The Tandridge Independent - August 2023

Family’s parking nightmare

By Rosalind Brookman

A family of seven living in council accommodation in Stafford Road in Caterham say Tandridge District Council (TDC) has failed to provide them with suitable parking, despite needing it for their disabled children.

In spring 2022, Emma Woodland and Clive Brewer were given notice on the South Godstone home they had rented for 18 years, and Clive was also made redundant. TDC found the couple and their five children temporary accommodation in a two-bedroom flat

in Warlingham.

In November, TDC moved them into a larger flat above East Surrey Museum. Although the inside was far from ideal, with a lack of insulation, mouldy walls and dirty carpets, the family was grateful to have more space.

Emma says they were given TDC’s permission to put their vehicle in one of the spaces behind the building, also used by the museum.

“We parked, but almost immediately the museum staff started knocking on our door, saying we had no right to be

Continued on page 2

Oyez, oyez…Sonia celebrates 20 years as Caterham’s town crier

In July, Caterham celebrated the impressive achievement of one of its most familiar faces: the 20-year anniversary of Sonia Hunt being appointed its official town crier. The chair of Tandridge District Council, Cllr Chris Botten, presented Sonia with a large bouquet of flowers in recognition of her dedication to her role, which she first took up in 2003. Sonia, who is a member of the Loyal Company of Town Criers, says she really loves her job:

“I enjoy doing my official duties and meeting the public. A massive thank you to you all for supporting me.”

The family’s car parked behind the museum

Letter from the editor

Well, the summer holidays are here and daily planning has commenced in order to avoid that dreaded ‘Mum, what are we doing today?’ question!

We’ve just had to rehome our koi carp after ten years, and I would like to thank Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai in Lingfield for giving it a new beautiful home in an incredible setting. Within minutes our koi had settled in, investigating the reeds and exploring his new surroundings.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stop and take in the incredible North Downs view, try a few ales and beers or stop off for some brunch, Titsey Brewing Co’s new taproom is the perfect place. Their beers and wine are brewed on location and I really enjoyed one of their non-alcoholic beers too. I look forward to visiting there with my team for our next planning meeting.

In July, Rosalind and I visited BBC Radio Surrey, who share studios with BBC Radio Sussex in Brighton. We were invited to broadcast our usual weekly paper review live from the studio (remember to listen in every Thursday at 11.40!) and also to be DJ Sarah Gorrell’s lunchtime guests. It was great to meet the team in person after speaking to them over the phone for over three years.

This month’s paper brings you info and tips from our columnists, and a report from Rosalind Brookman about a family’s parking nightmare on Stafford Road in Caterham. We’d also like to introduce you to local schoolgirls Bella and Iona, and tell you about their amazing recent achievements.

On the subject of schools, I’d like to wish all the students receiving both GCSE or A Level results this month the best of luck. We hope you receive the grades you need for your future plans.

Our competition prize this month is two dessert vouchers, courtesy of the fabulous Scoop Company in Warling- ham. An ideal summer treat for the kids…or you might want to persuade them to share! The details you need to enter are on this page - good luck.

Have a great summer and see you in September!

Family’s parking nightmare

there. One woman was particularly nasty to us.”

The couple say that all four of their vehicle’s tyres were then slashed while it was in the car park, and two more a fortnight later. They reported both incidents to the police but the culprit was never found. The police suggested they fit a camera to a tree in the car park but they could not afford to do this. The couple reported these incidents, and the other confrontations to the council.

“Clive and Emma were apparently told they could use the parking at the rear of the building. However, our lease says we have exclusive use. Volunteers need to park close to the premises, given the amount of materials we transport, and we have visitors with mobility issues.

A volunteer did get frustrated on one occasion when unable to park: we immediately offered our unreserved apologies to the tenants. I’m always happy to talk to them to resolve problems amicably. When we renegotiated our lease, we raised this issue with TDC, and they sent a housing officer to meet us all.”

Tenancy management officer Claire Green confirmed the museum had full use of the parking area during operating hours, and directed the couple to the TDC-owned sheltered

Damage to a tyre

housing car park next door.

“Claire said anyone with objections could contact her and she’d explain we were allowed to park there,” says Emma. “When residents started shouting at us, I gave them her details.”

While there, the vehicle’s wing mirror was smashed twice and paintwork scratched. Emma claims residents sometimes blocked them in or prevented them from parking. In July, Claire told Emma she had received complaints, and they must stop parking there.

They now have to park a long way down Stafford Road, after the double

yellow lines. This has implications for Emma’s children.

“I have five children under 12. My eldest has sigmoid colon dysmotility with a colostomy stoma, and is often not well enough to walk any distance. My six-year-old has ADHD and no sense of danger, so walking on narrow pavements down a busy road with her and my three year old is incredibly stressful.”

She is angry TDC has not resolved the situation.

“We parked where TDC said, and we’re always civil, but have suffered months of abuse and criminal damage, with no help from them and still nowhere to park.”

TDC gave us this statement:

“The property this family occupies is temporary accommodation, used by the council to accommodate those awaiting longer term accommodation. Parking is difficult for many residents throughout the district, and properties are not generally let with allocated parking. We appreciate this is a difficult situation for the family but we are looking to address it for them as quickly as possible.

On two occasions it was thought the issue had been resolved through attempts to obtain parking at neighbouring sites. Discussions with local partner agencies are continuing in the hope of resolving this issue for the family.”

and Rosalind

Lingfield mum issues warning over Facebook holiday scams

By Rosalind Brookman

Lingfield resident Natasha Shek is warning Facebook users to watch out for scammers after she was defrauded of her holiday deposit.

In May this year, Natasha began searching on Facebook Marketplace for a cottage that her family could stay in to celebrate her mum’s 60th birthday in July. After finding the ideal letting in Cornwall, she sent a message to the person advertising it requesting more details. He replied straight away, sending her additional photographs and answering her questions, including why the property had no website: he claimed it was currently under construction. Still slightly sceptical, Natasha asked him for identification and he sent her a utility bill which clearly showed his name and the property address.

“I also spoke to him on the phone for about 20 minutes, and he was friendly and seemed perfectly normal,” says Natasha. “He emailed me the invoice for my booking, which asked for the £220 deposit to be sent via bank transfer. I thought then that it was all above board, because surely he would have needed his real ID to open the account?”

Reassured, Natasha transferred the money. It wasn’t until nearer the supposed start date of the holiday that

she began to feel concerned.

“The man had mentioned he could help me arrange a birthday cake for my mum, but when I sent him a WhatsApp message about it a few weeks before we were due to go, it went unread for over a week. I tried contacting him via Facebook Messenger and email, with no response. I rang him, but it went straight to voicemail. That’s when I started to get worried.”

Natasha then called a pub close to the property, and was told that it had

been used before for a scam, and the actual owners were not involved in this supposed letting in any way.

“I’m so glad I found out before we travelled,” Natasha says. “Although I’ve lost the deposit money, it would have been worse if we’d driven all the way there and discovered the whole thing was a fraud.”

Natasha reported her experience to the police, and also managed to find a legitimate replacement cottage so her family could get together as planned,

Help for RH8 residents

but she wants to spread awareness of this type of deception.

