News

Parish Council News

The photograph shows how the Council (and many other committees and organisations) have been meeting during lockdown. Those with good eyesight may spot an unfamiliar face on the screen – this was a village resident who wanted to see how the Council worked. So we can even accommodate visitors (given a day or two’s warning).

At our most recent meeting (18^th May), which was the annual meeting of the Council, some significant changes were made. I stood down after 9 years as Chair. The Council unanimously elected Jane Claxton as Chair and Kerry Coughtrey as Vice-Chair.

I wish Jane and Kerry every success in the coming years and am confident that this strong and talented Council is left in very capable hands.

Chris Welfare

Hello Everyone, 
I just wanted to introduce myself to you all as your new Chair of the Fittleworth Parish Council. On Monday the Parish Council Team voted me in as Chair and Kerry Coughtrey as your new Vice Chair.  I am delighted to be taking over the reins from Chris Welfare who has been doing an excellent job over the past 9 years and will be a hard act to follow.
Chris has achieved a huge amount during his term in office from getting the new village shop off the ground so it is now a key part of our lovely village and putting together and getting the new Neighbourhood Plan adopted, which gives a very clear framework for all that we try do in making Fittleworth a wonderful place to live and work.  All this on top of all the day to day things that need doing to make sure everything in village runs as smoothly as possible.

Going forward the Parish Council will be updating our Strategic Plan alongside working with the Sports
& Social Club to give the Club a revamp to make it a family friendly place, welcome to all and meeting the needs of what our Village Community would like to see in the centre of our village.  We shall shortly be distributing a Questionnaire (both digitally and hard copy) to ask you what you would like us to do as part of this exciting project and it would great if you could take a few minutes to fill it in and return it to us so we can get your thoughts and ideas from the start for this exciting project.

My family have been in the village for 4 generations and I have lived in the village myself for nearly 30 years with my children attending our lovely village school and so it is somewhere that I know and love, having been involved in lots of aspects of village life over the years, I am looking forward to working with the Parish Council and all of you to continue to make Fittleworth a fantastic place to live, work and play.

I hope you are able to have a great bank holiday in spite of the difficult times we find ourselves in. the needs of what our Village Community would like to see in the centre of our village.  We shall shortly be distributing a Questionnaire (both digitally and hard copy) to ask you what you would like us to do as part of this exciting project and it would great if you could take a few minutes to fill it in and return it to us so we can get your thoughts and ideas from the start for this exciting project.

My family have been in the village for 4 generations and I have lived in the village myself for nearly 30 years with my children attending our lovely village school and so it is somewhere that I know and love, having been involved in lots of aspects of village life over the years, I am looking forward to working with the Parish Council and all of you to continue to make Fittleworth a fantastic place to live, work and play.

I hope you are able to have a great bank holiday in spite of the difficult times we find ourselves in.

V E Day marked the end of the war in Europe on 8th May 1945. Fittleworth celebrated ‘at home’ in 2020! Please see the latest E-Newsletter for photos of Fittleworth marking VE Day.
Fittleworth, unlike London, seems to have marked VE Day quietly in 1945. In 2020 we celebrated with flags, bunting, cups of tea (and the occasional Pimms!). In 1945 people travelled from far and wide to celebrate in London – including some of those living in Fittleworth now. This year we remembered the people who helped us then – and the many helping us now.

Of the few people who lived in Fittleworth then and remember this important day, there are memories of a village in waiting or remembering those they have lost in the war. People were waiting for news of family members in prisoner of war camps – were they still alive? Memories of escape with people not yet back in UK, or who were waiting for a then unknown VJ Day to feel they could celebrate.

Please be sure to contact clerk@fittleworth-pc.org.uk with your e-address, to receive this and  future regular issues. There is updated news from the Parish Council, Fittleworth Stores, The Swan, the School, St Mary’s church, CDC and WSCC. This week there is also new information about another meal delivery service,  Fittleworth Sports Club and South Downs National Park.

The Newsletter’s information is particularly important, now that  the Magazine committee has had to take the decision not to have the May Fittleworth and Stopham Village Magazine printed for distribution, in this difficult time.