Warden Park & Mid Sussex Community Garden's orchard and wild flower garden

Over half term a huge amount of work was undertaken to prepare the Mid Sussex Community Garden, at Warden Park Secondary, for the planting of an orchard and wild flower garden.

From being an overgrown, almost unusable space, the site has now been transformed, thus providing the foundation for the vision to take shape - a place where school and wider community members can find solace from the hectic pace of life. Whether it is planting, digging or simply finding a space to be at peace in nature, we are moving towards that goal, with the help of all of our partners.

The next phase is to start planting and we are always looking for volunteers to lend a hand. If anyone is interested please get in touch. Our next big event will be held on the 19th, 20th and 21st of November when we will be planting 58 trees for the school.

We are looking for more volunteers to help us on the weekends, usually on a Saturday, to help with our plans. We are hoping to plant and finish off around the pond area; move a shed and tidy away some of our hundreds of pots; build a second gazebo and start planting in the polytunnel for our spring plant sale. We are also looking for anyone with web design expertise who might be interested in volunteering to help update our website.

Read the about the whole experience and upcoming plans in November’s Cuckfield Life on pages 20 and 21.

An update on the roof at Cuckfield's Holy Trinity Church

By Brian Cutler

The refurbishment of the external stonework of Holy Trinity Church in Cuckfield is being undertaken by DBR London under the direction of our inspecting Architect, Jonathan Cerowski. The extensive damage to the masonry is primarily the result of weathering, exacerbated by the use of hard cement pointing in the middle of the last century. The majority of the work has involved cleaning the stone, removing loose debris (defrassing, re pointing and repairing or replacing stone as necessary). Work is also underway to prepare new coping stones to replace the most severely damaged stones on the battlements at the top of the tower.

Work on the project started in mid July 2021 and is expected to last until the end of the year. Extensive scaffolding has been erected at both the east and west ends of the building to enable access. In some areas, the stone is not as damaged as had been feared while in others it is worse, and a more extensive repair will be necessary. Inevitably there have been some surprises. A rotting roof rafter hidden by facing stone at the east end and the building of a Victorian buttress to the tower built against a pattress plate that has now corroded and damaged the stone of the buttress.

1st Cuckfield Scouts centenary

The Scout group is incredibly excited to be celebrating its 100th birthday! Originally consisting of 18 Boy Scouts, the group was first registered by Scout Master Lawrence Wilfred Siggs in Haywards Heath on 30th September 1921. As one of the oldest groups in the country, 1st Cuckfield Scouts continues to go from strength to strength.

The current troop, led by volunteers from the local community, comprises of over 75 young people, within three sections - Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Today’s Scout leaders support the young people in their development and growth of character and with a sense of purpose, echoing the original aims and values of the Boy Scouts Association.

Young people learn how to be can-doers and give-it-agoers, having lots of fun playing games, working in a team and taking on new challenges, with friends and new acquaintances. To commemorate this significant milestone, the group put on a successful event at Haywards Heath Rugby Club on 1st October. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, their families, as well as wider community members - not forgetting Cuckfield’s very own mayor - came together for a fun-filled afternoon of food (very generously provided by Oxford Knight), drink, games and activities. Funds were raised, which will prove invaluable in securing the continued operation of the group.

Another, slightly less glamorous but no less important, community event took place in the early evening on 13th and 14th September. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts were all busy picking up litter around Cuckfield to help keep our community clean and tidy and to raise awareness about the environment we live in. Mind you, participants all had an added incentive on this occasion, as they were rewarded with fish and chips, which was generously subsidised by Cuckfish. Further information can be found on www.1stcuckfield.org.uk. Donations to ensure that the group continues to flourish are always welcome!