“I thought I’d done enough checking: speaking to the man on the phone, seeing the utility bill and getting his bank details, but he was prepared and had answers for everything. And only asking for the deposit was clever: if he’d asked for the whole amount on booking I might have been more suspicious.”

How to avoid a Facebook holiday scam: Make sure the property has a website: be wary of those only on social media.

Look for properties with plenty of reviews and recommendations.

If you are able to, visit the address before booking to ensure all is as described. If you don’t, you could try contacting a shop or business close to it, to check it is a genuine holiday rental.

If the ‘owner’ asks for the full amount of the holiday upfront, rather than just an initial deposit, it’s a red flag.

If possible, pay with methods that offer protection, such as a credit card or Paypal. If you’re asked for an online payment, don’t click on any links you’re sent: search for the payment site yourself to make sure it is legitimate (the URL begins with ‘https’ and shows the padlock symbol as a starting point).

If you live in the RH8 postal area (which includes Oxted, Hurst Green, Limpsfield, Tandridge, Crowhurst Lane End and Titsey) and are in need, the Link Porter Trust may be able to help. It has grants available for residents facing short-term financial difficulties or crises, and can assist with food bank vouchers, bills, school uniform and equipment and household equipment. For more information, contact the trust’s secretary on 07913 741452.

Surrey’s nature recovery drive

Surrey County Council has been granted more than £250k so that they can produce a ‘nature recovery plan’ for the county. Working with the districts, boroughs and community groups, along with Natural England and representatives from the farming, health and development sector, the strategy will be developed over the next 12-18 months and will focus on measures to reverse biodiversity loss, reconnect habitats and protect wildlife, among other environmental benefits.

SCC is one of 48 local authorities to have been given responsibitily for a Local Nature Recovery Strategy by DEFRA.

For ages 2 to 11

We believe that children have different learning styles and therefore Warlingham Park School provides a learning experience that encompasses a wide and varied curriculum where opportunities to thrive abound.

‘Learning To Grow’ is a phrase that sums up our education and focuses on the skills that children need to learn for the next steps of their education and beyond.

Natasha and her children

Donate your non-barcoded stamps

As of 31 July, non-barcoded everyday stamps are no longer accepted by Royal Mail.

While you can still exchange them using the Stamp Swap Out Scheme, there are many charities across the country that will gladly take them from you to raise money. A quick Google search will find plenty, but here are just three which are close to home:

• Royal Surrey County Hospital Charity, Guildford, Surrey.

• Greyhound Trust, Horley, Surrey,

• Kidney Care UK, Alton, Hampshire

Further information about how to donate your stamps to these charities can be found on their websites. The Royal Mail Stamp Swap Out Scheme can be found by visiting royalmail. com and searching ‘stamp swap out.

Please note: ‘Special’ picture stamps and Christmas stamps without barcodes can still be used after 31 July.

Getting better value from council assets

By Catherine Sayer Leader of Tandridge District Council

The council has been awarded £50,000 for a feasibility study to look at how to make better use of land in public ownership in Caterham on the Hill.

The funding for the study has come from the government’s One Public Estate programme, which is designed to help public sector bodies such as Tandridge District Council (TDC) repurpose and get more from their assets. This is with the aim of delivering more integrated, customer-focused services, creating new jobs and new affordable homes, generating efficiencies and reducing running costs.

The sites being considered are:

Caterham on the Hill library: owned by Surrey County Council (SCC). The building is dated and needs investment. In October 2020, SCC’s cabinet

approved a scheme to deliver a mixed used building to provide a library, family centre (including maternity services) and care leavers accommodation. Issues with the site prevented the development progressing.

The Westway Centre: owned by TDC and leased to a charitable trust, which provides an adult day centre facility. The building is costly to maintain.

The Community Recycling Centre

- TDC owns the freehold and leases the site to SCC. It is poorly located in a residential area and next to Hillcroft Primary School. The CRC also creates local traffic congestion. Aspirations have been to relocate the two local CRCs – Caterham (TDC freehold) and Warlingham (SCC freehold) – to a new single site, possibly at Godstone depot. Caterham Community Centre: owned by TDC and leased to trustees

who run the community centre. The building dates from the 1950s and needs investment.

The council is now inviting tenders. Alongside other requirements, proposals must support the following services: library, family centre, adult day centre, community centre, care leaver accommodation, independent living (learning disability and mental health).

In addition, the Community Recycling Centre should be relocated to a more suitable site within the district and if residential is considered as part of a redevelopment of the estate, then a proportion should be affordable housing.

After considering the various proposals, it is hoped to appoint a consultant later this month.

If you have any comments/questions, please get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine. Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk

Letter from Claire Coutinho, MP for East Surrey

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I launched my Friendship Project. In July I organised a summer party to bring together the community groups, charities and volunteers that work so hard to tackle loneliness in East Surrey.

You might have seen in the news recently that loneliness is worse for your heart than a poor diet or lack of exercise, so it was wonderful to see everyone getting to know each other over a cup of tea and a scone. I couldn’t have done it without the kindness and generosity of Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai in Newchapel and the culinary delights of Sheila’s Café in Horley.

We’ve raised thousands of pounds, thanks to the generosity of our donors and we’ll soon be distributing the first of our grants. If you run a community group and would like to apply for a grant of a few hundred pounds, email me on claire.coutinho. mp@parliament.uk and I’ll send you all the details.

The summer holidays are finally here, and if you’re looking for things to do with your children or grandchildren, Godstone Farm has just opened their gigantic new soft play barn. I joined their opening event and it was clear that Nickie and the team have worked incredibly hard to get everything up and running. Another fantastic local business held an opening event recently too – the Titsey Brewing Co. I had the honour of cutting the ribbon for their new taproom, which sits atop the North Downs Way with stunning views of the hills. Guy and John have poured their heart and soul into the space, which is now open and serving hot food, and head brewer

Craig Vroom has played a blinder with gorgeous ales and lagers produced on-site. Do make sure you pop in if you’re nearby to support this fab local business.

The recent by-election result in Uxbridge and South Ruislip was an outstanding rejection of Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ scheme, which could

cost hardworking families in East Surrey £12.50 a day just for going shopping or taking children to school. Afterwards, we saw reports in the press that Sir Keir Starmer admitted that Labour had to ‘learn the lessons’ of the by-election, and that he was putting pressure on Sadiq Khan to rethink the scheme.

I look forward to welcoming Uxbridge’s new MP, Steve Tuckwell, to Parliament as we continue our campaign against the mayor’s ULEZ expansion.

I had a busy month in Westminster, where I gave my first major public speech as a minister. I spoke about the Freedom of Speech Act I recently took through Parliament, which sets out strong new duties for universities to protect and promote freedom of speech on campus.

In recent years we’ve seen examples of academics or external speakers being intimidated into silence, shouted down or cancelled, so we passed a law that means universities

must encourage debate, not stifle it. In my speech I said that embracing discussion is the only way we will be able to connect, to persuade, and to find common ground. If you’d like to read the speech in full, there’s a link on my website.

Throughout August my team and I will welcome residents from every corner of East Surrey for a free guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. If you would like to reserve a space, please email me on claire. coutinho.mp@parliament.uk.

