Crowborough News, January 2026, Issue 06

JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 06
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2 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
WELCOME
WELCOME to the first edition
of Crowborough News in 2026! I
would like to say how grateful I am
for the flood of positive comments
we’ve received online and in person
about this newspaper and what it is
doing for our community. Our aim
was always to inform and celebrate
our community and, in doing so,
perhaps bring people a little closer.
It is wonderful and overwhelming
to hear so many people with such
gratitude and support.
I would also like to thank our
advertisers without whom none
of this would be possible. This is
primarily a community project and
they are supporting our community
by ensuring we can cover print and
production costs and keep the paper
free. Thank you!
This month there’s news of
major new housing plans between
Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells,
and a round-up of some of the latest
stories relating to the army camp and
the Home Office’s plans to use it to
house asylum seekers. We also have
a celebratory look back at 2025 and
some of the news we have shared
about our wonderful town and the
people in it. Various community
figures have shared with us their
hopes for 2026, and if weightloss
is on your list of new year
resolutions, check out the advice
from Mary Watkins!
I hope you enjoyed the Christmas
and new year period, including
our “just for fun” Christmas Lights
contest on Facebook. Well done
to everyone who played a part in
sharing a bit of festive fun and joy.
Happy new year!
Iain Luxford, Editor
THE TEAM
IAIN LUXFORD — EDITOR
editor@crowborough.news
PAUL GIBSON — REGIONAL EDITOR
paul@regionalmediagroup.co.uk
JAKE HEASMAN — SPORTS REPORTER
editor@crowborough.news
DEAN COOK — PRODUCTION
design@magazineproduction.com
CONTACT
ADVERTISING SALES — 01892 577124
sales@crowborough.news
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without express permission of the editor.
New homes and sports
facilities on countryside
near Crowborough
BY IAIN LUXFORD
PLANS have been submitted for a
major development of countryside
land between Crowborough and
Tunbridge Wells which could mean
almost 200 new houses as well as
extensive new sports facilities.
Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club
(TWRFC) wants to move to a brand
new site off Bunny Lane, and, under
the plans, 184 new homes could be
built on its existing site on Frant Road.
And a second application by the
same developer is planned on nearby
fields between Frant, Eridge and
Tunbridge Wells, which could mean a
further 178 new homes.
The proposal for the new sports
facilities for TWRFC cover 35 acres
at Chase Farm in Bunny Lane — on
land within the High Weald Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB). This would provide six new
rugby pitches, three cricket pitches,
a two storey rugby club house, a
one-storey cricket pavilion, and five
new padel courts.
The plans for new housing on
the existing rugby club site are for
a mix of flats, two, three and four
bedroomed homes. Of the 184 new
houses, 35 per cent would be social or
affordable properties.
Although the location is between
Tunbridge Wells and Wealden, it
falls within the Wealden district
so Wealden District Council
will be deciding whether to
approve the proposals.
In their “master plan” for the plans,
the developer, Esquire Developments,
also included a third site at Pinewood
Farm — between the two sites and to
the west of Frant Road. This, which it
says would be the subject of a second
planning application, would provide a
further 178 homes.
The developers submitted the
current proposal following a
significant public engagement and
consultation exercise. This involved
public exhibitions with details of the
sites, a questionnaire, a consultation
website, a questionnaire, and a leaflet
drop. They said more than 400 people
had engaged with the proposals.
People had raised concerns about
the safety of the A267 Frant Road
to Bunny Lane which is dangerous
with frequent accidents, and they
also said the plans would put a huge
strain on Frant. Among the other
fears expressed by residents were
the lack of infrastructure in the
area, inadequate parking and the
increase in traffic.
But there were also some positive
views. Some respondents had
acknowledged there was a need for
more homes, thought the proposed
development was of high-quality
homes, that there was a good design
mix within the development, there
would be increased biodiversity, and
the site was in an ideal location.
Esquire Developments said it had
also consulted key local stakeholders
including local councillors. Key
concerns raised had included the
large scale of the developments,
the impact of extra traffic, and the
impact on the AONB.
