Ball Game exhibition

The 2024 Ball Game was started by Rita Curry and, as tradition dictates, she passed the ball through the bull ring in the centre of the village before throwing it to the crowd.

The game was well attended and the usual scrums, running and kicking were seen along with an incident of the ball getting stuck on the roof of a bus. Players rocked the bus back and forth to retrieve the ball and continue the game!

The game was won by Harrison Lower, aged 19 who adds another win to the Lower family tally as dad, Martin, had won the game back in 2012.

Friendly Fixers

Friendly Fixers Repair Café has been fixing things for 18 months at our monthly meetings at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre.

Every month people have brought a range of items to us from electrical, to garments, to mechanical, to furniture, to ceramics, and if we can fix them we will! One of our volunteers, Lexi has been a stalwart in the kitchen, welcoming people with hot drinks and cake. She is going to be taking a well-earned break for a few months while she looks after her new baby.

We wish her all the best, and look forward to seeing both her and baby in the future. In the meantime, we are keen to hear from anyone who might be interested in joining us as a volunteer. Opportunities include helping out in the kitchen; meeting and greeting people; taking details of the repairs needed and doing triage on repairs to identify what needs to be done.

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch.

Repair sessions are held on the first Saturday of every month from 10:30am to 12:30pm at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre.

A round up from the Schools

Artsmark

At Sedgefield Community College we place great value on the creative and performing arts, making sure our students have lots of opportunities to develop their interest in these and improve their artistic skills. With this in mind, we were delighted to recently achieve the Artsmark Silver Award. The Artsmark Award is nationally recognised as demonstrating where schools and colleges have a real commitment to the arts.

Linked to this, we were delighted to provide all of our Y8 students with a chance to work with a renowned cartoonist, James Parsons. This is the second year that James has worked with our students and the standard of work that was produced was incredibly impressive as you can see from these examples.

As well as this, our Wednesday Super Curriculum continues to provide lots of opportunities for students to develop their interest in the arts with sessions relating to watercolour painting, pottery and textiles to name just a few. Once again, it’s fantastic to see and celebrate the great pieces produced by our extremely talented students!

Looking ahead to opportunities for our students to showcase their artistic and performance skills, our Spring Music Showcase is taking place on Wednesday 20 March and we look forward to welcoming lots of parents and carers to the school for this event.


Visiting residents at Willowdene Care Home

In a heartwarming display of community engagement, Sedgefield Hardwick’s Year 2 class embarked on a special trip to Willowdene Care Home, modelling our character virtues among its residents. With their kindness and caring nature, the children participated in various activities and games, bringing a smile to the faces of the residents. Under the school's community impact offer, this visit aimed not only to foster connections between generations but also to contribute to the well-being of the wider community.

During their visit, the students brought smiles to the faces of the care home residents through their interactions and enthusiasm. They participated in a number of activities such as board games, bowling, colouring and the classic “Who am I?”

The children demonstrated the power of companionship and were excellent ambassadors for our school. Each interaction was filled with warmth, reflecting the values of empathy and care instilled in them through the character virtues the pupils have been learning about in school. By sharing their time and energy, the pupils not only added value to the lives of the residents but also learned valuable lessons about empathy, respect, the importance of giving back and developing positive friendships.

This initiative highlights the positive impact that small acts of kindness can have on the well-being of others, reinforcing the role models we want in our school and society.


Life saving awareness

At Sedgefield Primary we aim to equip our pupils for life and, with this in mind, we recently trained all our pupils in the basics of first aid. If a child knows the very basics, checking breathing or heartbeat, stopping blood coming out, calling an ambulance and giving correct information - they stand a very good chance of stopping an injury getting worse or may even save a life.

Whole school training was delivered by the highly experienced Chris Hall from Thrills and Skills for Life.

Chris runs first aid training for paediatrics and for outdoor and everything in between. Chris works with adults too but says, “It is most satisfying, teaching it to children. It ensures that pupils as young as four years of age know how to call an ambulance. In fact, two children Chris has taught have already saved adults’ lives. Pupils at Sedgefield Primary listened intently as Chris told their stories within his training.

Pupils were thoroughly engaged hearing Chris’ vast and varied world life experience, as he has served in the forces for 34 years - regular and reserve. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been to 56 countries with the armed forces. Pupils even wore army uniform that has previously been worn in war torn areas by soldiers.

