacks (& Afternoon / Cream Teas booked in advance ) On Sundays we serve our Traditional Carvery
Two Courses from £28.00 (Main Course & Dessert) / Three Courses £37.00
Singing Hills Golf Centre, Muddleswood Road, Albourne, West Sussex, BN6 9EB Tel: 01273 835353 / Email: dawn@singinghills.co.uk / www singinghills.co.uk
TRADITIONAL CRAFT BUTCHERY SERVED WITH SKILL AND PASSION For collection or delivery, order forms in store, online or on social media www. southdownsbutchery.co.uk FOLLOW US: SOUTHDOWNSBUTCHERY
Our own recipe sausages | Exceptionally succulent beef from our own dry-ager Low food miles | High welfare meat | Sourced from local farmers and graziers
NORTON MEWS | COOPERS WAY | HENFIELD | BN5 9EQ TUES - FRI 8.30am – 5.30pm SWAINS FARM SHOP | BRIGHTON ROAD | BN5 9RP MON - SAT 8.30am – 6pm SUN 10am - 4pm
SWAINS HENFIELD
NEW RESOLUTIONS YEAR’S FOR HENFIELD CLUB FOOTBALL
2024 has been another big year for Henfield Football Club, with hundreds of children and adults across the local area playing football week in, week out, making for plenty of smiles, great performances and most importantly fun! Win, lose or draw, all of our teams enjoy playing with their friends and teammates. With 2025 ahead of us, here are some New Year’s Resolutions for our players, coaches, parents and supporters…
Players
Keep working to improve - A little extra effort in training and matches goes a long way.
Keep having fun - As well as improving it is always important to keep having fun on and off the pitch.
Keep an open mind - We all like to play a certain position but playing in new positions will help your future development.
Coaches
Continue to develop - Can we participate in more courses, leading to qualifications whilst enhancing our coaching skills?
Communicate - Always communicating with our players and parents for a happier healthier team.
Parents and Supporters
Respect all coaches and officials - It’s important we remember all these people are volunteers.
Become a Part of the Team
Playing football offers a variety of physical, mental and social benefits for both children and adults. There are so many areas it can help with; improving fitness, building resilience, learning to work together as a team. If playing isn’t for you, then join us as a volunteer! We have all become more aware of the benefits of volunteering not only for our mental health but also for the sense of belonging and the opportunity to make new friends. If you would like to find out more about joining Henfield Football Club as a Player or a Volunteer then please contact donna@henfieldfc.com
Help or become a volunteer
Whilst we all love to watch our family and friends play football, it is also great to help out from time to time too. Can you help set up the pitch, run the line or train as a referee?
Special moments
Celebrate your child and their team’s development. We only do positive!
Hopefully by implementing these New Year’s resolutions as a Club, and all the exciting developments, we can make 2025 even better!
Happy New Year everyone!
Sally Gilbert
“Henfield Football Club strives in giving our members the best footballing opportunities and facilities we can. All our managers are at least FA level 1 qualified, safeguarded and first aid trained. Our small team of voluntary committee members are constantly working behind the scenes to adhere to FA rules and guidance, ensuring that we keep our two star accreditation,” Sam Witherden, Club Chairman.
“That’s what Henfield Football Club is all about, supporting the community and supporting each other!”
Fully Funded Holiday Camps
Could your child/ children be eligible for our free holiday football camps? The first will run during February half term. Check out Henfield FC’s Socials for more details and to register your interest!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Huge congratulations to Amy and the team from Jasmine’s Florist for creating the window that was voted ‘Henfield’s Favourite Christmas Display’ in the Horsham District Council competition!
The Henfield category was run in association with us at BN5 and we’d like to thank all the local businesses for generously donating prizes for the beautiful hamper of goodies, a lovely Christmas gift which included bottles of bubbly, gift vouchers, chocolates, lunch vouchers and even an electric toothbrush! We’ll announce the hamper winner on our social media soon.
Our thanks to the donating and participating businesses: All Things Covered, Christina’s Afternoon
Tea & Gift Shop, HJ Burt Estate Agents, Jasmine’s Florist, Marcus Grimes Estate Agents, My Dentist Henfield, Pinks, Relish, Stevens Estate Agents, St Barnabas, Post House Café and Cornerweighs.
1,623 votes were placed district-wide, and three other great prizes were awarded, including an Escape Rooms experience, wine tasting and lunch at Nutbourne Vineyard and a bagel baking experience at Jacob’s Bagels. A big thank you to the economic Development team at Horsham District Council for organising this fantastic festive initiative to remind everyone to buy local and support their high street.
