Cuckfield Defibrillators Update - How to use a defib machine

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At Cuckfield Life, we’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines in Cuckfield and Bolnore and learn how to use them.

Inside defibrillators:
Golf Centre on Staplefield Rd
Rugby Club Whitemans Green
Cosmos Football Club (Portable) Whitemans Green
Holy Trinity School on Glebe Rd
Warden Park, Broad Street
Holy Trinity Church on Church St
The Queen’s Hall on High Street

Outside defibrillators:
Whitemans Green playing fields
Cuckfield Baptist Church, Polestub Ln
Mansell McTaggart, High Street
Cricket Club, South Street
Staplefield Village Hall, Cuckfield Road
Staplefield Old phone box, Cuckfield Road
Bolnore School, Updown Hill
The Woodside, 120 Middle Village in Bolnore
Deaks Paddock, Ansty

We need your help to keep our defibrillators operational for the future.
We have two defibrillators paid for by our Cuckfield community. One is located on Whitemans Green (widely used for sports, picnics and recreational activities for all our residents from footballers to dog walkers), the other is located in the heart of the High Street, adjacent to The Talbot pub on the wall of Mansell McTaggart. We need £900 every six years to fund the pads and batteries and in the future we will need to fundraise to replace the actual units when they get too old. We now have a dedicated ISOC defibrillator facility for donations towards keeping these essential units operational.
If you would like to contribute to the upkeep of these units, you can make a bank transfer direct to Independent State of Cuckfield - who will ringfence any donations made with a reference ‘defibs’. ISOC Bank Account: Sort Code 20-49-76, Acc No. 20513253

Why are defibrillators so essential in our communities?
Defibrillators AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are the only treatment for outside hospital cardiac arrest, when available and used alongside CPR, (chest compressions) they will give our residents the very best chance of survival. The more units we have available in our community, the better the chances of survival are, as deploying them is time-critical. Every minute of delay to CPR and defibrillation will reduce the probability of survival by 10%.

Any local clubs should aim to register their details with the South East Coast Ambulance Service to enable any 999 call handlers to tell them where their nearest unit is in the village.

For those readers who aren’t sure what they would do, should they be needed to use a defibrillator in an emergency - there is an app recommended by the Resuscitation Council. To download the app, visit the website: www.resus.org.uk/apps/lifesaver

* If you know of updates to this map, do please let us know by sending an email to editor@cuckfieldlife.co.uk. *

VE Day with Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield

By Rev’d Daniel Valentine of Holy Trinity Church

Easter tells the story of hope in the face of despair. It begins with grief and loss— but ends with resurrection. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. Out of sorrow comes new life. VE Day was, in its own way, a national echo of that pattern: people emerging from the long winter of war into the possibility of spring—both literally and spiritually.

This year, our Cuckfield events will form part of national commemorations across the UK. At noon, the bells of Holy Trinity will ring out across the village and again at 6.30pm in joyful solidarity with churches and cathedrals nationwide calling us to remembrance, gratitude, and togetherness. At 7pm, all are warmly invited to a Church Parade Service of Thanksgiving and Peace at Holy Trinity.

Whether you’re a regular in church or have never been before, you’ll be most welcome. We’ll reflect on stories of courage and reconciliation, pray for peace, and give thanks for those who gave so much. Afterwards, we hope you’ll stay for a traditional fish and chip supper—an opportunity to share food, stories and friendship (booking details and venue to be confirmed). At 9.30pm, we’ll close with a rousing chorus of “I Vow To Thee, My Country”—a powerful reminder of the values of service, love, and sacrifice that shaped a generation.

This year also marks the re-establishment of the Cuckfield Branch of the Royal British Legion—an important way to honour those who served and support today’s armed forces’ community. I’m honoured to have recently been elected Chair and warmly invite anyone who feels a connection to this cause to consider joining. You don’t need to have served in the armed forces to be a member—just a shared commitment to remembrance, support, and community. To join, visit www.britishlegion.org.uk When registering, please indicate you’d like to be associated with the Cuckfield Branch so we can grow our local community together.

Cuckfield Music Festival

Welcome to Cuckfield Life’s Cuckfield Music Festival event page. Here you will find our most recent information for the festival.

Cuckfield Music Festival is a Registered Charity which exists to bring a programme of musical events to Mid Sussex, working with professional, semi-professional and amateur musicians, schools and colleges, to encourage people of all ages to engage with and perform live music.

See also, Cuckfield Music Festival

Cuckfield Music Festival 2025 begins 15th June

By David Spear, Chairman Cuckfield Music Festival

We are proud to present a wide range of music for all tastes and ages.
On 15th June, we begin with a workshop at Hurstpierpoint College for junior school children run by our Youth Ambassador, Becky Milford, and a Writing Rock Music tuition from Ian Archer, formerly of Snow Patrol.

There then follows some wonderful ‘free’ lunchtime concerts in Holy Trinity Church Cuckfield, featuring four hands on one piano, a bass clarinet, fusion guitar, piano and voice. Our evening concerts feature the community choir Singing Allsorts, Fred Woods Big Band, Ian Archer & Friends, and an Amy Winehouse tribute band.

Our evening Baroque Highlight on Thursday 19th June, features our very own Charles Humphries and friends with ‘Kontrabande’, performing ‘Villains & Heroes’.

Let the music begin! Please visit our website for further details about all of our concerts and venues www.cuckfieldmusicfest.co.uk

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Cuckfield Music Festival 2024 By David Spear

After months of planning we launched the festival on Thursday 13th June with a brilliant Organ Recital in Holy Trinity Church Cuckfield, by Mollie Hord. At just 19 years old Molly is the Junior Organ Scholar at Pembroke College Cambridge.

Her recital was also shown on screen so all could see her amazing skills on the keys, stops and peddles. Followed in the evening by our combined Schools concert; featuring students from Warden Park, Oathall Community College, St Paul’s Catholic College, and Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) in a delightful line up of soloists and groups, covering a wide range of styles and genres.

Our free lunchtime concert on Friday 14th June with Paul Gregory on classical guitar was very well attended. Paul is originally from Cuckfield and he was thrilled to be ‘back home’ playing for us. As were the audience.
The evening concert titled ‘DIVA’ was much louder! Celebrating iconic female artists with music by Barbara Streisand, Tina turner, Whitney Houston and more. Performed by Sarah Rolph, Simon Ankhorn, Stu Barbour, Sam Nixon and friends. There was much dancing in the church that evening leading to a glorious ABBA finale.

On Saturday we were delighted to have our Patron Katie Derham join us, with her good friend Claire Martin OBE, the world-famous Jazz singer, for an evening of soft Jazz, backed by the Montepelier Cello Quartet from Brighton, who Claire last worked with a decade ago. We enjoyed music from the likes of Cole Porter, to Carly Simon and David Bowie.

This wonderful concert brought a lovely end to this year’s music festival.

We would like to express our genuine thanks to our sponsors who without, the festival simply would not have taken place. Thank you to Adelphi Holdings, P&S Gallagher, Jo Jo Boutique, The Talbot, our Patron Katie Derham, and of course our committee and all the wonderful volunteers.