Chris stated “I use skills and experiences I’ve had across my life in my team building and first aid training - thus giving the training a real world link.”

For further information on training: chris@thrillsandskillsforlife.com

u3a update

At this month’s meeting we were dismayed and rather frightened to learn from Kelly Close from the Cleveland Police Fraud Protection team just how easy it is for determined scammers and fraudsters to access any of our personal data online. In one exercise, she showed that, of the fifty or so members present, only half a dozen of us had email addresses that hadn’t been accessed at some time by an unauthorised person. Check yours too on haveibeenpwned.com.

She gave us information about further securing passwords by using 2 Factor Authentication which is regularly updated and VPNs which help privacy online by encrypting the connection between your device and the internet. Having now updated our apps and emails and promised to be ultra careful whom we share passwords and data access with, hopefully most of us are now more secure.

Kelly did highlight the fact that many people believing in the adage that ‘courtesy and politeness don’t cost you anything’ in talking to cold callers, are in fact wrong. In many cases it can cost you thousands of pounds! Just put the phone down or close the door immediately.

With our new-found grant money, several groups have been organising and finalising trips out of the village. The Lunch Group will be going to Middridge, the Theatre group are to productions at Newcastle Theatre Royal and at Billingham Forum, and the Homes and Gardens group are to visit Ormesby Hall. Many more trips and visits are currently being planned. Hopefully we’ll have a long, warm summer to take advantage of them.

I know the saying is about ‘teaching your grandmother to suck eggs’, but us grannies in Sedgefield u3a are going to learn how to blow eggs and then decorate them using both traditional and more modern methods. We’ll also be making baskets or bowls to display them. Our Pop-up craft group is all about learning new skills and leading up to Easter, we thought this would be an ideal way to spend three or four afternoons.

Over the next few months we will be updating and modernising our website; the current system makes it very difficult to add photos and entries, and we are aware it is very ‘wordy’. The national u3a are promoting a new operating system and we will be migrating to that shortly. In the meantime there’s lots of information, details and contact details on the current site if you’d like to learn a little more on what we stand for.

At our meeting on 1 March, Robert Pullen will be talking about sleep and dreams. Bob gave an extremely interesting and entertaining talk last year on the brain and how it works, closing his presentation with a bamboozling card trick.

I wonder what he’s got up his sleeve this time? If you are retired and would like to join us then, do come along and find out. Christine Balfour

A fond farewell

Last month, members of Sedgefield Twinning Association, along with Sedgefield Mayor David Jasper and his German counterpart Burgermeister Bernd Romanski of Hamminkeln, got together to celebrate over 40 years of links between the two towns and to bid an emotional farewell to the Association which has managed the exchange programme on behalf of Sedgefield Town Council for all of those years.

Herr Romanski brought two long-term twinners with him from Germany: Anneliese Hecheltjen and Hildegard Koesters. Guests were served a delicious dinner at Hardwick Hall Hotel, followed by poignant speeches from both mayors and from Chair Alda Houghton, as well as several guests. After the meal, superb entertainment was provided by Lirica.

The twinning partnership grew out of a friendship between then mayors Derrick Lofthouse and Heinrich Meyers. With the war still in living memory for many and with the Berlin Wall still dividing Germany itself, there was never a better time to deliver on the promise of the partnership agreement “to encourage and strengthen friendship between the people of Sedgefield and Hamminkeln”. Many will have fond memories of the numerous exchanges that took place between members of the Association and friends from Hamminkeln, as well as those involving scouts, schools, and the local choirs. Deep friendships were fostered that continue to this day.

While the Twinning Association is now shutting down, the formal partnership will continue and the links between the two towns will live on in the hearts of all those who have been involved. In more recent years, those links have been used to start a less formal exchange between the running clubs in both towns and perhaps those less formal ties, with engagement from local clubs and associations, will be how the partnership continues. Already, Burgermeister Romanski is planning to return for our German-themed “Bierfest”!

Philip Houghton

Open Arms

The Hardwick Arms has reopened its doors with a new look, rebranded bar and lounge. In the lounge, there is comfortable seating, a relaxing atmosphere and a pool table. There are casual dining options made up of fast food and pub classics.

