Exciting plan for Haywards Heath Rugby Club

For a number of years the clubhouse and related amenities at Haywards Heath Rugby Football Club (HHRFC) at Whitemans Green, Cuckfield have been deemed inadequate. Currently it does not satisfy the needs of a growing community of rugby players, families and supporters and is in reality no longer fit for purpose.

With the generous assistance of the club’s main sponsor, Fairfax and its education foundation Fairfax Building Young Futures, the Club is planning to build a brand new, state of the art multi-sports pavilion at Whitemans Green.

This will provide the rugby club with a new two-storey clubhouse offering facilities to support other local sports clubs, provide Fairfax Building Young Futures with an operational base and offer enormous benefits for the health and well-being of the local and wider Mid Sussex community.

The timetable for this project is ambitious but achievable with the goal to have the new facilities operating by the start of the 2020/21 season.

This development will bring tangible benefits to the local community for the next decade and beyond.

Both current and future generations of players and supporters now have a fantastic opportunity to create a new, prestigious and worthy home for HHRFC.

The project is in full swing and a public consultation with the project team took place at the clubhouse on 5th December 2018 to discuss the plans and answer questions. If you were not present and have any queries then please feel free to contact HHRFC by email: rugby @hhrfc.co.uk

#ForTheNow exhibition goes live

A photographer and Cuckfield resident is showing her work in a unique exhibition at Green Tree Gallery this month.

Sophie Mitchell was granted rare access to Chestnut Tree House – the only children’s hospice in Sussex – in order to showcase the ‘life and colour’ which is on show at the charity’s building in Arundel every day.

Green Tree Gallery co-owner Sam Phillips explained why they are happy to support the charity: “In the frenzied run-up to Christmas it’s a particularly apt time to showcase how Chestnut Tree House helps children with life-limiting conditions live ‘For The Now’. We are delighted to give wall space to Sophie’s amazing photos which tell such an uplifting story.”

#ForTheNow features over 100 of Sophie’s photos and is running until 21st December at Green Tree Gallery, at Borde Hill Garden.

Leanne is the new mayor of Cuckfield

Leanne Knappman, Cuckfield Mayor 2018

By Mike Schlup

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October 2018 saw the annual election of the Independent State of Cuckfield’s Mayor. The event took place at the White Harte on the evening of Friday 19th October, with five candidates standing. Votes are cast in the form of pennies and the candidate with the most pennies, or votes, at 11pm when the polls closed is declared the winner. It soon became apparent that Leanne Knapman was heading for a landslide victory and, sure enough, she finished with a phenomenal total of over one million votes! It’s only taken her 14 years to finally win but during that time she has raised tens of thousands of pounds for local good causes, more than any other candidate.

Overall this year, the candidates raised almost £11,000 which will be distributed to local good causes. More details on this in future issues.

On Saturday the sun was shining as the new Mayor began her procession from Warden Park school, along London Lane, around Brainsmead and down to the High Street. Hundreds of spectators lined the streets to welcome the new Mayor, cheering and clapping as she passed by in her open top car. The procession was supported by the fantastic Burgess Hill Marching Youth Band and the Surrey and Sussex Drum and Bugle Corps.

There were many fabulous floats but the winners were, in 1st place, Holy Trinity School, 2nd Cuckfield Scouts and 3rd Cuckfield Preschool. Winning the prize for best walking group were BPM with their silent disco and fantastic make-up. The new mayor was welcomed at The Talbot by the Sheriff of Cuckfield where she was presented with the keys to the town and a celebratory drink. The Talbot also kindly provided all the event marshals and helpers with a drink for their efforts.