The dangers of blue-green algae

By Hayley Hamilton-Herbert Owner of Simply the Pets

An outbreak of toxic blue-green algae has been confirmed at Frensham Great Pond on Frensham

Common in Surrey, a popular bathing spot for families to visit during the summer holidays. The algae, which can cause skin and stomach problems in humans, is extremely dangerous - often fatal - to dogs and other wildlife.

Blue-green algae is a naturally occurring bacteria which is usually found in non-flowing bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds and rivers. Hot weather and heavy rainfall can result in the bacteria growing excessively, causing a ‘bloom’ to form on the water’s surface.

Dogs are at risk of poisoning if they drink or swim in contaminated water. The harmful toxins can stop their liver from functioning properly, leading to organ failure.

With warmer weather and the school holidays upon us, many people will be thinking of taking their dogs to water spots to cool off and have some fun. Here are our tips for keeping them safe from blue-green algae poisoning.

How to spot blue-green algae

Knowing what to look for will help you to prevent your dog from coming into contact with it:

• Green/blue scum on the water’s surface

• Green/blue streaks in the water,

which can look a bit like paint

• Green or brown clumps floating on the surface, resembling seaweed

• Cloudy water with a green/blue/ brown appearance.

• Green flakes or brown dots

• Foaming on the shore’s edge, looking a bit like sewage

• Dead fish or wildlife in the water

Symptoms of poisoning

Blue-green algae poisoning can take effect after just 15 minutes, but may take a few days to develop. Watch out for these symptoms:

• Drooling

• Disorientation

• Diarrhoea

• Vomiting

• Increased thirst

• Collapsing

• Seizures

• Breathing difficulties

Help! My dog has been exposed, what should I do?

If your dog shows any of the above signs after drinking or swimming in water, contact your vet immediately – the sooner they receive treatment, the better the outlook. There is no antidote for the toxins produced by the algae but if caught early enough your vet will likely induce vomiting and attempt to flush the toxins from their body.

Until you can get your dog to the vet, wash your dog off with clean water to remove toxins from their coat and prevent your dog from licking their fur to reduce further intake of toxins.

Prevention is better than cure

You can protect your dog from bluegreen algae by:

Checking the water every time before letting your dog go in

Using extra caution around stagnant water

Carrying water with you for them to drink instead

Watching out for warning signs and checking local council websites for up-to-date information

Think you’ve spotted blue-green algae? Ring the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Help Surrey plant 1.2 million trees

Surrey County Council (SCC) are asking for residents to help them reach their goal of planting 1.2 million trees by 2030.

As part of their strategy to tackle climate change, SCC are looking for schools and community groups to plant trees on their land, volunteers to join in with their next planting season and for people to water the newly planted trees once established.

In 2022, SCC worked with different partners on a range of projects that saw more than 60,000 new trees planted across the county, providing shade, habitats and food for wildlife.

Their next planting season begins in October, and everybody is welcome to help, with no time commitments necessary.

Newly planted trees need watering at least once a week between April and September, and ideally every other day at the height of summer. The base of the tree should be watered slowly (leftover bath and washing up water can be used) and the midday sun should be avoided as the water evaporates.

If you’d like to volunteer to plant trees, visit tinyurl.com/ Surreycctreeplanting. If you are a school or community organisation with land that could be used for tree planting, visit tinyurl.com/Surreycclandfortrees.

Half-price travel for Surrey’s young people

Surrey County Council (SCC) has introduced half-price bus fares for all Surrey residents aged 20 and under. The free LINK card can be shown on any bus in the county, except those operated by Transport for London, and will entitle the holder to a 50% discount on single and return journeys as long as they start and/or end in Surrey. It does not include child fares, season tickets or tickets in the £2 bus fare cap scheme.

Matt Furniss is the cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and growth at SCC: “We know that cost can be a barrier to people using public transport so we hope this significant discount will make bus travel a more viable option, whilst also reducing car journeys across the county.”

More information, and how to apply, is available at surreycc.gov.uk/surreylink.

Council warns of dangerous items in bins

Tandridge District Council has asked residents to ensure that they dispose of electrical items correctly, after a refuse collector narrowly avoided injury from flying glass.

A small television or laptop monitor had been left in a bin, which then shattered and sprayed outwards when the bin lorry’s mechanism crushed it. The collector was wearing protective clothing and had his back to the vehicle when the incident happened, but some of the glass became embedded in his boot.

Small electrical items should be left in a plastic bag next to your bin. Larger items can be taken to a recycling centre or a charity shop, if it is still in working order.

Playing with design

By Deborah Smith Menagerie Interiors

It’s August and the summer holidays are upon us. Little ones are at home being ‘creative’ and filling our homes with fun and laughter, playdates and bake days. So, this month I thought I would share some insights into design that is tailored to small people!

Having created concepts for a nursery and young child’s room recently, I was astonished at the range of child-focused design on offer. Whatever your child is into, there is likely to be a wallpaper or bedding set to match.

I personally like a child’s bedroom to be primarily a place for them to sleep, so not too overwhelmed with design and colour (keeping their rooms free of toy clutter is, however, an ongoing battle!) Also, it’s their designated space so, when considering the design scheme, give them a bit of a say too. If they are older children, they might want to design their own mood board or interiors collage. A great creative exercise for their imaginations when stuck indoors on a rainy day!

Here are some of my favourite companies for kids’ wallpaper:

Lust (as mentioned in a previous column) is great for colourful, vibrant wallpapers. I found a great range of beautiful and unique pictures and patterns.

Hovia wall murals are delightful!

From jungles to underwater scenes, there is something for every child. Bright and pastel, bold and beautiful… you can even get personalised murals.

What if you’re renting and want to brighten your child’s room without losing your deposit? Etsy hosts a range of artists who create gorgeous designs for young people which are labelled ‘removable’ – they have a low tack paste already applied. Or look up ‘peel and stick’ wallpapers for easy application.

Alternatively, consider buying wall

stickers. Try Not On The High Street for a great range of options. (I used these for my daughter’s nursery when she was a baby so I can personally recommend them!)

Paint features are also a great way to decorate a child’s room in a rented property as you can simply paint over them at the end of the tenancy. Get creative! Paint your own pictures or, if you’re not very artistic, have a go at stencilling animals, rainbows or the moon and stars. (Whichever option you choose, ensure you get approval from your landlord first!)

Moving on to furniture recommendations. Storage is a must for a child’s bedroom, and Ikea offers a great, flexible range of solutions, ideal for

toys and all those precious pieces of artwork they like to bring home from school!

For the really little family additions, Mamas and Papas can’t be beaten for good quality and well-designed cots with lots of gorgeous accessories to match, enabling you to build beautiful bedroom schemes. Look out for cotbeds that can extend to various sizes, saving you money long-term as your child grows.

Dunelm however, is a great cost-effective alternative, with lots of furniture options alongside fun bedding, creative lighting and colourful readymade curtains. They also offer some lovely options for children moving into their teens too.

#shoplocal

Perhaps not strictly local, but only approximately 45 minutes from Tandridge is Nubie Kids. They offer a really modern and unique selection of kids’ furniture and accessories. nubie.co.uk

Deborah Smith is the founder and design director of Menagerie Interiors. Visit menagerieinteriors. co.uk or email her on deborah@menagerieinteriors.co.uk. Find her on Instagram: @menagerie_interiors.