A few of the lovely windows are pictured here, which was your favourite?
Editor
© Mark Bensusan, MJB
Photos
Horsham
Marcus Grimes Estate Agents are delighted to announce that their Henfield Branch are the GOLD winners of the 2024-2025 British Property Award for best LETTING agent for Henfield and Hurstpierpoint. The agents are independently judged via mystery shoppers against a set of 25 criteria to obtain a balanced overview of their customer service levels.
“I am absolutely delighted with this award, a great addition to our GOLD award for sales this year, and immensely proud of the dedicated Henfield lettings team who have performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period.”
Marcus Grimes, Company Principal
Open Mon - Fri, 8am – 7pm
Covering Henfield, Partridge Green, Cowfold, Wineham, Twineham, Steyning, Bramber & Upper Beeding
• Breakfast, lunch & dinner meal visits
• Companionship visits to home or out and about – beach, garden centres, coffee shops
• Daytime respite visits from 4–8 hours
• Medication prompts for timespecific medication
• Admin Support – we can help with ANY admin required including Attendance Allowance forms, Blue Badge forms, Doctors forms
• Online medication set-up
• Hoarding and decluttering service
• House packing service – help with packing and unpacking
• Maintenance – interior and exterior painting, decorating, gardening, furniture assembly
• Light housekeeping – washing, ironing, bedding and tidying
• Live in carer respite – we can provide cover whilst they take their break •
• Concierge and medical appointments – doctors, hospital, dentist, vets, hairdressers
• Holiday cover – we can provide companionship and support to your loved one whilst you are away
• Daily, weekly, monthly or ad-hoc cover available
We cover Henfield, Wineham, Twineham, Bolney, Steyning, Shoreham-by-sea, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Cowfold, Partridge Green, Ashurst, Upper Beeding & Bramber and all surrounding villages.
Henfield Commons and Tanyard Management
Henfield is fortunate to have some wonderful open spaces in and around the village including the Commons – Henfield, Broadmere and Oreham - as well as the Tanyard. These sites are all owned by Horsham District Council (HDC) and managed by the Henfield Commons Joint Committee (HCJC). In recent months, HDC’s Countryside Warden team has been working in partnership with the HCJC, Henfield Parish Council and Henfield Conservation Volunteers to manage the sites.
The Commons are all Local Wildlife Sites, which means they have been designated as especially important due to their unique characteristics and species. They are also vital within the wider landscape for increasing connectivity between areas with ecologically important species and creating a mosaic of wildlife friendly places throughout Sussex. Each site has its own special variety of habitats which must be managed sympathetically, to protect their wildlife as well as providing attractive public open spaces for all to enjoy.
Henfield Common
At Henfield Common, the main objective of the management plan is to restore, enhance and conserve the special features of the site. For biodiversity, the main priorities are:
• To manage the open marsh and grassland habitats. There is a ‘cut and collect’ mowing regime in place for these areas. This will reduce nutrients over time, weakening dominant grasses and giving wildflowers and rare wetland plants a chance to thrive.
• To manage the reedbed by rotational mowing with cut material and scrub removal to prevent further spread of reed-dominated and woody vegetation.
• To control invasive, non-native plant species, such as Cherry Laurel, Bamboo and Montbretia, that are having an adverse impact on native habitats and species.
In addition to the main priorities, we also carry out:
• Ditch management e.g. the ditches along the causeway needs to have regular clearance of silt and scrub to protect the wetland habitat associated with these.
• Woodland management e.g. we are planning further ash dieback safety works along the footpaths, as well as thinning, scalloping, and coppicing to improve woodland biodiversity.
Broadmere Common
Broadmere Common habitats include ponds, areas of open fen, willow carr and woodland. Historically, livestock grazing meant Broadmere was a more open site and home to rare wetland plants. The open habitats are now being encroached by willow and scrub. The aim of the management is to restore and conserve
Devil’s-bit Scabious
Credit: Gill Perry
the unique habitats that originally earned the Broadmere its Local Wildlife Site status. In the absence of livestock grazing, management includes:
• Clearing willow and other woody species and on the edges on the open areas, around ponds, and along the stream. The aim is to open up areas that have scrubbed in relatively recent years, in an effort to restore wetland vegetation that is so important for a host of wildlife including dragonflies and amphibians.
• In the woodland, we have conducted safety ash dieback works along the lanes and footpaths.
