Upchurch WI - Quiz Night

Wendy Pitts - Upchurch Women's Institute 
Tel: 01634 362253
Email: marwen.pitts@btinternet.com

Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club - Fundraising Event

Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club is holding another fundraising event at Upchurch Village Hall towards the cost of an electric mat winding machine which is approximately £7000.

The club has raised around half of this amount so far.

Please come and join us for an evening of Summer fun with good friends, great music and dancing!

Malcolm Groves
Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee - AGM

Thursday 14th April 2022 at 7:30pm in the Main Hall

The Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee is a group of volunteers drawn from village organisations who give up their time to maintain and run the Village Hall on your behalf.

The time has come around again for the Committee’s Annual General Meeting, the time when village residents can hear what has been happening during the past year, plans for the future and show their appreciation of their work carried out by the Committee.

Please put the date in your diaries and try to attend.

Thank you

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee

Village Halls Week 2022: Innovating for the future

Village Halls Week

Monday 24th January - Sunday 30th January

Village Halls Week is a national campaign, shining a spotlight on the contribution England’s 10,000+ village halls make to our rural communities. It is an opportunity for hall management committees to celebrate their work and gather inspiration from others.

This year, ACRE's fifth annual campaign week will challenge halls to do something different and innovate for the future.

Village and community halls host a diverse range of neighbourhood activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are regularly hired for private parties, meetings and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.

Halls do much to improve the life and general wellbeing of residents, often providing the only local space where people gather, combating loneliness, and delivering a wide range of activities and services. An estimated 50,000 individuals to are reliant on the use of village halls to make a living.

In these precarious, Covid times, community buildings play a leading role in shaping a better future.

Throughout this week, ACRE will be encouraging halls to pledge to do something different - whether that be extending their offer to their community, reducing their impact on the environment or becoming more financially sustainable.

To read more about Village Halls Week, visit: www.acre.org.uk

#VillageHallsWeek

Upchurch Village Hall

At the centre of village life for over 60 years

At the beginning of this Village Halls Week, we would like to say a big thank you to the Village Hall Management Committee, which oversees the day-to-day running of our village hall. Also to the booking secretary, caretaker and the many volunteers who help out throughout the year.

Committee members are trustee volunteers who meet regularly throughout the year to ensure the smooth running of the village hall for all the local groups and organisations that hire it regularly and for those who choose the venue for their private party or a special family occasion.

Refurbishment

Upchurch Village Hall has recently undergone a major refurbishment thanks to the hard work of committee members and generous donations from numerous organisations, individuals and the proceeds of fundraising events held at the village hall.

Working together, everybody involved has made our village hall look smart and fit for purpose once again, ensuring it remains at the centre of village life for many more years to come.

Thank you for everything you do 👏🏼

To hire Upchurch Village Hall, please contact: 01634 364859
Visit the website: https://upchurchvillagehall.weebly.com

Upchurch Matters

Santa’s Coming to Upchurch! - CANCELLED

The Parish Council has reluctantly taken the decision to cancel Santa's visit to Upchurch Village Hall this Sunday due to the current situation with the pandemic.

As always, Santa will visit the children at home on Christmas Eve.

So be good 😇

 

🏠 🦌 🎅🏼

Upchurch Parish Council

Upchurch Village Fair at Upchurch Village Hall

Finish your Christmas shopping and support small local businesses at this year's Upchurch Village Fair at Upchurch Village Hall on Saturday 11th December between 10:00am and 1:00pm.

We have Novella with folded books, handmade Christmas gifts and decorations, Body Shop, Scentsy, and Bug & Beagle Books coming to name just a few.

Stallholders will be updating the event page with more details at >> https://fb.me/e/5TB1wpLCW

Faye Cosgrave

Upchurch Village Hall 60th Anniversary

Click photos to enlarge.