News from Caterham, Oxted & Godstone Lions

By Peter Drysdale

Caterham, Oxted & Godstone (COG) Lions have a knack for enjoying themselves while they fundraise, and our recent trivia quiz at Godstone’s White Hart Barn was no exception. Around 60 people answered a selection of brain teasers while enjoying a ploughman’s supper and raising £700 for Lions International Blood Research Appeal (LIBRA) at King’s College Hospital. One of our club members will present the cheque to the hospital in person, a gesture made particularly poignant because a close member of his family has recently been treated there for a rare blood disorder. Research charity LIBRA (libralionscharity.org) was set

up shortly before COG Lions was formed in 1978, and we have been proudly supporting it with donations from time to time ever since.

June is the ‘change-over month’ for Lions clubs all over the world and our local club is no different. Our handover lunch was held recently at Horne Golf Club, when the past year was reviewed and thanks given for everything achieved. Outgoing President Lion Chris Frith presented incoming President Lion Tony Gordon with the Lion President’s chain of office. We wish Lion Tony and his wife Sue an enjoyable and successful year of office.

‘Music in the Meadow’ was one of Bletchingley’s Bletchfest events. The club went along to sell burgers and hot dogs to the attending crowd which enjoyed music from local rock bands

and a DJ. The cooking equipment will be put to good use again before long as we will be the main provider of food at Godstone’s bank holiday fete on Godstone Green. We’ll also be selling popcorn, candyfloss and cold drinks etc. (Remember your cash please, as we can’t take cards.)

Come and say hello to us: we’re always on the look-out for new members who have the welfare of others at heart and want to make a difference while enjoying fun and fellowship in the club. Plus, there’s no entry fee for the fete, plenty of parking, a wide variety of stalls and a donkey derby… what more could anybody want?

To find out more about your local Lions club, please call Lion Tony on 01883 741809. We also have a minibus available for hire – contact Lion David on 01342 893353.

Incoming president Tony receives his chain of office from outgoing president Chris

Find purpose and companionship at the Woodhouse Craft Centre

The Woodhouse Craft Centre, in Hoskins Road, Oxted, was founded by local resident Betty Woodhouse in 1971, as a place to provide ‘employment in friendly surroundings for elderly and disabled people’. 52 years later, it has been updated into a thriving hub where anybody, of any age, can meet, take part in creative activities and learn new skills.

Liz Martin-Lawrence took over as manager in 2022.

“The centre can still be perceived as a place for the elderly, but we’re actually a community space that exists to combat isolation and promote good mental health, which is relevant to everyone, no matter how old they are.”

The work model Betty originally set up saw members receiving payment for commissioned craft work, either repairing existing items or creating something new. It became apparent in recent years, however, that changes were needed to keep the centre sustainable. Commissions are still taken, but the money earned now goes towards its upkeep.

Many of the centre’s volunteers are accomplished in crafts such as caning, upholstery, needlework and knitting, and they pass this expertise on to the members. If woodwork is involved, the

Oxted Men in Sheds group is on hand in their adjoining workshop, offering a supportive environment for local

men at the same time.

A word that both Liz and Lorna use frequently is purpose. Liz explains.

“One reason people come here is to find company, but the centre can provide them with a sense of purpose and increased confidence too. There’s a range of crafts to get involved in, and they know they are helping the centre through commissions, or their work being sold at local fairs. They can learn new skills, but also do something meaningful, and that’s really important. When the Duchess of Wessex visited us last year, one member told her that the centre had changed his life. That’s why we’re here.”

Chair of trustees Lorna Edser has been involved with the centre for more than 20 years. In need of an overhaul for a while, she says an unlikely event was the catalyst for its recent revamp.

“The pandemic was obviously a huge problem, but we were eligible for a business grant, allowing us to pay bills and salaries and also start looking at how we could improve. Liz arrived last year, and we established a new trustee board, and with their

help we began to transform how the centre was run.”

A much-needed refurbishment is currently underway. LED lights were installed in July, and in December it will be repainted, before new laminate flooring is installed.

“The existing carpet has been down for thirty years so it’s time for it to go,” says Lorna. “The new floor will be much easier to clean, and will make the whole centre look better. We’re fundraising £7,500 for it by asking people to sponsor a plank for £10.”

To sponsor a plank for the Woodhouse Craft Centre’s new floor, donate at gofundme.com/f/the-woodhousecraft-centre-floor-replacement. Discover more about the centre at thewoodhousecentre.org.uk.

Multi Award Winning Education Happy Children - Top Academic Results

The dates for next year’s Oxted Festival have been confirmed as 5-7 July.

For more information visit www.oxtedfest.co.uk

Items brought for mending

Liz and Lorna with their fundraising chart

A knitting session

News from Westerham U3A

By Wynne Gifford

The shows must go on at Hever Festival

A falling branch has caused irreparable damage to a stage at the Festival Theatre at Hever Castle, but shows due to be staged there over the summer will still go ahead.

Strong winds on Saturday, 15 July caused a branch from the castle’s iconic tulip tree to break off, landing directly onto the Two Sisters’ theatre roof and leaving the stage unusable.

Theatre director Ailsa Molyneaux said that she and her team were heartbroken:

“We were due to open the festival on 22 July, so the timing was pretty bad, but we were not going to give up.”

A temporary theatre has now

been set up on Anne Boleyn’s Walk, which is the same size as the damaged one, but without the extended roof. Audiences are being warned that there is no weather cover at the new setting, and are also asked to bring their own seating.

Although the Festival Theatre is insured, it will not cover the entire amount needed to build a new stage, and the business now also has to pay for the interim venue. A fundraising page has been set up to help them cover the costs: visit Justgiving.com and search ‘hever festival roof’ to donate.

To see their full 40th anniversary performance schedule and to book your tickets, visit heverfestival. co.uk.

We held our AGM on Thursday, 13 July, in Westerham Village Hall. The chairman was pleased to report good attendance at open meetings, with excellent and stimulating speakers. We now have over 350 members and the recent open day resulted in 20 more people signing up. There are over 50 interest groups in operation, covering books, plays, wine-tasting, walking, games, languages, gardening and visits, to name a few.

Our finances are also in a healthy position, despite increases in hall rent, speaker fees, website revisions and contributions towards the defibrillator which will be installed at the hall.

Following the AGM, we were entertained by songwriter and lecturer Michael Grillo on the parallel careers of Roy Orbison and Del Shannon, with a comparison of their lifestyles and careers. We shared much nostalgia, with clips of energetic jive moves in the late 50s and their hits, including Ooby Dooby, Claudette, Only the

Lonely and Runaway, through to the resurgence of Roy Orbison’s popularity in 1986 after the release of Blue Velvet, followed by him joining The Travelling Wilburys in 1988. Interestingly, Del Shannon’s recording of From Me To You was more popular than the Beatles’ version.

The meeting on Thursday, 10 August is a members only tea party to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

On 14 September there will be a quiz afternoon, on 12 October Tony Harris will be talking about Henry VIII and on 9 November Ian Walker presents the Rich Legacy of The Great War. Our Christmas lunch is booked for December 14.