Oreham Common
Oreham Common features grasslands ponds and large areas of scrub. Management at Oreham includes:
• A ‘cut and collect’ mowing regime for the grasslands.
• Rotational scrub management. Scrub is great for wildlife including Nightingales, which sing at Oreham in spring. Nightingales like dense scrubby edges for nesting. If we leave the scrub without management, it will eventually become less dense and unsuitable for breeding Nightingales. We are planning to scallop areas of scrub to create the right conditions.
• Pond management, such as willow coppicing and managing reedmace.
The Tanyard
The Tanyard is an important asset for wildlife in the heart of the village, with its wet and dry grasslands, ponds, and scrubby edges. Current management include:
• A ‘cut and collect’ mowing regime of the grasslands.
• Scrub management, where is encroaches on the grasslands.
• Hedge management including hedge laying and rotational flailing. Cutting a hedge every year is not great for wildlife, as most flowers and berries grow on second year growth.
Visitors and recreation
Our ecological management plans focus on maximising biodiversity but do not exclude or minimise other uses of the Commons. We recognise that the Commons are valued locally for a range of recreational uses and that will continue. For example, The Henfield Common Fair and Show is due to return to Henfield Common in September 2025.
Malin Andersson
Would you like to get involved?
Land management can be very labour intensive, and we rely on help and support from the local community to make it a success. If you would like to get involved with the practical management of the Commons/Tanyard or assist with ecological monitoring, please get in touch with the Henfield Conservation Volunteers who arrange regular work parties. henfieldconservation@gmail.com or HDC Parks and Countryside Team on Parks@horsham.gov.uk
Marbled White
Credit: Malin Andersson.
Appointments available
Monday - Friday.
Michelle Brennan Caitlin McCaffery Tom Fletcher Chiropractor Chiropractor Chiropractor 01273 494680 1, Bowden House, Church Street, Henfield
- NHS / private patients
- See patients within 24hrs
- Six Month Smiles®
- Facial aesthetics / wrinkle reduction
- Free Cosmetic consultation
- Your safety is our priority
- We follow all NHS Covid-19 protocols
- Family friendly practice
- 24 months interest free treatment
Think of Mallards...
PAIN-FREE DENTISTRY
For over 150 years the syringe has seen little advancement in its technology, the Wand pain-free injections brings the administration of anaesthesia to the 21st century! Using its computer controlled flow rates it ensures that the anaesthesia is delivered below your pain threshold.
With pain-free injections you can relax about visiting your dentist. Here are a few reasons why you might want to have treatment using the wand:
• Pain free treatment
• No risk of long term effects such as paraesthesia
• Virtually no numbness or pain after the treatment
• Able to numb just one tooth
• More comfort for you and the dentist
Melissa Stepney
• corn and callus removal • verruca treatment • fungal nail/foot treatment • diabetic foot care • ingrown toenail treatment • biomechanical assessment • orthotic insole fitting
“Fear Free” = no “Tear Spree”!
I lost my phone recently. It fell out of my pocket in a taxi on the way back from a night out and I didn’t realise until the next morning. Ashamed as I am to admit it, the loss of my phone was the cause of great anxiety. These days a phone is like an extension of your arm – and the thought of losing pictures, messages, bank details etc left me with a hollow feeling in my stomach and a cold sweat. To cut a long story short, we were separated for 3 days while the driver took a mini break to France and I was able to monitor his progress via the “find my phone app”! I was very relived to be reunited with it on his return, and in terms of stress, the whole episode was up there with the time I realised I had left my passport at home on the way to the airport and the time when I put my clothes in the wrong washing basket last week – all had potentially severe repercussions! Fear, anxiety, apprehension and stress are emotions that are not just confined to humans, but are very much experienced by our pets too. There are many potential causes, and for some pets a visit to the vet is one of them. Whilst we do everything to make pets as comfortable as possible, and the majority are content coming to the practice (with some who LOVE a visit to the vet!), it is understandable that there are a selection who feel quite the opposite. Whilst we know that a visit to the vet is in the best interests of the pet, they clearly have no understanding of this. Take an independent cat for example: Cat’s don’t like being forced to do anything at the best of times, so being bundled into a basket once a year, put in a car and taken to a strange place off of your own turf is enough to upset the karma of many a moggie! Eliminating stress and anxiety not only improves the experience for the pet, but also makes examination, assessment and treatment easier for a better overall outcome. It is for these reasons that at Hawthorn