The village hall is officially 60 years old on 4th November this year. Unlike its 25th and 50th Anniversaries, there are no plans to celebrate this event. A few weeks ago, there was an afternoon tea party open to all villagers and those who use the hall to show off the numerous alterations that have been carried out during the past 2 years, mostly during the COVID-19 lockdown periods, and this was well attended at the time. Past history of the village hall has been written about many times and can still be found on Upchurch Matters as well as numerous other publications and websites. The following is a brief celebration of the village hall. A more detailed one, The History of Upchurch Village Hall, can be found on the Upchurch Village Hall website: www.upchurchvillagehall.weebly.com

It is believed to be as far back as the 1930’s that Margaret Neame who worked in the Upchurch Village Store first suggested the idea that Upchurch should have a village hall that served the whole community. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the idea first started to come to fruition, culminating in the building of the first part of the village hall in 1961. This was followed by the addition of the back hall and stage area in 1974. During the 1980’s there were many different upgrades to the building including bringing gas into the hall in 1982 when at the same time the original electric heating hung from the ceiling were changed to floor-standing gas-fired heating units, converting the internal emergency lighting system from a continuously charged 12v battery-operated system to a mains electric powered system and installing a fully powered external emergency and security lighting around the building. In 1999, with the help of a £93,000 grant from the National Lottery Fund, the kitchen extension and toilet upgrading were carried out.

Most recently the hall has undergone a major refurbishment which included the replacement of the gas heaters for more economical ones, installation of an electrically operated smoke detection and fire alarm system, updating the main electrics, a new ceiling and lighting system in the main hall along with new fire doors and floor covering. Work in the back hall has included a new soundproof partition positioned on the upper level with a set of soundproof double doors linking it through into the stage area, an additional inner ceiling complete with module lighting panels, similar to that in the main hall and additional external lighting illuminating the car park area.

Upchurch Village Hall was first proposed some 90 years ago now and having come to fruition in 1961 and has been at the heart of the village community ever since. Whilst some of the village clubs that exist today functioned during the 1960s many do not. These include the Mother’s Union, the Darby and Joan Club, the Table Tennis Club, the Youth Club, the Badminton Club, Upchurch Horticultural Society and the Upchurch Play Group although the last two are still in existence but have transferred to other locations within the village.

Current groups regularly using the hall include Upchurch Active Retirement Association (UpARA), Bowls, Pilates, Tai Chi, Uplift, the Women's Institute, the Upchurch Players, as well as other groups meeting for socialising, health and wellbeing on a not so regular basis. All these, and others, are open to people in the village of Upchurch and the surrounding area. Additional to these activities the hall is also used as a Voting Station whenever there is a General or Local Election as well as being hired out for private functions such as Wedding Receptions, Birthday and Anniversary Parties, Theatre Rehearsals, Model Railway Enthusiasts, Spiritual Groups and occasionally for external Company Training of things such as First Aid and the like. Currently, the hall is also being used by Rainham Tuition, a private company that provides additional tuition for pupils approaching their 11+ exam.

Over the years operational costs have increased considerably. Currently, it costs in excess of £20,000 per year to keep the hall open. These costs include insurance, refuse collection, gas, water and electricity along with general running, cleaning and maintenance upkeep. Additional to these the Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee, (UVHMC), are required to hold various licences as well as carrying out statutory gas, electrical and fire inspections. This money does not come from grants as has much of the building works but the income from lettings. With the recent COVID-19 shutdown this has been a difficult time for the management of the hall as in spite of there being no income certain bills still had to be paid. Fortunately, because of careful financial management by the Trustees, the village hall has survived the shut-down and is once again fully open for all to use.

Most recently the UVHMC received a Hallmark 1 Award from the Action with Communities in Rural Kent, (ACRE), showing recognition of how the hall is both looked after and managed.

The village hall is now 60 years old. It is because of the work and attention that the various Management Committees, not forgetting the large number of volunteers at various times, have given to it over those years that it remains the safe and usable village hall that it is today. What the future of the village hall holds is unknown. What we can be sure of though is that if future Trustees look after it in the same way as all those have in the past it should still be the village asset that it is today and give many more people the use and enjoyment that it has for others over the past 60 years.

Edward Murphy with thanks to Jan Lacy

Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club - Fund Raising Event

Malcolm Groves

Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club

Thank You from Upchurch Village Hall - Upchurch Afternoon Tea

Upchurch Afternoon Tea.

As part of the full re-opening of the Village Hall, the Management Committee held an open to all Afternoon Tea, on August 21st, to thank the residents and organisations of Upchurch for supporting us prior to and during the Covid-19 closure. During that closure, a significant amount of work was commissioned on refreshing the hall ceiling, floor, electrics, and fire systems.