We would be delighted if you would like to join us; the annual subscription is £20 (individual) or £35 (couple) and we charge £2 for the use of the hall. Open meetings take place at Westerham Hall on the second Thursday of the month at 14:00, with tea, coffee and cakes served by volunteers at no charge. There is also a coffee morning on the first Wednesday of the month. Visit our website – westerhamU3A. org, email westerhamU3A@hotmail. co.uk or phone 01883 723207 for details of what’s going on.

The damage sustained by the fallen tree

Review: The Light, Redhill

By Louise D’Costa

The Light, an interactive entertainment venue and six-screen cinema opened in Redhill in June. Over the past month the TI team has tested out the range of leisure activities available there: whether you’re a child or an adult, there is something for everyone.

The facilities range from a climbing arena, a 10-hole movie-themed mini-golf course, bowling/duckpin lanes and an axe throwing area, to arcade machines, interactive darts, shuffleboard, pool tables and a karaoke room.

The cinema shows the latest blockbusters, plus a selection of indie, world and classic films. The smaller screens are ideal for private and corporate events, and all include super-comfy reclining seats, which we greatly enjoyed on our recent visit.

My son and his friends loved the climbing walls, and I even plucked up my courage to join them at the top of the coloured staircase climb (well all right, maybe I only made it halfway up…!).

Afterwards, I spoke to local resident Ted, who told me how much he’d enjoyed his climbing experience.

“There are various difficulty levels, so everyone can have a go. The staff here are really friendly, and the whole thing is really safe and well organised.”

After all that activity, we were feeling hungry. The Light’s food and drink options in the bar and lounge area are extensive and well priced.

From breakfasts, mains and sharing platters, through to desserts, coffees and cocktails, the children had lots to choose from, and I was delighted to be able to order my usual paprika latte, plus some avocado

on toast. And, as an added bonus, cinema goers are welcome to take their refreshments through to the cinema to eat as they watch!

As you can see, there are many reasons for repeat visits to The Light,

but if you love a challenge, here are a couple more: there is a quiz night every Thursday, with a £2 entry fee and lots of prizes, and the venue also hosts a monthly shuffleboard competition. I’ll see you there!

www.thelight.co.uk

YEARS

OPEN-AIR THEATRE IN THE CASTLE GARDEN

Ted, River and Ollie - L-R

Schoolgirl success!

Bella’s on the ball

Bella Shields has recently completed her first season as a fully qualified football referee. Bella, who is 14 and attends Oxted School, began refereeing games of mini-soccer for local clubs in the Tandridge and Reigate area. She saw this as a way of giving something back to the game that she also enjoys playing.

From this, Bella decided she wanted to learn more, and embarked on a referee’s course with Surrey FA. While on the course, she impressed the FA’s representatives with her knowledge, and her ability to preside over the games with confidence. She was then asked to officiate youth academy games at Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Fulham, and was also part of a team of officials used by Surrey FA in their youth cup finals, which were played at Dorking’s Meadowbank Stadium in May.

Bella is the first female student at the school to become a fully qualified FA referee, and has also been selected to join the Surrey FA Referee Academy, where she’ll receive expert tutoring and support which will enable her to progress even further.

Iona’s marathon for Malawi

Earlier this year, eight-year-old Iona, who attends Essendene Lodge School, decided to help raise funds for their partner school in Malawi, by running a sponsored marathon in stages.

Msalura Primary is a large urban school in Salima, Malawi, which provides education to over 1,500 pupils daily. Classes often have more than 70 pupils. Teaching resources are basic and the school has suffered from both flooding

and Covid. Fundraising will support rebuilding education blocks destroyed by flooding, and pay for orphaned girls to attend secondary school rather than work in farming or in factories. Over a series of runs, Iona managed to raise £700 for the school. When asked what her motivation for her achievement was, she said that she goes to ‘an awesome school’ and wanted to help girls in Malawi access the right education as well.

Caterham School wins Independent Senior School of the Year at

It was a night of celebration for teachers and schools across the country, as the winners of the Tes Schools Awards – one of the most prestigious events in the education calendar – were announced in June. Dubbed the ‘Oscars of Education’, the awards celebrate the extraordinary commitment, quality and innovation shown by teachers and support staff across the UK, and are now in their landmark 15th year.

The awards ceremony, which unites the best early years, primary and secondary education providers at both state and independent schools, took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

The panel of judges comprised school leaders, experts and education researchers. The objectivity, professionalism and high standards of the judges and the judging process

has helped establish the awards as a well-respected achievement for any school chosen as a finalist or winner. Caterham School was announced as the Independent Senior School of the Year and its team took to the stage to be presented with their award by actor James Nesbitt.

Tes editor and chief judge of the Tes Schools Awards Jon Severs said:

“With these awards we honour the education community, who we’ve served for nearly 113 years. This year has seen some incredibly high-quality entries.

These awards showcase just how vital our education professionals are to every facet of this country.

Teachers, leaders and support staff all play such an important role in schools: this is our chance to say thank you for all that they do.”

Find Caterham School at caterhamschool.co.uk.

the 2023 ‘Oscars of Education’

Caterham School accepts its award from actor James Nesbitt

New Master Park hubwe’re almost there!

By Pammy McNaughton Chair of the Trustees of Master Park

Master Park is thrilled that local benefactors have pledged £320,000 towards our new Park Hub project. However, this is contingent upon the community raising a further £130,000.

The purpose for the new park hub is so that Master Park, as a whole, can survive.

Master Park is a charity and is on an unsustainable course. With a final push of donations by the community, the pledges and grants will be released, and construction can begin on this incredible multi-use building that will be home to a multitude of community activities, as well as local sports.

By donating at justgiving.com/ campaign/masterpark you are ensuring that Master Park is there for you, your children, and your children’s children!

Many thanks, from the Master Park project team.

Increased police patrols

Tandridge Beat will be going out on more planned patrols across the district over the summer. This is in response to the increase in reports of anti-social behaviour that occur during the holidays.

They have also asked that parents speak to their children about the dangers of accessing derelict buildings, after receiving reports of youths gaining entrance to a boarded up pub in Caterham on the Hill, causing extensive damage and being a nuisance to local residents.

Report suspicious activity

Surrey Police are asking residents to help them reduce burglaries by submitting video footage of suspicious activity from CCTV, dashcams and smart doortbells through their portal surrey. police.uk/suspiciousactivityportal.

The Tandridge Independent meets…Glen McCready.

“There’s an old adage that claims when given the choice between public speaking and death, many would choose death,” says Caterham’s Glen McCready. “It’s a joke, obviously, but there are a lot of people who really don’t feel comfortable speaking out loud, which can really affect how they present themselves.”

Renowned actor and voice artist Glen attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, a leading drama school which opened in 1926 as an opera school, was absorbed into the Central School of Speech and Drama in 2006, and boasts alumni including Angela Lansbury, Steven Berkoff, Hugh Bonneville, and Anthony Sher. Glen trained under Caryll Ziegler and Head of Voice Stewart Pearce, who also trained Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, and went on to become Master of Voice at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Glen has appeared on stage and in film and television (including roles in Blood Brothers, The Mousetrap, Hotel Portofino and Russell T Davies’ Years and Years) but it is through voice work that his career has really flourished.

