Deadline for the October 2023 newsletter is 25 September.
New Community Facilities
We will be holding our second consultation meeting on Wed 20 Sept in the village hall at 8.00pm, to share the plans for the new community facilities with you, to answer your questions and gather feedback.
On Sunday 22nd October from 5.00pm, the manager of Wigginton Community Shop and Café has very kindly agreed to come to the village and chat through her experience of setting up a community shop and café, which has been trading profitably since 2018. You will be able to ask her questions and hear first hand how they have made the shop and café a success, along with some of the challenges they have had to overcome.
Please contact me if you have any questions, otherwise we look forward to seeing you in Sept and Oct.
Beds & Herts Bike ‘N Hike 9 September 2023
I will be taking part in the annual Bike ‘n Hike again this year to raise funds for the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust. Any sponsorship will be greatly appreciated.
Half of the money raised will be donated to St. Martin’s Preston and the remainder to needy church projects in the diocese.
You can sponsor me via my JustGiving page on the link:
www.justgiving.com/page/ita-leaver-bikeride-2023
If you are taxpayer please remember to tick the gift aid box.
Many thanks, Ita
St Martin’s Church and All Saints’ Church Services
| Sunday 3rd September
|
9.30am
11.00am |
St Martin’s All Age Communion
Romans 12: 9 – end Matthew 16:21 – end All Saints All Age Communion |
| Sunday 10th September
|
8.00am
9.30am
11.00am |
All Saints BCP Holy Communion
St Martin’s Holy Communion Romans 13: 8 – end Matthew 18: 15 – 20 All Saints Sunday Praise with Baptism |
| Sunday 17th September | 9.30am
11.00am |
St Martin’s Harvest Family Service
All Saints Pet Service Isaiah 11: 6 – 9 |
| Sunday 24th September
|
9.30am
11.00am |
St Martin’s Holy Communion
Philippians 1: 21 – end Matthew 20: 1 – 16 All Saints Holy Communion |
Team Vicar of St Paul’s Walden with Preston:
Letter From The Vicar
September is the month of new starts – back to school for children, back to work for many who have been on holiday, whether at home or abroad.
The new start – what a great idea it is: to think not just of life as the ‘same old thing’, but as containing the chance of something different and we hope something better.
The Christian understanding is based on a new start for all, centred in the crucifixion of Jesus. For that event – the cross – becomes the bridge by which our systemic moral failure (‘All we like sheep have gone astray’) is forgiven and we find our way back to God. The cross of Jesus gives us the greatest of all new starts.
And so Christianity, in its collective new start, is open to all, with the chance for every day and every moment of the day to offer an individual new start and a better way of living.
Please join us at All Saints for our pet service on 17 September, a concert of local talent on 6 October and our harvest lunch on 8 October, which takes place within the flower festival from 6-8 October.
Please also join us at the Preston Harvest Supper on 22 September in the Village Hall.
With every blessing
Stephen
St Martin’s Church 150 Club 2023/2024
The winners in the August draw in the 2023/24 150 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 144 Mrs C Pereira
No. 47 Mr I D Clark
The Preston Trust – October Dates
The Autumn Litter Pick – date to be confirmed
Oct 12 – Talk by Rev.Stephen Fielding- details in the October newsletter
The Preston Trust AGM – date to be confirmed
Preston Parish Council
Parish Council Meeting: Thursday 7 September
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 7 September at 8pm in the village hall. Any member of the public who would like to raise an issue to be discussed at this meeting should contact the Clerk.
Members of the public who would like to speak to the Parish Council in person should register with the Clerk prior to the meeting.
Contact details are: Lisa Lathane, Clerk to the Parish Council:
Community Facilities Documents
Preston Parish Council is maintaining a page on the village website to post documents relating to the proposed new community facilities so that residents can keep up to date with the project. The first documents are now on available at: https://www.prestonvillageherts.com/community-facilities-project/
Please share the information with any neighbours who do not have internet access, if possible.
Voluntary Emergency Telephone System
The number for the Voluntary Emergency Telephone System is: 01462 600640. Please put the number into your phone. The system has been tested and is working well. While waiting for a call to be answered, there may be some stop-start ringing. This is when the call has been picked up by an answerphone. When there is no human input, the phone starts ringing the volunteers again. The pause will only last for a few seconds and the line should be kept open until it is answered by one of the volunteers.
Hitchin Foodbank Shortages
The following items are the most urgently needed: Sweets and Chocolate; Tinned Fruit (not Grapefruit); Coffee 100g; Jam; Fish; Packet Soup; Fruit Juice (1litre please); Shampoo; Toilet Rolls.
Please ensure items are undamaged and in date. Donations can be deposited in the blue box in the garage at Lychgate House, Church Lane, or at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. Thank you for your continued support; for more information please visit letchworth.foodbank.org.uk
Neighbourhood Watch
The number to contact at North Herts Police for all non-emergencies (including witnessing of fly-tipping) is 101 or 01707 354000.
For removal of fly tipping which has already occurred, call NHDC 01462 474000 or online at www.north-herts.gov.uk, then follow the links to Transport and Streets, Street Cleaning and Fly Tipping where there is a form to complete to report the details. If you use the What3Words app, please include the three words for the location of the fly tipping.
PCSO Heather Burrows can be contacted regarding local community issues.
Contact details are as follows:
PCSO Heather Burrows: 07740 745168 or 01438 757604 or heather.burrows@herts.pnn.police.uk
In the event of an emergency or if you witness a crime taking place please call 999.
Reporting suspicious activity
Please report any suspicious activity or vehicles you may witness in the locality.
Call the police on the non-emergency number 101 or report it online by using the website www.herts.police.uk/report and follow the links.
Harvest Supper On Friday 22 September
This year the Harvest Supper will be held on Friday 22 September in the Village Hall at
7.00 pm. Tickets, priced £15.00, cash only, include a welcome drink and a two course meal and can be obtained from
Numbers are limited to 40, so please call by Monday 18 September.
If you have a vegetarian preference, just let Ita know well in advance. Please bring your own bottle. There will be a Raffle. Families who have moved into the Parish recently are especially welcome, but anyone living in the village is warmly invited so do come and join us.
Red Lion – Harvest Auction
The annual Harvest Auction will be held on Friday 6 October at 8.00pm. Would those donating produce for the auction bring their contributions to the pub in the afternoon – preferably after 3.00pm.
Please come along and support this event – it’s always a fun evening and proceeds will be shared between Preston Primary School, Dynamos Cricket and St Martin’s Church.
Preston Village Society: Thursday 21 September
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 21 September at 7pm in the Village Hall. Jennifer Hepworth will give a talk titled: “The Other Side of the Curtain”
New members are very welcome to come along.