Free tea and slices of cake were offered [and superbly prepared by members of the Upchurch WI] enabling those who attended to sit and talk to friends without disruption. Also present were many village organisations signing up new members or raising funds for their causes plus a chance to tell others their plans. In fact a chance for us all to reconnect with each other again in the life of this village.

Thanks to the following organisations, who are all from Upchurch, for attending - Book Art [trade stand], Bug & Beagle Books [trade stand], The Choral Society, the Friends of St Mary, the Guides, the Horticultural Society, Mr Fizz the Magician, “Old School Afternoon Tea” [trade stand], the Players, The Royal British Legion, the Scouts, “Smile Malawi”, St Mary’s Church, UpARA, the Women’s Institute and “Wooden Crafts” [trade stand]. There was no charge to any of the stall holders.

The feedback about the event was very positive on the day from attendees and stall holders. The Committee received many plaudits about the work on the hall.

Upchurch WI.

The Committee especially wishes to express its gratitude to the Upchurch WI whose contribution on the day was outstanding. The cakes that you ate were all made and donated at no charge by the WI members - in recognition of this the UVH committee has made a goodly donation to Upchurch WI funds.

David Steward - Chairman UVH

Website: upchurchvillagehall.weebly.com

Upchurch Players Present Cinderella

Upchurch Players invite you to join them for their thirtieth extravaganza

Cinderella

At Upchurch Village Hall on

Thursday 2nd December 2021 at 7:30pm
Friday 3rd December 2021 at 7:30pm
Saturday 4th December 2021 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Tickets £7.50 each, are available online at: https://upchurchplayers.co.uk

Or from Upchurch Village Hall every Monday evening from 6th September from 7:30pm onwards.

Rozz Dyett
Secretary - Upchurch Players

Upchurch WI - Quiz Night

Wendy Pitts - Upchurch Women's Institute
Tel: 01634 362253
Email: marwen.pitts@btinternet.com

Upchurch Horticultural Society - Quiz Question Answer at Upchurch Afternoon Tea

Nobody visiting the Upchurch Horticultural Society stand at Upchurch Afternoon Tea in the Village Hall on Saturday 21st August was able to answer the quiz question correctly.

Question: Which vegetables are on display?

The answer: 3 x Onions and a Gherkin... a Marrow is much larger than that!

Thanks to everyone who had a go at answering.

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society

Upchurch Village Hall Invites you to Afternoon Tea

Saturday 21st August from 3:00pm to 5:00pm

As part of the full re-opening, the Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee would like to say “thank you” to the residents and organisations of Upchurch for supporting us prior to and during the closure. During the closure, we commissioned a significant amount of work on refreshing the hall ceiling, floor, electrics, and fire systems.

We are inviting you to accept our free afternoon tea, made by members of the Upchurch WI, from 3:00pm - 5:00pm when you will be able to sit and talk to friends whilst drinking a cup of tea, coffee or soft drink with a slice of homemade cake.

This invitation, open to all residents, will give you a chance to engage with village organisations present on the day. A chance to discover what plans they have going forward, to be talked into becoming a member, to be offered something to purchase etc. In fact a chance for us all to reconnect with each other again in the life of this village.

The following organisations are planning to be represented with others to confirm - the Choral Society, the Friends of St Mary, the Guides, “Old School Afternoon Teas”, the Players [oh yes they are!], the Scouts, “Smile Malawi”, St Mary’s church, UpARA, the Women’s Institute and “Wooden Crafts”.

If any others want a free stand please show your interest by contacting Gerry Lewin 01634 366113 / 07946 996789.

Covid-19 all but closed the Village Hall for use since April 2020. On the 19th July Government made its Roadmap announcements and the hall is fully open up to its regular users and new hirers.

We look forward to seeing you there with the family.

David Steward - Chairman UVH

An Invitation to Upchurch Afternoon Tea

Saturday 21st August from 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Covid-19 all but closed the Village Hall for use since April 2020. On the 17th of May this year all of us began Step 3 of the Roadmap and by July 19th we all hope to begin leading normal lives. In consequence, the Village Hall is re-opening up to its regular users and other hirers as the Roadmap allows.