Vets our vets and nurses undergo additional training to become “Fear Free” practitioners. Fear Free is a relatively new American movement that promotes education of veterinary staff in methods, techniques and awareness to enable them to provide care for patients in the best possible way. Put simply, we don’t believe that any pet should be afraid of an experience at Hawthorn and certainly nothing we do should exacerbate any anxiousness or fear they already have. For example, we use Fear Free techniques such as lickimats (a small rubber mat with delicious pastes smeared on it) to distract the patient from the job in hand. We use ultra quiet clippers when we need to clip for a blood sample and we apply cold spray to numb the area too. Our wards have calming music to distract and calm nerves. However, even with all these techniques in place, the patient can still be anxious. In these circumstances our team is taught to always advocate for the pet- we won’t keep trying a method ‘to get the job done’ if the method is causing emotional distress. In these circumstances simply giving the pet a break can help, but in some cases the veterinary surgeon will opt to prescribe anti anxiety medications and the procedure is rebooked for another time. Whilst we aim to ensure all our newer, younger, patients never develop a fear of coming into the vets, sadly, some pets just find the whole experience extremely worrying. For these pets, our discount home visit service on a Wednesday has become a life line. Having the examination, where they feel safe and comforted can make a real difference. Our team, where practical and safe, will happily perform an examination and consult in the car park or even the back of the car, although I can testify that this doesn’t work so well in a SMART car! If your pet is anxious please don’t hesitate to speak to any member of our team who can help devise a plan to treat your pet in the best way that works for them.
Jonathan Underwood
Henfield Surgery
Hawthorn House, Partridge Green Surgery
The Old Bakehouse,
•
•
•
• Foul and surface water
FOR
M: 07880 932075
• Domestic, commercial & agricultural fencing
• Sheds, Summer houses & gates.
• Hard landscaping, concreting, brickwork
• Patios & Decking facebook.com/HenfieldFencingCompany Office: 01273 494867 Barry: 07719 570626 Email: henfieldfencing@gmail.com
www.hollingertrenching.co.uk INTERIOR & EXTERIOR DECORATION All Aspects. Paperhanging, Furniture, Conservatories etc. Over 35 years experience. 07792 450878 Markadecorating@hotmail.co.uk
Rushfields Winter Wonder at
Your independent Plant Centre for all the family
Care for our wildlife in winter
To ensure that our wild birds are looked after, we hava a large selection of nesting boxes, bird feeders, fat balls and nuts And of course, we stock all you’ll need to keep your garden looking at its best – including new season plants, bulbs and compost.
Collect Privilege Gold points at Rushfields!
Visit our Plant Centre and sign up for your FREE PRIVILEGE GOLD CARD! Use it every time you make a purchase in our Plant Centre or Farm Shop and build up your points. Points make pounds so the more you earn –the more you save!
Plant Centre • Farm Shop • Café
Plant Centre & Farm Shop Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 9.00am – 5.30pm Café Open: Tuesday – Sunday, 9.00am – 4.30pm
Henfield Road Poynings, Brighton BN45 7AY
Breakfast, lunch and hot snacks in our Café
Our Café is open for limited numbers serving home-made breakfast, lunch and hot drinks. Outside keep dry in our covered area, dogs are welcome.
Winter-warming pies, sausages and more in our awardwinning Farm Shop
Our Farm Shop offers a tempting array of locally-sourced foods, including our award-winning sausages, Sussex cheeses, fresh chicken, beef, pork plus homemade pies and pastries. What’s more, we offer a wide range of seasonal vegetables, artisan bread, cheeses, Sussex ales and wine.
Kathryn has been working in horticulture since the age of 16 and has decades of experience in how to get the most out of your garden this month!
• If snow falls, brush off from trees and shrubs to prevent broken foliage
• Dead head winter pansies to encourage more flowers
• Spray fruit trees with a winter tree wash to remove overwintering insect eggs
• Have pruners, secateurs and shears sharpened or replaced and get your mower serviced ready for Spring!
• Plan your vegetable and flower beds ready for purchasing seeds and plants in February and March
For the control of rodents and insects including mice, rats, squirrels, moles, ants, wasps, all other pest infestations and bird proofing undertaken. Call Andrew Tullett on Office: 01273 494050
•
years experience in pest control
• Domestic and commercial
• Approved local authority contractor
• Local Henfield company
• NPTA Registered
• Fully insured
HENFIELD COMMON FAIR & SHOW
13TH SEPTEMBER 2025
Following last month’s BN5 update, we are thrilled to share more information about some of the exciting plans for this year’s Henfield Common Fair and Show on 13th September 2025. We will be writing to all clubs and groups early in the New Year to invite their involvement, in the meantime, a few highlights!