He has recorded over 200 audiobooks, provided voice overs for commercials, narrated documentaries, given voice to animations, worked on the audio versions of Doctor Who and is extensively involved in the education sector. He has been the recipient of five AudioFile Magazine Earphone Awards.

His talent for accents and characters has established him firmly as a leading voice actor in the video game genre as well, with one role in particular delighting Potterheads everywhere.

Zygmunt Budge was the first wizard to be created by JK Rowling since the final book in the Harry Potter series was published, and Glen brought him to life in the 2013 Playstation 3 game Wonderbook: Book of Potions.

Glen began a long-standing collaboration with one of his all-time heroes, Steven Berkoff, in 2016 when he was part of the world premiere reading of Berkoff’s play Corpse.

“That play is made for the voice, and I’d been trying to get it made into an audio drama ever since we performed it. We finally got it recorded in spring 2022, and it was released on Steven’s website just before Easter this year. He now wants to get more of his unperformed work recorded, so we’ve got three more lined up. He’s also cast me in a couple of two-handers and I’m currently working on a full career retrospective interview with him, which is amazing.”

While it may not seem possible that Glen has time to do anything more, he has also been a speech, voice and

acting coach for more than 20 years.

“Around the turn of the century, I was invited back to Douglas Webber as a stand-in for Caryll Ziegler, who was then head of voice. I’ve been teaching, both privately and in drama schools, as well as in the corporate world, ever since. My wife Zoe and I had also had a Stagecoach franchise, where I worked with children and helped them prepare for professional auditions. One boy was chosen to play Harry Potter in the Cursed Child, and a girl I’d taught to speak with a Northern Irish accent for a play subsequently got a part in the film Belfast.”

When working with clients, Glen used to give them a CD featuring exercises to listen to and repeat at home. He has now developed this into TheSpeechCoach.pro: an online course that

Inclusive theatre company

Prospero Theatre in Caterham is one of nine organisations that have been awarded a share of the Surrey All Age Mental Health Investment Fund’s (MHIF) first round of funding, which totalled approximately £530,000.

Established in 2022, the MHIF has an overall budget of £10.5m. This is made up of a £6.5m contribution from Surrey County Council (SCC)

‘unlocks the powerful secrets of the spoken word’ for ‘clear, eloquent and impactful speech’, as well as teaching Neutral Standard English, something often required by casting directors.

A recent speech by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer resonated with Glen, as it outlined plans to improve children’s speaking skills by embedding oracy into the curriculum, something he’s hugely in favour of.

“I’m interested in working with schools on this, with the students directly but also training teachers how to do short vocal warm-ups, which are so useful for energising children and preparing them for in-class speaking. You make it fun so the children enjoy what they’re doing, and their confidence grows from that.”

For more information visit thespeechcoach.pro. Search ‘Steven Berkoff Corpse’ to watch the trailer on YouTube, and purchase the full digital download from stevenberkoff.com

awarded funding

and £4m from Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board. SCC has also secured just under £1m from a partnership with the Community Foundation for Surrey, via a match funding agreement.

The MHIF is used to support non-statutory services developed by local, community-based groups,

with a focus on ‘prevention, removing barriers and supporting people to become proactive in improving their emotional health and wellbeing.’

Prospero Theatre uses drama to improve the quality of life for adults and young people with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Left: Glen rehearsing with Steven Berkoff

Above: Glen McCready

Beetroot and feta salad

American pancakes with fruit coulee

Afternoon tea, “live life and spoil yourself”

Lord Roberts on The Green is a hidden gem on The Webb Estate. Located on Upper Woodcote Village. We are a world away from the high street which makes our location rather special. We are an independent Restaurant & Coffee Shop offering Artisan Produce, luxury Afternoon Teas, Breakfast, lunch and coming soon, summer BBQs. In the pipeline something to look forward to is the opening of the restaurant in the evenings. Follow our socials for more info when it’s launched.

Our beautiful setting is also available for private events after hours.

0208 660 2000

lordrobertsonthegreen.com

www.instagram.com/lordrobertsonthegreen www.facebook.com/LRPurley

The Webb Estate, 19 Upper Woodcote Village, Purley. CR8 3HF

One FREE SOFT DRINK with a meal

My ex and I are unmarried: can I claim financial assistance for our child?

By Megan Milburn EJ Coombs Solicitors

It is a common misconception that unmarried couples in longterm relationships have the same legal rights as married couples. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as ‘common law marriage’, which often means some couples find themselves in difficult financial situations if they separate.

If you and your ex are unmarried you do not have any legal obligations towards each other, which means if you separate, you would not be able to claim maintenance from your ex-partner for yourself.

Many people also consider that having a child together provides them with legal rights regardless of whether or not they are married. While this is not the case, financial assistance may be available for the benefit of children of unmarried parents who separate.

While you cannot claim maintenance from your ex-partner for yourself, you may be able to claim maintenance on your child’s behalf.

The amount of child maintenance payable can be worked out using the Child Maintenance Service calculator, which considers a number of factors including the paying parent’s income, the number of children living with the receiving parent, how many children the paying parent supports, and how often the children spend

overnight with the paying parent. You can arrange child maintenance payments and agree the amount between you directly. If this is not possible the Child Maintenance Service can assist you.

Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 is also available to those who have children and require financial support from the other parent to meet their children’s needs. The court can make Orders under this Act which

can include regular payments that are not dealt with by the Child Maintenance Service, which will usually end when the child is no longer a minor.

The court can order ‘top up’ maintenance orders, where the paying parent’s income exceeds the maximum Child Maintenance Service assessment, as well as payment of school fees or expenses if the child is disabled.

You could also claim lump sums to

LICENSING ACT 2003 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE

Unit 1, Parker House, Meadow View, Smallfield RH6 9JW

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an application has been made to the Licensing Authority of TANDRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL for a premises licence.

By RV1 Veteran Services CIC

Details of the application are as follows: Supply of Alcohol Monday Friday 0900 - 1600

A copy of the application may be inspected between 09.00 & 16.00 Monday to Friday at the address shown below.

Any person wishing to make representations on this matter must submit them in writing to the Licensing Section, Tandridge District Council, Station Road East, Oxted, RH8 0BT or licensing@tandridge.gov.uk by not later than 28th August 2023 stating the grounds on which the representation is made.

Please note that it is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is unlimited.

cover your child’s capital needs, such as home equipment or furniture, a car for transport, clothing etc, in addition to claims for property which may require a parent to purchase or transfer property to the resident parent to house the children. Sometimes, this is held in trust for a specified length of time, which will usually revert back to the paying parent when the child is no longer a minor.

All orders are solely for the ben -

efit of children, and the court will assess your child’s needs as well as the finances and responsibilities of both parents before making a decision.

If you need help with any of the issues mentioned, visit ejcoombs.co.uk or email gina@ejcoombs.co.uk.

Editor’s View - Rebalance Healing

A series of personal issues led Rachel Strachan to realise there were certain areas of her life where she still felt unfulfilled. She had used crystal healing, Reiki and various holistic therapies in the past to help her cope with stress and chronic illness and so she decided she wanted to increase her understanding of how Reiki, a Japanese form of energy healing, could be used to help heal people, both physically and emotionally. She began studying the practice and its benefits, and is now qualified as a Level 2 practitioner, with the hope of soon becoming a Reiki Master.