As part of the current re-opening of the Village Hall, we would like to take the opportunity to say “thank you” to the residents and organisations of Upchurch for supporting us prior to and during the closure.

On the afternoon of Saturday, August 21st we are inviting you to accept our free afternoon tea, made by members of the Upchurch WI, from 3-5pm when you will be able to sit and talk to friends whilst drinking a cup of tea, coffee or soft drink with a slice of homemade cake.

Your conversations will not be interrupted by speeches or a “programme”. This invitation, open to residents of all ages, will give you a chance to engage with village organisations taking up our offer of free stands. A chance to discover what plans they have going forward, to be talked into becoming a member, to be offered something to purchase etc. etc. In fact a chance for us all to reconnect with each other again in the life of this village.

If any village voluntary organisation would like to set up a stand free of charge then they will be welcome. There will be an opportunity for a limited number of trade stands for local businesses. 

All stands will need to be booked in advance so please show your early interest by contacting Gerry Lewin 01634 366113 / 07946 996789.

We look forward to the pleasure of your company

Thank you from the Village Hall

David G Steward - Chairman UVH

Upchurch Players - Auditions for Cinderella

Auditions

On Monday 28th June - from 7:30pm 

For our production of

Cinderella

On 2nd, 3rd and 4th December

At Upchurch Village Hall

Why not come and give it a try?

For more details or if you are interested but can’t make the auditions, please contact
Rozz Dyett Email: upchurchplayers@gmail.com Tel: 07787 878839

Regrettably...

Due to factors beyond our control, the minimum age for membership is 10 years. Children not attending secondary school need to be accompanied by an adult.

Remember, Daniel Craig and Olivia Colman had to start somewhere!

Upchurch Players

Thank You from Upchurch Village Hall - Upchurch Afternoon Tea

Upchurch Afternoon Tea - August 21st

Covid-19 all but closed the Village Hall for use since April 2020. On the 17th May this year all of us began Step 3 of the Roadmap and by June 21st we can all start to begin leading normal lives. In consequence, the Village Hall is re-opening up to its regular users and other hirers as the Roadmap allows.

During the prolonged closure, a lot has been achieved by the Village Hall with Phase One [“The Refurbishment Project”] completed. In the lead up to Covid-19, many residents had been supporting fundraising and the Village Hall was applying for grants to pay for the works.

By April 2020 sufficient funds had been raised or pledged to enable all phases of the project to be completed and a courageous decision was made to commission work for all phases which meant that the hall would be closed for use until October 2020 at least. As it turned out the Covid-19 lockdown became a reason why the hall had to be closed during this time and the second lockdown also kept the hall closed despite it being ready for use.

As part of the current re-opening of the Village Hall, we would like to take the opportunity to say “thank you” to the residents and organisations of Upchurch for supporting us prior to and during the closure. To which end on the afternoon of Saturday, August 21st we shall be inviting you to accept our afternoon tea [with the Upchurch WI in the kitchen] from 3:00pm - 5:00pm when you will be able to chat and talk to friends without being subjected to speeches or a “programme”.

If any village voluntary organisation would like to set up a stand [free of charge] then they will be welcome. There will be an opportunity for a limited number of trade stands for local businesses. 

All stands will need to be booked in advance so please show your early interest by contacting Gerry Lewin 01634 366113 / 07946 996789.

We look forward to the pleasure of your company.

David G Steward - Chairman UVH

Get Together for Parents and Carers of Children with a Special Educational Need at Upchurch Village Hall

Laura and I will be hosting a free get together for parents and carers of children with a Special Educational Need. This can be anything from ASD, AdHd, Add, Dyslexia, Behavioural Needs, Anxiety and so many more.

Laura and I both have children on the ASD spectrum. Laura has a daughter who is 8 years old, and I have 18-year-old twin boys. Between us, we have a wealth of experience and knowledge we would love to share. I am also in education and work daily with children who have additional needs.

We would like to share our tips, strategies and ideas to help other parents and carers with education and home life balance. We all need to let off steam and talk to someone. So we believe this will be a great opportunity to voice concerns or suggest ideas.

