Mendham & Withersdale

Well spring has sprung now and summer is ahead of us. Here is the newsletter for the Mendham & Withersdale Youth Club. Lots of things to do down at the village hall with the new MUGA! As always, there are a few rules for us all to consider.

15th March  -  Youth Club Cake Stall in aid of Red Nose Day

27th March  -  FOMSA cake stall outside PO

30th March  -  Withersdale PCC Servivce of Light

6th April  -  Horticultural Society Spring Show

27th April  -  Village Hall Quiz Night (tbc)  -  POSTPONED

11th May  -  Over 60’s Coffee Morning

19th May  -  Village Hall Dog Show  -  CANCELLED

2nd June  -  FOMSA Duck Race or Race Night

8th June  -  Mendham PCC Produce Market

19/20th June  -  Inter-village Games (tbc) OR Community Council Event

22nd June  -  Village Hall Bingo Night

13th July  -  Mendham PCC Produce Market

19th July  -  FOMSA Camping sleepover at school

21st July  -  Village Hall Cricket Match Pub vs. Parish

7/8th Sept  -  Mendham PCC Flower Festival

14th Sept  -  Mendham PCC Produce Market

21st Sept  -  Horticultural Society Autumn show

28th Sept  -  FOMSA Casino Night

12th Oct  -  Mendham PCC Produce Market

30th Nov  -  Mendham PCC Christmas Market

7th Dec  -  FOMSA Frost fayre

16th Dec  -  Carol Singing

Many years of discussion and effort, undertaken initially by former village member Tony Fox and Jane Williams, led to the setting up of the Traffic Calming Steering Group. Jane initially wrote to Dan Poulter MP and County Councillor Guy McGregor in 2010 about the speed of motorists passing through Withersdale Street. Motivated and supported by Jane, Tony did a massive amount of work networking amongst contacts in the community. He became the the 'front-line' man but Jane remained involved behind the scenes.

The effort is now led by current resident Stewart Orr. The Mendham and Withersdale Speedwatch volunteer team finally got their hands on the speed gun on Friday 12th April 2013, on the apron just outside the village hall. Most people of the team had high visibility jackets on and it was very noticeable that passing cars dropped their speed just at the sight of the jackets, let alone when the speed gun was being pointed at them.

Community Speed Watch co-ordinator Stewart Orr said: “It’s great to see the local support for the project. Our aim is to make motorists aware of speed restrictions and the attendant safety implications, not merely to catch as many motorists as we can. If we catch only a few and the speed problem is improved, we will be very satisfied.”

Details of speeding vehicles will be passed to police and a letter sent to the owner of the vehicle.

PCSO Steven Long from Mid Suffolk North Safer Neighbourhood Team, who has helped to establish the scheme, said: “Speeding is an issue that is at the heart of many local communities and this scheme offers a partnership approach to tackling the problem. “It allows the residents of Withersdale and Mendham to take an active part in speed reduction allowing the police to follow up with education and enforcement.” Funding for the project has come from Suffolk County councillor Guy McGregor’s locality budget.

Everyone in the Speedwatch team including PCSO Steven Long, pronounced themselves very pleased with how things had gone, at the end of 90 minutes or so, on Friday morning, with an absolute and immediate reduction in the speed being done at the eastern end of the village.  The group were very pleased at such restraint and were pleased with the results.  Even though it was a training day, two drivers will be receiving letters from the police concerning their driving.

If you would like more details about Speedwatch or would like to join the Speedwatch team, then please contact Stewart Orr at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Some pictures below from the Community Speed Watch scheme training in Withersdale Street.

	Article that appeared in the Diss Express on 18th April 2013		PCSO Steven Long explaining how the scheme works to the volunteers
	The workings of Speed Watch explained outside the entrance to the village hall		''I'm Kate Scotter from the Diss Express... could I have a quote please?''
	Stewart Orr, Speed Watch coordinator,  impressed with the speed gun		Geoff Lane sighting in a car

Here is the newsletter for April 2013 from our Parish Clerk to all Parish Council members. Quite interesting.   

The lessons are now on a Wednesday for this summer term, and not Fridays as before and as stated in April's 5 Alive. This is a great offer with half-price lessons at £30 for the whole term.

RECEPTION, YEARS 1, 2 and 3... 4:30pm - 5:30pm

YEARS 4, 5, 6 and 7... 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Starting Wednesday 17th April 2013. Places still available. The letter has all the details.Click here.

Mendham & Withersdale Community Council will be holding it's AGM in the Withersdale Village Hall on Tuesday 9th April at 7pm and would like to invite you to join us. Everybody is welcome members and non-members.

Come along and find out what we do within the community. Refreshments will be available. We look forward to seeing you.

Here is a quick listing of what's happening at the Mendham and Withwersdale village hall. Click here to view the list. I bet there's something there that you would like to get involved in right?

EA Tennis are now delivering tennis lessons at the MUGA for the spring term on Fridays from 4.30pm - 5.30pm. These lessons (formerly at Harleston) have moved to Mendham for the darker evenings making use of the floodlighting available at the MUGA.

To book lessons please download the enrolment form or speak to Lauren Larner on 07738 529299.

Don't forget to check out the school newsletters on this website. Click the link at the top of the home page to find them. Even if you dont have children at the school its interesting tio know whats going on as it starts to federate with Hoxne!

The new program for 2013 has been published. Look at 'Organisations/Womens Institute'