November 2021

19 Buckden Roundabout November 2021 Village News Bookings Update It is wonderful to see most of our regular hirers back at the Hall. We also have a St Mary ’ s Coffee Morning, a Blood Do- nor session (on 26 th ), a couple of kids parties and a private party booked in November. Exercise classes at the Hall We currently have three exercise classes running each week. A Pilates class on a Monday evening (6:30pm – 7:30pm), a Pilates class on a Tuesday morning (10am – 11am) and a Zumba class on a Friday morning (9:30am – 10:30am). Please email me for any further information. Valley update By the time you read this, primary work in the Valley will be nearing completion of the first phase. Plans have been pro- duced to give the village a better understanding of the over- all vision of the final Valley plan, and we welcome residents ’ feedback. We will try to display the plans around village and the Valley where we can (budget permitting). Please contact us with any comments on ad- min@buckdenvillagehall.co.uk. The major triumph of the month was re - establishing the original feed from the stream to the Valley that had been smothered and blocked over the years by reeds, silt and a badly placed weir. After days of digging, plus blood, sweat and determination, our contractors finally managed to lo- cate the original pipe and free it up (“ Worse than finding a needle in a haystack! ”). Even the first two days of fresh water flowing into Valley has made a difference to the via- bility of the lake, with the water levels rising 150mm and still rising. This will make Valley more viable in the longer term, as the feed will bring more clean water and oxygen to the lake. We will be planting over 5,000 bulbs and native plants around the Valley to increase biodiversity and hope to or- ganise various community events to get everyone involved in the Valley ’ s transformation. As I write: • The paths along the playing fields have been com- pleted, allowing easier access for everyone • the coir rolls are being laid to build up the banks with new plants • the humped bridge has been demolished to be re- placed with a more user - friendly bridge over a new weir • the old path curving around to the weir has been raised back to its original level and smoothed over • a multi - activity paddling area is being laid by the weir • the stream is being cleared of vegetation and block- ages to allow it to flow more freely You can view photos of the progress of the development on the Cluster link: https://cluster.co/i/LU3HQCRP AGM The Trust held its annual general meeting on 5 October and welcomed the new Trustee board. Matt Beldam was elect- ed the new Chair of the Trust, with Cynthia Alers elected Treasurer and Hamish Masson re - elected as Secretary. Two new trustees were elected over the year. Welcome to all the new officers and trustees who bring a wide range of experience to the Trust. We also thank the previous officers for all their efforts and hard work over the past year. Despite having to shut down for most of the past year under Covid restrictions, the Trust successfully accessed government support for hospitality businesses to keep the Hall financially viable and undertook much needed maintenance. We are looking for new Trustees to join the Village Hall Trust. There are lots of exciting projects in the pipeline so it ’ s an exciting time to join. The Village Hall and the recrea- tion ground have a central position in village life. The trus- tees contribute a great deal to the village in managing this well - used facility we are lucky enough to have. The role of Trustee is not demanding, nor does it take a great deal of time. It does not require any special skills. There are many projects in which to become involved. Please email Jo Harvey, Hall Manager, for details or contact the new Chair, Matt Beldam, for an informal discussion. Jo Harvey, Hall Manager Email: admin@buckdenvillagehall.co.uk Tel: 01480 811101 Please call or email to arrange any face - to - face appoint- ments. Office hours: 9am – 2pm Burberry Road, Buckden, Cambridgeshire, PE19 5UY Tel: 01480 811101 www. buckdenvillagehall.co.uk email: admin@buckdenvillagehall.co.uk