A long time Fair favourite on the Common is the much-loved ‘Show Tent’, a space to display the creativity, talent, and green thumbs of our village residents. There’s something for everyone to get involved in, whether you grow gorgeous roses, bake renowned lemon drizzles, or love to create art.
There will be classes for all ages, so we want lots of you to have a go and have fun. For the fruit, vegetables and flower classes now’s the perfect time to think and plan. There will also be some fun categories such as ‘Wonky Vegetable’ ‘Flowers in Footwear’ and ‘Wreath for any Door’ within the growing and foraging section. Have a go, don’t worry about absolute perfection, although that is also welcome!
January is the month to get stirring your preserves, and we would love to see home-made fruit jams and jellies, marmalade, lemon curd, honey and chutneys.
There are some very talented art and craft makers in our village – let’s showcase this and celebrate the beautiful things we can make! Advance notice of categories are: ‘Soft Craft’ – crochet, knitting, felt, lace and embroidery, and ‘Hard Craft’ –
wood, ceramic, pottery and metal - cold winter months are a great time for cosy craft indoors. It would be wonderful to see what our young people are producing in the arts – this category will include: ‘Sussex Nature’, ‘Graffiti Art’ ‘Someone important to Me’ and ‘Beauty’. Photography will include ‘Wild Weathers’, ‘Sleeping’ ‘Fungi’ and ‘My best photo of the year’. A detailed programme will be published later in the year with all classes and events.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to invite local businesses to consider sponsoring or advertising at the Fair. At past Fairs, there has always been such generous support from our local businesses, and we will be writing to local businesses in the new year with more details. The Fair Team is also seeking grant assistance to be able to run the 2025 Fair.
This community event is for the people, by the people! As we get closer to the Fair in September, volunteers will be needed to help out with all manner of tasks. Marshalling, putting up marquees, setting out tables, keeping things tidy – much to do! Please get in touch if you’d like to help. A reminder that the Fair is taking place in early September to allow a summer meadow to thrive undisturbed on the Common, which is vital for wildlife, more details in this magazine.
Finally, how strong are you Henfielders? Due to popular demand, the Tug of War will return to the Fair!
Sarah Witten and Andrea May
GET IN TOUCH
ANY QUESTIONS AND OFFERS ARE WELCOMED
Offers please get in touch: info@henfieldcommonfair.org and henfieldcommonsummerfair@outlook.com or 07786 390448.
Sponsoring interest please contact: sponsorship@henfieldcommonfair.org
Entertainments interest contact: entertainment@henfieldcommonfair.org
Sumptuous curtains and interiors
Custom made curtains, roman blinds and soft furnishings
Cushions, headboards, bedspreads and upholstery
Roller, vertical and venetian blinds, curtain poles and tracks
Complete service for design, advice, quotation, and fitting, in the comfort of your own home East Barn Interiors Ltd 01403 865655 By appt: 6 Swallows Gate, Church Road, Mannings Heath, West Sussex RH13 6GQ www.eastbarninteriors.co.uk
“Tom has completely blown me away! His work, reasonable prices and fun, friendly attitude have made it a pleasure to get our decorating work done!”
Lucy - Upper Beedling
Magic & Sparkle
Thank you everyone for supporting the Henfield High Street Christmas events this year!
High Street businesses were relieved that Storm Darragh held off for a few hours for the festivities, but sadly it did arrive in time for the Henfield Artisan Market causing its cancellation on safety grounds. The Tree Festival at the Evangelical Free Church was well supported, with some rather beautiful and sparkly trees on display and some very clever and creative entries. The beautiful and very patient donkey from Swains Farm Shop was a huge attraction for local children, and carol singers entertained visitors. At the south end of the village reindeer and the BP Sleigh set up temporary residence, while Santa was extremely busy greeting children and finding out what was on their lists, with a lot of help from Henfield Youth Club.
A fairy and a Christmas tree on stilts added to the fun, and two very beautiful and colourful baubles paraded and charmed visitors with lots of photo opportunities. Thanks to Fiona from Stokes for organising the entertainment. There were stalls from Henfield Football Club with their grand draw (20 prizes of £100 vouchers), Henfield Guides and the Shedders, as well as others, and the firefighters from Henfield Fire Station brought their engine along, much to the delight of local children. The evening was a great start to the Christmas celebrations, a huge ‘thank you’ to all the organisers and the shops who opened to share the spirit of Christmas with their customers.
