• Annual General Meeting 7.30pm
* See Note at foot of page.
Minutes from Regular Meeting 7.55pm
• 1 Apologies and Introductions
Apologies - Sam Gildert, Sue Heaton, Danny Allen, Jean Starkie, Janet and Phil Booth
Present – Simone, Iain, Rachael Gildert, Jo Blair, Julia Barrow, Janet, Peter Fell, Wilf Day, Paddy Marriott, Geoff Heaton, Cherry, Stephen Cudworth, Shelley
• 2 New Kirk Fair
At the Methodist Church this year due to double booking with St Nicholas’ so we couldn’t have the ‘back up’ of this as alternative venue or use their facilities. Maybe hold it earlier in the year so we’re less likely to double book.
Decided to hold the event in the second weekend in Saturday 9th September 2017 to coordinate with Heritage Open Weekend. Possibly at St Nicks so we can get visitors to explore the Church and tower.
• 3 Christmas Carol concert
Hold it in the garden again this year as it went well last year and we have the new lights now which we’d like to make the most of.
Pencil in for Tuesday 20th December but need to coordinate with Penny at St Nicks. Simone to check with school and Church for dates
Agreed that all dates of local events to be put onto Facebook and our website. SC to ask Danny if he can arrange this if the information is provided.
Also need to book Mike if we want music again this year.
• 4 NVCA Dinner
- Go to the yearly ceilidh at St Anne’s church
- Simone to find out more details about dates. Usually around Burns Night in January 2017.
- Details to be circulated as and when known.
• 5 Gardening Update
- Thanks to Danny and George for carrying out work to lower the central privet hedges over the summer.
- Privet hedges haven’t been cut at all this summer yet by RBC. RG to check if this work is programmed in for this year and report back.
- Garden tidy up day – Saturday 15th October at 1pm and Sunday 23rd October at 1pm.
Funding update
- £1000 from Lancashire Environmental Fund and local authority funds towards repairs. Approximate total costs £1500. RG to write bids and get letter of permission from the Council.
• 6 AOB
22nd October McMillan Coffee Afternoon at the Boars Head from 1pm. Bring cakes!
29th October 2016 Newchurch Primary school is 40 years old so they are having fancy dress. They are also asking for photos of people in the 70s. Fashions, cars, furniture and houses etc. Anything to demonstrate this era. Pass directly to the school on this email address: bursar@newchurchcofe.lancs.sch.uk / Tel: 01706 229478
Saturday 5th November Charity Walk for breast and prostate cancer. Set off at 2pm from the Boars, loop into Rawtenstall. Treasure hunt too. Women have to wear bras on the outside and men their underwear followed by Jacobs join and fireworks.
St Nicholas’ School event dates: TO FOLLOW
Lantern parade in Stacksteads. Thursday 29th September at the Methodist Church is the adult workshop event 7-9pm. Actual event date is October 29th starting at 6pm from Toll Bar business Park.
Dark Lane has had a traffic survey (which happened last week) and apparently there is going to be a public consultation about development on the site. Date to be confirmed by SC when she hears more about it. Intention that this will be on 4th October at St Nicks School.
Bus service – IB raised an issue with it being unreliable, the timing means that there is no connection to the Bury bus. Cllr Marriott explained that when the subsidies from LCC were removed, the line became longer so that this has made the timings less reliable. IB wondered if one of the Bacup Road buses could be rerouted. Paddy to look into any potential options and get back to us.
RG to ask Lee Childs when the lights get switched on.
• 7 Date of next meetings/upcoming events in the area
Regular meetings:
Tuesday 8th November 2016 at 7.30pm
Wednesday 22nd February 2017 at 7.30pm at the Boars Head (quiz starts at 9pm)
Thursday 25th May 2017 at 7.30pm
Tuesday 12th September 2017 at 7.30pm (AGM followed by regular meeting)
Other Events
• Tuesday 4th October 4-7pm consultation on Dark Lane Football Club development. At St Nicks School.
• Saturday 15th October 1pm Garden Tidy Up.
• 22nd October McMillan Coffee Afternoon at the Boars Head from 1pm. Bring cakes!
• Sunday 23rd October 1pm Garden Tidy Up.
• Saturday 29th October from 6pm – Lantern Parade in Stacksteads, starting at Toll Bar Business Park.
• Saturday 5th November Charity Walk for breast and prostate cancer. Set off at 2pm from the Boars.
• Tuesday 20th December – NVCA Carols in the Garden PROVISIONAL DATE – TBC
• Saturday 9th September 2017 NEW KIRK FAIR
• Newchurch Village Community Association – Chairs Report 2016
The last twelve months have seen changes in our village; a new vicar installed at St Nicholas, Newchurch Primary school’s new Head has embedded herself in school life, the Methodist church has had a reprieve from threatened closure and Christmas lights could be seen from miles around!
Planning applications have not caused concern; indeed, it would appear that attention has been diverted to the land behind Johnny Barn Cottages and we should keep an eye on the recent developments regarding a reconsidered flood study. Dark Lane Football club continues to fall into further disrepair. This has now been sold on to a new owner and we look forward to hearing of their intentions for the land.
Christmas saw Carol singers meeting in the park to sing carols, eat mince pies and enjoy the wonderful lights. The weather was kind to us for a change and a special thank you must go to Mike Hepplestone for playing the keyboard so well.
This year’s post Christmas ‘bash’ was a Black tie and Tiara theme held in the Boars Head and the usual competitive spirit started to take over as the evening progressed with the games and quizzes getting sillier by the pint!
A further social event was organised by Shelley with a minibus travelling over t’border to Todmorden to Bare Arts. I can thoroughly recommend this, the food, beer and company was wonderful!
Kirk Fair was arranged using the Methodist Church facilities. The heavy downpour on the day (we seem to have our fair share of wet events), traffic lights at the entrance and a crane didn’t seem to cause us too much of a problem and more people than ever enjoyed the fun. Over £500 was raised and a donation was made to the Methodist church for the use of the building and to the Year 6 children of Newchurch Primary school, who had run a stall at the event, which enabled them to have a takeaway at their sleepover to celebrate the end of their time at the school.
Wet weather, again, has hampered our efforts to improve the little park; however, thanks must go to Geoff Heaton for sprucing up the notice board, Danny and George Allen for their sterling work in reducing the privet hedges in the middle of the park making it more open, and all those gardeners who pop in waging war on the weeds.
Danny Allen, together with Wilf Day, have built us a fantastic new website and the Facebook page is currently under development. Please have a look and we would welcome any photos of events or historical Newchurch to add to these.
I would like to finish by thanking The Boars Head for allowing us to meet on the premises, Rachael Gildert for her, as always, meticulous note keeping and Iain for looking after the money for us!
* Note
Members can obtain a copy of the Annual General Meeting(AGM) report and the audited accounts by email form the Sectretary - secretary@newchurch-village.co.uk