Rachel opened her healing room in Biggin Hill in July, and I recently visited her to try out the experience for myself. Reiki is commonly used to reduce stress, something extremely prevalent in my life as a mother of three with an extremely busy work schedule. I also often suffer with labrynthitis, which can be triggered by stress and anxiety.

My time with Rachel began with a consultation, where I told her of my specific issues, and she explained what the session would involve. I then lay down under a blanket, and was given crystals to hold in each hand.

I find it difficult to let my guard down with those I don’t know well and I had initially been cynical about being able to relax in an environment I wasn’t familiar with, but Rachel’s calm voice really resonated with me, and I could feel my tension drain as she held her

hands over me. The ambience created by the warmth of the blanket, the candles and incense was a great help as well. As I absorbed the atmosphere I felt myself start to relax and become more receptive to the gentle questions she asked me.

After allowing her pendulum to swing down my body from head to toe, Rachel pointed out that my chakras didn’t seem grounded. I found it interesting that she was able to pinpoint my lower back pain, as well as the pins and needles in my hands that I suffer

from. I enjoyed the pleasant tingling sensation that spread through my feet, and the feeling of calm that washed over me was definitely something I don’t get to experience very often!. At the end of the session, Rachel used her homemade sage spray, a herb traditionally connected with healing.

I believe I really received the full benefits of my Reiki treatment the next day. I had a clearer outlook on issues which had been worrying me, plus a feeling of balance and energy circulating throughout my body. It’s not just people of all ages that Rachel can help either; she regularly works with horses, cats and dogs too.

She uses her healing skills to help reduce stress, ease pain and calm destructive behaviour in the animals, which she believes is often the result of negative treatment from humans.

For further information about Rachel’s Reiki or healing treatments (including her animal and equine work), visit reikihealingsurrey.co.uk. Follow her on Facebook: @ RebalancewithRachel, or Instagram: @re_balancehealing.

Rachel Strachan - Rebalance Healing

Green Tips: Wildlife gardening

By Neil Miller Head

Hever Castle & Gardens

The willowy verbena are dancing in the late summer breeze in August and there’s a change in the air. If you look up, you’ll see the swallows and house martins gathering, while the swifts have already left for their winter break in Africa.

Wildlife is all around us at Hever Castle and Gardens, and the team and I often swap stories in the gardeners’ mess room over lunch. Felix may have seen a magpie moth in the newly created Dye Garden and Darren may have noticed the holly blue butterfly in Blue Corner. It’s a sure bet that one of the team will have something to share.

There is plenty we can do to support nature and the wildlife in our gardens. If it’s hot and water is hard to find, we leave out water for the birds in tiny saucers: they need it for drinking and for taking a bath. While you have your watering can out, it’s worth checking that your ponds are topped up, especially as we have had a good amount of heat this summernothing like last year’s scorcher, but it’s been warm enough to evaporate the water from the features.

The early perennials may be turning to seed in your borders, but do leave the heads in place. They provide food for the birds and visiting wildlife in the harsher months of winter. I’m a stickler for leaving the perennials to run to seed and I don’t cut them until late February.

August is a good time to attend to your hedges but before you start to trim them, make sure that the blackbirds and thrushes, who like to nest a second time, have left.

We cut the yews in August and while

this particular variety of evergreen is slow-growing, it’s quite a big job for us. We have a beautiful chess set created from golden yew by William Waldorf Astor at the turn of the 20th Century. Over the last couple of years we have been renovating the set, and reducing the ‘pieces’ in height, in order to create a more compact and visually impactful display.

If your yew is overgrown, it’s actually better to take it slowly and cut back over a couple of years. We have spent the last few years trimming the chess

set gently, so that we can create a denser effect. Unlike most conifers of age, the yew tree will provide new stems from old wood.

While people are often impressed by the fact that our yews are over 100 years old, they’re actually youngsters in the yew world. If looked after properly, yew trees can grow for 1,000 years!

If you visit Hever Castle and Gardens this month then make sure you take a leisurely stroll on Lake Walk: the bird spotting opportunities at this

quiet area of the ground are many and varied. It is home to owls, blue tits, robins and woodpeckers and if you’re lucky you may spot a kingfisher close to the reeds. You’ll no doubt see swans, herons and great crested grebes on the lake itself. As a gardener there’s no greater sight than seeing tawny owls, barn owls and common terns when they appear to almost hover above the lake and dive down to catch a fish.

One final tip that will help enhance your garden even further as a top destination for wildlife visitors: refrain from deadheading your shrub roses and allow the rose hips to redden, these will not only provide fantastic colour but are also a great food source for garden birds.

Hever Castle & Gardens is open seven days a week: hevercastle.co.uk

Tandridge Past: Recruiting Day in Caterham

By Clare Corcoran East Surrey Museum

August is high summer: the schools are out and many people are taking a holiday. However, in August 1914 the mood was very different.

In June, Arch-Duke Ferdinand of Serbia and his wife had been assassinated in Sarajevo, precipitating the First World War. On 1 August, Germany declared war on Russia, and shortly after invaded Belgium to attack France. As a result, Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August, a move generally supported by the British public.

The British Armed Forces had been on alert throughout July but, unlike other European powers, they did not have a conscripted army, and only had around 250,000 men, many of whom were overseas. In comparison, France and Germany had mobilised over 3.5m men in 1914.

By the end of August, Britain had sent around 150,000 men to France, to stop the German advance. Increas-

ing the size of the army, and backfilling the jobs left by the men who signed up, was now the main priority. Army camps expanded to take new recruits, and the Guards Depot at Caterham would eventually expand in tents and huts across Coulsdon Common. By early September 1914, over half a million men had enlisted in Britain.

Our picture shows a recruiting day at Caterham, in April 1915. A big parade of soldiers, scouts and nurses was assembled in front of Caterham Station, to encourage men and women to volunteer for the armed forces, or to support the war effort in other roles, such as nursing.

However, such was the casualty rate at the front, conscription was eventually introduced in 1916. The guns would not fall silent until November 1918, with the peace treaty not signed until the following year.

We have a small display covering WW1: please pop in to the museum on Stafford Road in Caterham to see it! eastsurreymuseum.org.uk

gardener at

Leave sea holly to go to seed to provide food for the birds. All photos by Vikki Rimmer

Watch for birds on your stroll around Lake Walk

On Lake Walk at Hever Castle & Gardens

Understanding your first payslip

By Chantal Baker Champ Consultants

My son recently started his career and I had to help him understand his payslip and check his tax code was correct. I wanted to write this article for others in the same situation.

Tax code

As an individual, you are entitled to £12,570 of tax-free income in a year and this is shown as a tax code of 1257. You should have this as your tax code, or higher if you are claiming any expenses (eg a uniform allowance). The amount may be reduced if you receive any benefits (eg medical insurance or gym membership).

If your tax code is wrong, you can have this corrected by logging onto your personal tax account and updating the details of your employer’s name, their PAYE reference and confirmation if this is your only job. If you have more than one job, your personal allowance is split between

them but you can elect which job to allocate most of it to.

National Insurance Contributions

As well as paying income tax, you will start to pay Class 1 National Insurance Contributions. This is a compulsory payment and for most people is 12% of your pay. It starts once you earn more than £242 a week.