Editor
© BN5 magazine
BN5 magazine © BN5 magazine
© BN5 magazine
© BN5 magazine
© Mark Bensusan, MJB Photos Horsham
© BN5 magazine
© BN5 magazine
© Mark Bensusan, MJB Photos Horsham
Family run business in Henfield for 40 years
l Competitive prices
l Fast service
l Supplies for Cats, Dogs, Small Animals, Farm Animals, Horses, Reptiles, Birds & Fish
l Large range of Wild Bird Foods
Telephone orders for collection welcome or local deliveries
Mon-Fri 9am – 5.30pm, Sat 9am – 5pm
COOPERS WAY, HENFIELD 01273 495937
Henfield Homes Ltd
property maintenance and refurbishm
painting and decorating kitchens and bathrooms
painting and decorating kitchens and bath floor and wall tiling fencing and decking garage and loft conversions you and your home treated with respect
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floor and wall tiling extensions and loft conversions
Tel 01273 491822 Mobile 07775 671167 www.henfieldhomes.co.uk
How to gain a competitive edge through strategic talent management
To outperform competitors and achieve strategic objectives, organizations need engaged, skilled employees who drive success. Achieving this in a competitive job market requires a robust talent management strategy focused on attracting, hiring, and retaining the right people.
Here are the key components of such a strategy:
Align Talent Strategy with Business Goals
Ensure your workforce possesses the skills needed to support your company’s strategic direction. Begin by reviewing and forecasting business needs, conducting a learning needs analysis, and identifying skill gaps. Then, determine which skills to develop internally, which to recruit for, and where to seek external expertise.
Build a Compelling Employer Brand
A strong employer brand attracts top talent. Develop an employee value proposition (EVP) that highlights your organization’s values, culture, benefits, and employee experience. Intangible benefits like work-life balance, growth opportunities, and purpose are especially important. Your EVP should guide your recruitment strategy and be effectively communicated across hiring channels.
Make Smart Hiring Decisions
Streamlined hiring processes are critical to securing the right talent and reducing costs associated with poor hires. Use clear job descriptions, thorough applicant screening, structured interviews, and relevant assessments to objectively select the best candidate. Efficient recruitment not only saves time but also enhances your reputation as an employer by improving the candidate experience.
Engage and Retain Top Talent
Retaining top performers is essential to sustained success. With employee turnover averaging 34% in the UK, organizations must prioritize retention strategies. Foster workplace culture that aligns with employee values through flexible working, professional development opportunities, and recognition programs. Inclusive practices, such as employee resource groups and feedback channels, also enhance engagement. By addressing employee priorities, you create a purpose-driven workplace that boosts commitment.
Plan for the Future with Succession Planning
Succession planning ensures organisational resilience by preparing internal talent for critical roles. This proactive approach saves time and costs while fostering employee loyalty by offering clear career growth pathways. A well-executed plan not only engages employees but also ensures agility and continuity during leadership transitions.
Invest in Talent Development
Employees are more likely to stay if they see opportunities for growth. Combine talent management with succession planning by preparing current employees for future leadership roles. Identify high-potential individuals and invest in their development through mentoring, coaching, and challenging assignments. Provide ongoing training, encourage continuous learning, and offer clear career paths to build leadership capabilities and prepare for organisational needs. By aligning talent strategies with business goals, building a strong employer brand, optimizing hiring processes, and fostering employee engagement, organizations can create a resilient and agile workforce. Succession planning and development programs further strengthen this foundation, ensuring long-term success in a competitive market.
Jonathan Aikens, Partner, Moore Kingston Smith LLP
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Prep
Fri 7 Feb (Hove) & Sat 8 Feb (Worthing)
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Senior School – for Year 12 entry
Saturday 1 March
SALE 15 % OFF ALL TIMBER WINDOWS & DOORS UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY
Improve the comfort and appearance of your home with natural timber windows and doors from sustainable sources. Constructed from engineered timber slow grown in cold climates, their strength, stability and beauty are guaranteed.
With a 15% discount off all timber windows and doors in our Winter Sale, visit our showroom to view our lovely range of products. You’ll receive expert advice and see how beautiful timber windows and doors really can enhance the value and beauty of your home.
Timber Windows of Horsham Unit 1, Blunts Yard, Newbuildings Place, Dragons Green Road, Dragons Green, Horsham, RH13 8GQ
Tel: 01403 732822
