2019 February Newsletter
29TH APRIL 2019
Sandringham Parish Council news
Happy New Year, and let’s hope that it proves to be a good one for all your needs and aspirations. The Parish Council met on Wednesday 9th January with all seven Councillors present. Stuart Dark, our County Councillor, Tim Tilbrook our Borough Councillor and Norfolk Constabulary were also there. We have heard from the Post Office that, after encountering some problems with the project, it is now making progress with its rural mobile post office van which will cover smaller villages including West Newton twice weekly, and possibly also Wolferton once a fortnight.
We confirmed that we want our County Councillor to put any funds he has available (called the Councillor’s fund) towards getting a bus stop close to the St Nicholas Health Centre at Dersingham to provide a valuable direct link from West Newton to the surgery, shops there and Village Centre. By far the most important discussion was about whether to raise a Precept – so whether to charge households – to provide for services that we as a Parish Council have to pay for. From 2019, for the first time, this includes such basic things as holding an election. We have negotiated an arrangement so that the cost of legally required services such is paid for on our behalf, and on this basis, a motion was tabled to not raise a Precept, and Councillors voted unanimously for it. That is really important as it means that households in the Parish will remain amongst only a few in Norfolk that do not pay for services delivered by or on behalf of the Parish.
It was fifty years ago in May that the railway line through Wolferton closed. After decades lying dormant, and with much now built over, there are two competing proposals to reinvigorate it. A campaign group is making the case for the line to be re-opened, obviously not on precisely the same alignment as before, but Norfolk County Council is now also suggesting that it is one of four in the County that should be redeveloped as a footpath and cycleway. It has just held public exhibitions of its proposals in Lynn and at Hillington (the line from Lynn to Fakenham, closed ten years before ours and is another proposed candidate).
The Parish Council has received a kind offer from one of the village businesses to provide a seat to be sited in Wolferton. We have had discussions with the Estate, as landowner, which has agreed to a location commanding a good view. We are hopeful that it will be in situ in time for this Summer’s walkers.
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held at 6.30pm on 6th March at Wolferton Social Club and members of the public are very welcome to come along. The one after that is at 6.30pm on 8th May at the Sandringham Club, West Newton, which will be a bumper triple event, starting with a Parish Assembly, then the formal Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council, and then the normal two-monthly meeting of the Council. The Parish Assembly is an opportunity for residents of Babingley, Sandringham, West Newton and Wolferton to meet and hear from the various clubs and societies in the parish as well as from the Council itself. More information on this will be in the April / May issue of Village Voice.
We have received the notes below from the NHS in Norfolk and Waveney about helping them this Winter.
- All of us should be making sure our medicine cabinets are stocked. It’s also sensible to order any regular medicines you need in good time so you don’t run out, taking care to only order what you need.
- But if you do feel poorly, seek advice from your local pharmacist before it gets worse. If it’s urgent, then a call to your GP or NHS111 is the next step, and they’ll advise you what to do.
- If you’re suffering from norovirus or other common sickness bugs, don’t spread it around by visiting your GP or other public places. Stay at home and rest.
- HomeFirst – your bed is the best bed! None of us want to go into hospital or a care bed, but if we do it’s good to get home if we can. The NHS and social care across all of Norfolk and Waveney are stressing that if someone needs a hospital or temporary care bed they will get one, but their aim is always to help people get back home as soon as possible. This is because older people in particular can lose independence rapidly. Being back home can also help a speedier recovery. So if you know a friend or relative, particularly if they are older, who has to go into hospital it would be kind to make sure they have all they need to get back home, including checking the heating works and they will have food in the house, the washing is done and they feel OK.
- New Year, New You! With the start of a New Year people’s thoughts turn to getting fit and improving their health. To stay healthy or improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and strength exercises. How much physical activity you need to do each week depends on your age. Adults aged 65 or older who are generally fit and have no health conditions that limit their mobility should try to be active daily by doing at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or walking, and strength exercises on two or more days a week. Why not join a local walking group, go for a swim or join a local class, your library should have information about groups near you.
Wolferton village news
As you will have read above, we are delighted to have been offered a seat to locate in the village and we have chosen an ideal location and are having great co-operation from the Estate to site it. Church matins or family services at St Peter’s will be held at 9.30am on 10th February and 10th March, followed as always by tea or coffee, biscuits and the chance for a good chat. The Church Roof fundraising is progressing but so too is the cost of the absolutely essential building repairs, now priced up from £80,000 to £90,000. A meeting is to be held soon after press date for this article to identify and plan for ways to scale up the fundraising during the forthcoming year. The Social Club continues with its various activities, including room hire at competitive rates. Special events include:
- The Wolf Folk Club meets at the Social Club fortnightly on Thursdays. Forthcoming dates are 14th and 28th February and 14th and 28th March.
- Cash Bingo evenings in 2019 will be held at the Social Club on 10th February, 10th March, 7th April, 12th May, 9th June, 7th July, 4th August, 1st September, 6th October, 3rd November and 1st December.
- Prize Bingo evenings in 2019 will be held at the Social Club on 19th February, 19th March, 16th April, 12th May, 18th June, 16th July, 20th August, 17th September, 15th October, 19th November and 17th December