Warden Park fundraise for woodland development project

Warden Park Secondary Academy are looking to raise £7,000 to assist with plans to plant and maintain over 57 native English trees, alongside 500 saplings and a student-designed garden and outdoor learning area - a place where students can reconnect with nature whilst contributing to improve the environment.

Tree Action is a community interest company planning to work with five schools in the next two years. They are currently working in partnership with Warden Park Secondary Academy to help them plan and fundraise for the development of an orchard, woodland, gardens, and outdoor learning space. The students on the school grounds are involved, and will be responsible for building, designing, developing, and maintaining the site.

Tree Action was started to assist schools to start their own tree planting and biodiversity projects that students could take part in, so that students and the school can play a part in tackling climate change whilst giving young people the opportunity to connect with what’s proving to be increasingly more important that smartphones – nature.

Last year, Ben Woods – English teacher and House Co-ordinator – started a school Eco-Committee with the idea of raising awareness of the global climate crisis and how the school could help. Attached to the school is a large plot of land which had once been a thriving allotment area. Seeing the potential for use, Ben undertook the challenge to re-establish the importance of an outside learning space and set up links to the local community. Ben heard about the first Tree Action project at Shoreham Academy and contacted Ricky Purnell, the organiser, and also local community member Pauline Sutherland and a plan finally started to come together.

Tree Action brought an arborist to identify the potential for trees in the grounds. Space was identified for planting over 1,000 saplings, plus 57 standard 2-4 year old trees, including more fruit trees, 12 beeches and limes, and around 21 other standard trees.

Ben Woods commented: “We have a wonderful opportunity with so much space to be able to fill up with trees. It gives us an opportunity to engage the students and staff with the environment around them. We’re looking to raise money so we can introduce more trees onto the site, especially fruit trees.“

Ricky Purnell, Director and Event Co-ordinator of Tree Action UK said: “We believe the Warden Park Academy project is a great project that will greatly benefit the students for years to come. This project is a beacon for other schools who have not yet realised the potential for planting trees on site, schools who would like to but just do not feel they have the time and resources to achieve them.”

The £7,000 they are hoping to raise through crowdfunder.co.uk will enable the school to fund this project, and if they raise more, it would add further to the development of the school’s outdoor learning area. Tree Action and Warden Park Academy are offering some great rewards for their tree planting project including ‘Sponsor a Tree’ which will include a certificate of dedication designed by students, photo of your tree and a map showing its location. There’s also ‘tea and cake’ and a tour of the tree planting sites on offer for £20.

For more details go to their crowdfunding page: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/tree-action-uk

Village People: David knows where to go...

By Jacqueline Elmore

Every year, The Queen’s Birthday Honours list confers titles and honours to deserving individuals in recognition of their achievement or service; the most well-known of which are MBE’s, OBE’s and CBE’s.

This year’s list was no exception, making it one of the most diverse with many recipients from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, healthcare workers and school teachers all being acknowledged for their contribution to the country.

In October, Cuckfield resident, David Curtis-Brignell was awarded his very own MBE for services to tourism. His nomination was in recognition of the decades of voluntary work he did in support of the industry.

“I had no idea I had been nominated for the award so when an email from the Cabinet Office arrived, it was a complete surprise. It was lovely to be appreciated for all my years of work in tourism. I felt very proud.”

David grew up in Pembury Kent and attended school in Tunbridge Wells until he was 13, when the family moved to Worthing because of his father’s job.

“That was a difficult time for me. The transition and adapting to a completely new environment was hard because most children had already got their established friendship groups so it was a little alien to me. I decided once my O-levels were finished that that was it; I was going to find a job and go to work.”

David’s very distinguished career in travel began in local government working in established British resorts. One of the most interesting parts of David’s story is how he got there.

“A job came up in the entertainment and publicity department of Worthing Borough Council which meant getting involved in everything to do with leisure and tourism. I was really very lucky because my first boss was an industry guru. He was a legend in the sector and really quite brilliant. He always encouraged me to try new things and to never be afraid to say, ‘I’ve got an idea’.”

It was very varied - David had to buy equipment needed for rehearsing the local team for the BBC’s ‘It’s a Knockout’ and ‘Jeux Sans Frontieres’ programmes.

Later he had 13 weeks looking after the Pavilion Theatre summer season and would get one night off a week – all on top of the day job.

“It was exciting, but that experience is probably what taught me that theatre management wasn’t for me and that I was more interested in marketing and tourism.”

He was also given the opportunity to project lead on major sporting events and created a new summer festival.

[The above is an excerpt from the full article printed in December 2020 issue of Cuckfield Life magazine)

O little town of Bolnore - Living Advent Calendar

By Louise Smith

Bolnore advent window

Today is also the beginning of our first ever Living Advent Calendar Trail. For every day of December a decorated window will be revealed by illumination on the run up to Christmas. The route is a meandering rail through Bolnore and the Beeches; the idea is that everyone can join in by walking the trail, and by decorating your window with the same number to the one nearest to your house marked on the map. My children are especially looking forward to walking the trail and seeing how it develops and grows.

Decorations can be as simple or complicated as you wish and I will publish them daily on This is Bolnore Facebook page, where more information can also be found. We have adored seeing the creativity so far but more than that, we’ve loved seeing how neighbours have come together to discuss (from a distance) their window plans. Well done Bolnorians, once again you rock and bring on the fairy lights!

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