Village News Carve or craft a pumpkin


THE SECOND Alvechurch Pumpkin Festival will take place on Saturday October 27 in the Village Hall. The public are invited to view the display between 11am-4pm, with pumpkin-related refreshments available in the downstairs café. Organisers hope to have as many, if not more, exhibits than at last year’s successful family event. The festival is not a competition,


and anyone can exhibit just for the fun of it. You may have grown a pumpkin yourself and carved it, or wish to carve a shop-bought one. Pumpkin craft is also welcome – so


try your hand at knitting or crochet, painting, baking, or crafting any- thing pumpkin-related. All exhibitors will receive a badge


featuring this year’s logo, designed by Sophie Rose, a Year 8 pupil at Alvechurch Middle School. Entry forms can be downloaded


from www.alvechurchvillagehall. co.uk or collected from The Lounge or the library in Alvechurch. There is a £1 entry fee for each exhibit and proceeds will go towards Village Hall maintenance and Papyrus (a charity for young suicide prevention). This year there’s also a “best


window” competition for village shops, with the displays judged by The Village magazine! A number of shops have already signed up, so look out for pumpkins appearing in the windows in the run-up to the event.


Hall helpers needed Three walks to


An artist’s impression of the hall V


illagers are getting behind plans for a new village hall in Cofton Hackett by volunteer-


ing their skills to get the project off the ground. A charitable trust has been set up


to create the new state-of-the-art community centre, and residents were invited to find out more and give their views at a recent open morning. The trustees are currently in final


negotiations with St Modwen about the hall, which will be built on the corner of East Works Drive and Groveley Lane. It is hoped that the facility


will become a focal point for the community, bringing together established and new residents in a fantastic new space available for a variety of activities and events. Chair of trustees, the Rev Sheri Gidney, said: “Around 40 people


6


attended the event. A number of them agreed to join our sub-com- mittees, while others made sugges- tions on what they would like to see at the hall, such as baby groups and coffee mornings. “However, we still need people


with expertise in professional fund- raising, grant applications, market- ing, branding, communications, and website design.” Rev Gidney added, “We want Cof-


ton Village Hall to be an important part of the life of the village, provid- ing something for everyone. “But we can’t do it on our own –


we need the community itself to be part of how the hall is created and how it operates.” If you would like to help, or have


any further suggestions, contact Sheri on sherigidney@gmail.com or 0121 238 7912, or Kath at kath9tt@ hotmail.com


The Village September 2018


choose from BARNT GREEN Parish Council holds its annual Community Walk on Satur- day September 22. There are three walks of different lengths to choose from, all starting and ending at Millennium Park. The eight-mile walk starts at 1.30pm, the five-mile route at 2.30pm, and the three-mile at 3.30pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive half an hour before the start time. All walks are intended to arrive back in the park between 5pm and 5.30pm for a pig roast and drinks, plus live music provided by village musician Paul Edwards. It is free to take part, and there’s no


need to book. Accompanied children and dogs are welcome, but as some of the terrain is off-road, regular pushchairs may not be suitable.


n Don’t forget Blackwell Music Festival on Saturday September 8, with live music from 12 noon in the grounds of Hunter’s Hill School. Buy tickets at Blackwell Village Stores or online at www.skiddle.com


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