Our children and young adults have a challenging journey ahead of them, and it is important that as parents and carers, we have the support we need to help us guide them along the way.

Please join us on Thursday 3rd June at 7:30pm in the Back Hall at Upchurch Village Hall.

For more information, and to confirm your attendance, please contact either:

Nikki: 07870 992216

Laura: 07834 270836

Upchurch Village Hall

The rear of the Crown Public House

The Street

Upchurch

Kent

ME9 7EU

Safe social distancing measures will be in place.

Thank you

Nikki Hansford

Upchurch Players: 30th Pantomime - Cinderella

Thanks to an amazing group of players we hope our pantomime is going back to live on stage this year!

We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone that supported us through watching our pantomime online at Christmas. It made our hard work and dedication feel really worthwhile. Hopefully, we’ll be putting more things online over the months leading up until our pantomime. You can still watch the 2020 pantomime online, along with other pantomimes we have recorded by searching for Upchurch Players on YouTube. You never know you may recognise some fellow villagers.

It’s been a tricky year but hopefully, the government guidance suggests we’ll be able to come back on stage this year. And what a year it will be.

This year will be our 30th pantomime: Cinderella

So do you fancy treading the stage boards? We want to make this year’s show the biggest, best and brightest event to make a comeback with. So all of you actors, singers, artists, musicians, and comedians Email us at: secretary@upchurchplayers.co.uk

Or call our secretary Rozz on 07787 878839. To be added to our Email list.

Our auditions this year will be held at Upchurch Village Hall on Monday, 28th June starting at 7:30pm (Character list and audition pieces will be Emailed out with confirmation of times before the auditions date).

Backstage Crew

We are also looking for other new members that don’t wish to perform on stage. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, we get that. We need members to help create and move scenery, help with the technical equipment, we need volunteers to help run the coffee bar and we even need people to open and close the curtains at the right time. There are always a million and one jobs behind the scenes.

Don’t forget you can follow us on the Upchurch Players Facebook Page or go straight to our website: www.upchurchplayers.co.uk

Tickets will be on sale from Monday, September 13th on our website or at Upchurch Village Hall each Monday night from 7:00pm.

Rozz Dyett

Secretary - Upchurch Players

Village Halls Week 2021 - Celebrating 100 Years Together

Village Halls Week 2021 will recognise the contribution England’s 10,000+ halls have made to rural communities since the 1920s.

The campaign week, now in its 4th year, is set to take place from Monday 25th to Friday 29th January and will feature online events, videos, podcasts, and blogs showcasing the history of village halls and the benefits they have derived over the years. It is a national celebration of all halls and the difference the volunteers who run them make to the rural communities they serve.

ACRE's 2021 campaign will be a celebration of how village halls are survivors. Many have been bringing people together in rural communities since the 1920s. And in the past year, the volunteers who manage these buildings have shown great determination and resilience in the face of Coronavirus, negotiating lockdowns and putting in place Covid Secure measures so they could continue supporting their local community.

As social gatherings are currently off-limits, Village Halls Week will look at bit different in 2021. In the past ACRE network members have hosted various events across the country but this year they will be moving this activity online in the spirit of the times.

ACRE encourage all village halls to join them in this national celebration:

• Register to take part in online events - links below.

• Follow ACRE on social media.

• Sign ACRE's Village Halls Centenary ‘Doomsday’ Book to tell MPs about the good work you’ve been doing - coming soon! 
• Contact your ACRE Network member to find out what’s going on locally and check this listing

Managed by volunteers, village and community halls support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.

In a survey undertaken by ACRE last year, it was found that 60% of village halls provide the only meeting space in the local community. An estimated 50,000 individuals to are reliant on the use of village halls to make a living.

Information about Village Halls Week 2021, including a programme, is available on the ACRE website at >> www.acre.org.uk

#VillageHallsWeek

Upchurch Matters

Major Refurbishment Project Completed at Upchurch Village Hall

The new floor and ceiling in the main hall.

The Village Hall Management Committee has been busy during lockdown overseeing a major refurbishment project including new fire safety measures, lighting, heating, electrical work, insulation and a new floor and ceiling in the main hall.

Read their report at >> https://bit.ly/32H1q9M

Upchurch Matters