Epping Rotary Club news

Epping Rotary Club is delighted to welcome four new members who will support the club in serving the local community, assisting other charities and supporting international projects.

Pudsey says thank you to Epping Rotary and friends

Epping Rotary Children in Need Ramble & Fun Dog Show was held for the second year running at Stonards Hill recreation ground on Sunday 25th September 2022 and proved to be a very successful day. Around 38 ramblers and their dogs walked the 5kms around Epping and Coopersale. In the afternoon the Dog Show was great fun with a variety of breeds showing off waggy tails, beautiful eyes and tricks to attract the judges. The sale of Pudsey merchandise was brisk with the most popular items being Pudsey ears and small Pudsey bears, Pudsey biscuits were kindly donated by Mayfield Farm Bakery. Tickets are still available at Julies Café for a large Pudsey Bear and a limited edition Pudsey dressed as Dr Who. The draw will take place on Saturday 12th November. Epping Rotary are very grateful to three primary schools and Brownies for their contribution by holding raffles for large Pudsey bears.

Rotary International are a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and has been working to eradicate Polio for more than 35 years. The Purple4Polio activities carried out by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland are to raise funds and awareness for End Polio Now. Epping Rotary plants thousands of purple crocuses every year around the Town including Esso Island on Theydon Grove, The market Garden and St Margaret’s Hospital. Worldwide cases of Polio have decreased by 99% since 1988 but there is still work to be done.

The Rotary Club of Epping has booked Santa to visit Epping on Sunday 11th December and he will have some pre Christmas gifts for all children who visit him in his Grotto on Stonards Hill Recreation Ground. In addition he has agreed to travel on his sleigh around Epping, Theydon Bois and North Weald during the weeks beginning 5th December and 12th December.

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Home-Start Essex

Volunteering at Home-Start Essex offers rewarding opportunities to support local families.

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TO FIND OUT MORE & JOIN US: www.home-startessex.org.uk

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Home-Start Essex is looking for people living in the Epping District who can spare an hour a week to help deliver their services to families. Whether that is being matched to support a local family as a home-visitor or telephone befriender, or perhaps with skills to help with family or wellbeing groups. Laura Horsley-Whittle, Volunteer Coordinator at Home-Start Essex, explains ‘Volunteering is a wonderfully rewarding opportunity to give your time knowing it is making a big difference to a family in our community. It is such a simple concept but a really powerful one. Our volunteers are all ages, male and female, with many different backgrounds and experiences. Not all of them are parents.

“Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heartbreaking and over-whelming. Life-changing events can happen to anyone. That is why we are here to stand alongside families when they need us most - and we need more amazing volunteers to help us do that.”

One mum described it as “life changing” when her volunteer came every week to hold her colicky tearful baby, enabling her to shower and sort out paperwork. A dad with a young daughter said: “Going out with my volunteer has made me feel more confident; it has improved my self-esteem. My volunteer was so good to talk to. I used to wake up in the morning and wait for that bad feeling to start. I don’t feel like that anymore.”

If you can spare as little as an hour a week, you could help families not just survive but thrive. As a Home-Start volunteer, you will be given training and support to make a real difference to families in your community. You will also develop transferable skills which can support you in your life, whether that’s at home or at work. To find out more about Home-Start Essex please visit: https://www.home-startessex.org.uk/volunteering or call 01245 847410.

Epping’s Royal Charter Market

Epping Monday Market in Epping High Street is open every Monday, including bank holidays, from 8am to 4pm (approximately), in all weathers. We have a wide variety of stalls offering everything from fruit and vegetables and groceries to ladies’ fashion and hardware. There are cards and gifts, so why not do some Christmas shopping? We have lots of great things to suit all tastes. Our traders get here very early to serve our community so please go along and visit them. They will be very happy to see you.

Epping Chorus: looking ahead

After a highly successful 50th Anniversary Concert in July, the Choir now turns its attention to the forthcoming year. The December concert on Friday 16th December will be a mixture of Christmas songs both old and new, to really get the Christmas season off to a great start.

On Saturday 21st January 2023 the Choir is preparing for an exciting concert, held in the presence of Nicholas Alston, the High Sheriff of Essex, when they will be singing ‘The Armed Man’ by Karl Jenkins, probably one of the best-known and popular choral pieces of the last 30 years. This will be performed with instrumental accompaniment and is sure to be a great evening.

Epping Chorus perform their concerts in St John’s Church, Epping, CM16 5DN and as always both concerts will be free to attend, with donations requested.

Interested in singing? If so, why not contact the choir via their website: www.eppingchorus.org They are always happy to welcome new singers, particularly sopranos. If you contact us quickly then you may be able to join us for The Armed Man.

St John’s Christmas Tree Festival

Epping Town Mayor Councillor Barbara Scruton will be opening this year’s Christmas Tree Festival at 1pm on Friday 2nd December.

There will be a fantastic display of over 70 beautifully decorated trees in the Church prepared by a range of schools, clubs, businesses, societies and local individuals.

There will also be craft stalls, tombola, lucky dip and refreshments along with entertainment from children’s groups and other community groups throughout the weekend.

So come along and enjoy the spirit of Christmas and see the dazzling display of decorated Christmas trees whilst enjoying a hot drink (including mulled wine) and homemade cake. What a truly wonderful way to start the Christmas season.

Opening Hours:

Friday 2nd 1pm to 8pm

Saturday 3rd 10am to 5pm

Sunday 4th 11.30am to 4pm

Monday 5th 10am to 2pm

Free entry for young people up to 16 years accompanied by an adult. Students (16+) £1 with student ID card. Adults £3

You can always be sure of a warm welcome at St John the Baptist Church, St Johns Road, Epping, CM16 5DN.

Please note that we will follow whatever the advice is at the time in regards to Covid 19.

The Epping Society: Epping’s green and pleasant land

Our earlier reports described problems with parking on verges and we invited members and the public to contact us with examples of problems. We suggested you take a photo of any vehicle you see driving or stopped on the grass (please do not get into a confrontation and do not snap the number plate) then email it to us at: info@eppingsociety.org.uk

We have made enquiries and learned that Civil Enforcement Officers, who patrol parking restrictions can issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to contravening vehicles. They are managed by North Essex Parking Partnership (“NEPP”) on behalf of councils.

The officers are only able to deal with vehicles that are parked on the grass verges if there is a restriction on the road alongside. Enforcement would be for the double yellow line, not for parking on the grass verge/footway. The Officers do not have power to deal with footway parking and this would fall under the remit of the police.

NEPP is aware of vehicles parking on the grass verge outside the Kebabery on the High Street. They are parked next to limited wait bays and alongside the zebra crossing markings. Unfortunately neither of these restrictions cover the grass verge/footway and the officers are unable to carry out any enforcement on these vehicles. We therefore have the unsatisfactory position that grass verges are damaged, footpaths obstructed, tree roots exposed to damage and dangerous parking at the zebra crossing are all uncontrolled.