Pension – workplace pension

Once you are an employee and become eligible (usually aged 22 and earning more than £10,000), your employer must enrol you onto a workplace pension. It is your decision if you wish to also pay into that pension or not. The standard contribution is 5% of your salary, and your employer usually adds 3%.

If you receive hourly pay, commission or shift pay, always check your gross pay on your payslip to ensure your employer has included all amounts payable to you. You may find that your employment has a cut off date for such payments: be aware of what this date is so you can confirm your gross pay is correct.

Tax bands

Be aware of the different tax bands and remember that once your total income (including benefits) reaches £50,270, any additional amount will then be liable to tax at 40%. Everything between your tax-free personal allowance and this amount is taxed at 20%.

Please always seek professional advice before taking any action. We are happy to answer questions in future issues. Please send your questions through the Contact Us page on our website: champconsultants.co.uk

New tables for Tatsfield

Chantal Baker is the director and founder of Champ Consultants Ltd, an accountancy and tax consultancy practice in Caterham. You can follow them on their social media channels. Chantal is on TikTok as ‘business_finance_mentor’.

Can you help the Food Hub?

By the Whyteleafe Community Hub

The Whyteleafe Food Hub supports local families in Whyteleafe, Kenley, Hamsey Green, Warlingham and parts of Caterham with food, drink and toiletries provisions when they are temporarily unable to afford them.

With around 200+ people a month receiving a package from the Food Hub, regular donations from residents are key to maintaining this program. Unfortunately, the Food Hub has seen the cost-of-living crisis hit, with the donation points receiving fewer contributions each week.

We recognise times are extremely tough on everyone due to rising living costs but urge residents to continue supporting the Food Hub and consider making small donations on a weekly basis to keep it going.

We also encourage residents to promote the Food Hub to their local friends and neighbours and ask them to also make donations. If everyone in the area made a small donation each week, it would make an amazing difference to the program!

Donations can be made at the following donation points:

• Hobbs Pharmacy, Whyteleafe

• The Whyteleafe Tavern

• Ticket office, Whyteleafe train station

• Co-op, Hamsey Green

• Tesco Express, Warlingham

• Morrisons, Caterham

The Food Hub is currently coordinated and organised by volunteers of the Whyteleafe Community Hub. To receive a parcel, you need to be referred by a professional body associated with health, poverty or social care.

Whyteleafe is blooming!

By Cllr Deano Cline Chairman of Whyteleafe Village Council

One of the priorities identified by Whyteleafe Village Council is to make our village a prettier and more aesthetically pleasing place. So, several months ago we announced our intention to enter into a station adoption scheme with Govia Thameslink Railways for both Whyteleafe and Whyteleafe South Stations.

As part of this scheme, seven new planters full of colourful plants have been installed at these stations. But this is not just a collaboration between two parties, as we have also teamed up with the Whyteleafe Community Hub Garden Group, who generously took on responsibility for nurturing tiny plug plants and cuttings into plants suitable for display (all for a fraction of the cost if bought ready to plant out).

The Garden Group comprises residents who use their energy, enthusiasm and skills to improve the appearance of our community. Without their support, this project would not have started or succeeded. On behalf of the village council, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved. But it does not stop there! The Garden Group have also planted up the borders in the Jubilee Garden, opposite Whyteleafe School, and have put

in place arrangements to look after all these blooms. And on top of that, there are further plans to ‘green-up’ other places in Whyteleafe too. We hope the results continue to bring some cheer and colour into all our lives and some more wildlife, such as insects and birds, into the village. If you wish to support the Garden Group in some way please get in touch. For information about the council’s other activities, meetings and my fellow councillors, visit our website at whyteleafevillagecouncil.gov. uk or email me on cllr.cline@whyteleafevillagecouncil. gov.uk.

Lynn, Angela and Peter from the Whyteleafe Community Hub Garden Group

AFC Whyteleafe Women: ready to rise

Captain Echo Barrett, and manager Duncan Muller freely admit that AFC Whyteleafe Women’s 2022/23 season did not get off to the greatest of starts.

“We were really struggling for players at the very beginning of the season, “ says Duncan. “Although I managed to bring in a few women that I knew, and Echo did the same, we were lacking quality, and we lost the first four games badly.”

Looking back at the team’s recent history, it is perhaps understandable that they took a while to settle into the new season. Following Irama Sports’ purchase of Church Road in June 2021 there followed a period of uncertainty for the teams that called it home. While the women’s team, who at that point were playing in the premier division of the London & SE Regional Football League, stayed at the ground under the umbrella of the youth teams, the disruption saw them finishing the 2021/22 season at the bottom of the table and being relegated to Division 1 (North) in Tier 6.

Duncan, who had recently left his role as head of women’s football at Sutton United, was contacted by Kelly Waters, manager of the revitalised men’s first team AFC Whyteleafe, to see if he would be interested in taking on Whyteleafe Women. He said yes, and a new regime was ushered in.

After the rocky start, the squad recruited two new goalkeepers and additional outfield players, and started to improve, completing a good cup run and going unbeaten in the league for almost five months. They finished seventh in the table, a position reflecting the number of games that ended in a draw.

Echo considers their last season to be a good one, even if they didn’t finish as high up the table as they would have liked.

“I thought it was successful. Maybe not as much as we’d hoped for, but if you think about how we started, we came on so well. Duncan and his

team are great coaches and really professional. We increased our training session to include a fitness one run by our new strength and conditioning coach Mary, who is also a player. We’re also practising more on grass because Church Road is a 3G pitch, and we found that we were struggling at away games as the game plays so differently on grass!”

Duncan is quick to credit Echo, who has just turned 23, for the strides forward that the team has made.

“It wouldn’t have been achievable without her. I made her captain when I first arrived, and she’s really lived up to the role, not just on the pitch but off it as well. She does so much in a practical sense, from the recruitment

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of players, giving lifts and helping with social media, but also within the team itself. Echo communicates well with both me and the players, discussing and helping to sort out any issues that arise. She is very young for a captain and is still learning but she really cares about the team and wants it to be successful. We couldn’t ask for a better leader.”

The team is now focused on their next achievements, and Duncan says their aspirations are high.

“We want to finish top of the table this season, get back into the premier division and progress from there up to Tier 3. And we want more people to come to the games!”

Echo agrees. “By the end of last

season, our fan numbers had increased, but we want even more this season. We’re really proud of being a diverse team, and we’re striving to be role models for all the girls in our community that want to play, so we want people to know we’re here and really get behind women’s football.”

The team has two friendlies in August, at home to Newhaven on the 6th (KO 14:00) and away to Crawley AFC on the 10th (KO 20:00), before the 2023/24 season proper begins on 20 August.

Fixtures are available at afcwhyteleafe.com, and the team would love you to come down to Church Road and show your support.

BBC SURREY WEEKLY CHAT

If you’re interested in the various sponsorship opportunities that AFC Whyteleafe Women has to offer, email women@ afcwhyteleafe.com for more information. You can also follow them on Instagram (@ afcwhyteleafewomen) and Twitter (@AFCwhyteleafeW).

104.6FM - BBC Surrey

Above: Taking on Brentford. Inset photos: Celebrating against Sport London E Benfica

Photo credits: Andy Crayford - Crayfordmedia