For those on the school run, the new opening hours are from 3pm from Wednesday to Friday with a special deal for a children’s main meal with a cake and hot drink for you. Sunday roasts are available each week including a small plate option for smaller appetites. As with all the food options, these are available for dining-in, for collection or for delivery.

The Arms are striving to be the community pub of Sedgefield and are providing support to 3 local football teams and other local sponsorships. The hotel continues to operate and corporate rates are available to local businesses. There have been lots of changes at the Hardwick Arms but there remains a warm welcome.

Find out about their upcoming events on their website hardwickarmshotel.co.uk, their Facebook page “Hardwick Arms Bar and Lounge” or give them a call on 01740 622305.

Veterans need you

The group was formed in 2006 by a small number of ex-service personnel who were residents of Sedgefield. The original aim was to provide a social circle and mutual support for like-minded people. Social meetings (meals out, visits to pubs & cafes) and cultural events (visits to military museums etc) soon followed.

Over time the membership numbers expanded by including military veterans from surrounding villages. This enabled the team to commence charitable support and raising funds, also becoming a member of Sedgefield Community Association.

The monthly coffee morning held on last Friday of each month (except December or when lands on a public holiday) in the Parish Hall is the main source of income. The popularity has risen where now it attracts up to 100 visitors each month.

During the gulf wars we held a ceremony at the flagpole on the village green every time a fallen hero was repatriated back to the United Kingdom. Recognition of this materialised when we were awarded a medal by Durham County Council which was a proud moment for all.

We are well known through our visibility when laying wreaths at Remembrance Day at Sedgefield and at Middlesborough Football Club. Additionally, we run a remembrance service every Armistice Day (11th November) at the cenotaph outside St Luke’s Church Winterton.

Until 2023 selling poppies and other associated items, at Sainsbury’s supermarket in Sedgefield, on the run-up to remembrance has become an annual event. It is well supported by everyone raising around £11,000 each year for the Royal British Legion.

Monthly a social event, usually pub or restaurant based, and a formal meeting in Ceddesfeld Hall takes place, followed by visit to the excellent bar. We own and maintain the flagpoles outside St Edmunds Church in Sedgefield and St Luke’s Church Winterton
Donations to many causes over the years have been given, examples since Covid lockdown are:- 2021
St Edmunds Church—£250
Salvation Army Christmas Toys Appeal—£356.63

2022 Durham County Foodbank—£406.19
Sedgefield Village Flagpole Replacement—£1,328.34
Sedgefield Bloomers—£100
Sedgefield Under 8s Football Strips—£450
Defibrillator Outside Dun Cow—£400
Salvation Army Christmas Toys Appeal—£436.75
2023
Sporting Force Hoist for Hydrotherapy Pool—£301.60
Sedgefield Hardwick Out-Of-School Club—£250
Durham County Foodbank—£1007
Medcover UK for Mini-Medics & Defibrillator Training—£325
Salvation Army Christmas Toys Appeal—£750
Ferryhill Brass Band Christmas Tree Concert—£250

In the last few years majority of the founder members are no longer with us and after a recent accident our active member numbers have dwindled. This meant January coffee morning was unfortunately cancelled. Luckily, we’ve received offers of assistance from the good people of Sedgefield to enable February and March coffee mornings to go ahead.

In 2023, our constitution was amended to include any ex or serving civilian uniformed people (Fire Brigade, Merchant Navy, NHS & Police etc) and their partners to become members. A recruitment drive carried out last year had limited success. Having a marquee for the Coronation of King Charles III at Ceddesfeld grounds in May and we were fortunate to be allowed to erect a display tent at Sedgefield Show in August with many showing interest but only a few joining us. Joy Allen (Police & Crime Commissioner for Durham) was one of the many visitors.

We need new volunteers.
The current situation is unsustainable and without new blood the group is likely to fold. With the current membership we certainly couldn’t commit to poppy selling at Sainsburys or holding the Armistice Day service at Winterton, continuation of monthly coffee mornings in the future is also threatened.

Any ex or serving military or civil uniformed service people and their partners are welcome. To join please contact our Chairman, Neil O’Connor.
Phone: 07713 778059
Email: neil.du2@gmail.com
Facebook: Sedgefield Village Veterans