And the proposals have met with a
mixed reaction from environmental
groups. Based on the plans submitted,
Natural England said it considered
that the proposed development would
not have significant adverse impacts
on statutorily protected nature
conservation sites.
But the Sussex Ornithological Society
disagrees. It says the land to the south
of Tunbridge Wells, close to the sites
“is an important area for biodiversity
and has nationally significant
populations of certain bird species”.
And the undeveloped site which
would be the home of the new sports
club facilities is of “exceptional
importance for one nationally scarce
bird of conservation concern”.
Although it doesn’t name the bird,
the society said the site was “the
most important in Britain for our
rarest unnamed bird which is
monitored nationally by the Rare
Breeding Birds Panel”.
It added: “Sussex holds more pairs
of these birds than any other county
in Britain, and several of them breed
in this area or in the adjacent HWNL
in Kent. The Sussex birds have been
monitored by the SOS for over two
decades.” The sites for development
are within a 1km of this bird’s nest site.
Addressing some of the concerns
raised, Esquire Homes said: “The
recent planning reforms introduced
by the Government have increased the
housing requirement for a number
of authorities across the country,
including WDC. The Government also
now requires all LPA’s to meet their
housing requirement.
“As such, there is a requirement
for WDC to allocate sufficient land
to meet this requirement. Due to the
significant proportion of the District
that is located within the National
Landscape, a proportion of homes
will need to be allocated within
the High Weald.”
It added the proposed scheme had
been fully assessed by its transport
consultant and had been submitted to
KCC Highways and ESCC Highways
and assessed as part of their preapplication
process.
Detailed modelling of the highway
network had been undertaken to
assess the impact of the proposed
development on the wider network,
and a Road Safety Audit (RSA) had
also been undertaken to ensure that
the proposed accesses as safe and
suitable for the volume of traffic
anticipated to be generated by the
proposed development.
Writing on the TWRFC website, its
chairman, Mike Rigby, said the new
sports facilities in Bunny Lane would
be “a community asset to be proud of”.
He said: “Our existing neighbours
are understandably upset that the
farmland many of their houses were
built on will potentially be subject to
further development as part of this
scheme. But there are many upsides
for our community to consider that
offer considerable benefit to our town.
“This is why I wanted to share with
you again the reasons why this is
so important for: our community;
our club; our mini and youth
members; our senior players; and
our supporters/social members. We
are an important sports hub around
which our community forms and our
long term future is vital to the town.
Our club has outgrown existing facility
and the proposed facility will be a
significant improvement.”
He said the new facilities would
mean better playing surfaces, with
all grass pitches drained to a high
specification and a full artificial grass
pitch, better parking, clubhouse and
changing facilities “enhanced beyond
recognition”, better changing rooms,
and “an amazing social space for
our community.”
Mr Rigby added: “We want to
secure long term sustainability
for the club based around rugby,
cricket, football and padel. Giving
us a diverse and broad appeal to our
community and town.
We secure our future on freehold
land, with broad income streams to
keep us safe for the next 100 years.”
www.twrfc.com/news/
chairman-update-the-future-oftrwfc-2951329.html
For more details of the planning
application visit: https://planning.
wealden.gov.uk/Planning/Display/
WD/2025/2241/MAJ

4 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
National role for
Crowborough teen
A Crowborough teenager who has
“achieved incredible things” doing
the Duke of Edinburgh Awards
has been selected to be a UK Youth
Ambassador for the scheme.
Cerys Martin, 17, has been chosen
to be one of just 31 DofE Award
holders from all over the UK, who will
advocate for young people by sharing
their experience on key issues
impacting them.
And the keen Crowborough rugby
player says she wants to encourage
more girls to get into sports, after
being selected for the prestigious role.
Cerys completed her Bronze and
Silver Awards at Beacon Academy,
then went on to Uckfield College,
where she completed her Gold
Award. However, she admitted to
being a bit apprehensive before
starting her DofE.
She said: “I’d never been a sporty
kid, and I was really worried
about the Physical section. Some
of my friends decided to join
Crowborough Rugby Club, so I
thought I’d see what it was like,
even though I knew nothing about
rugby. I signed up, only planning
on doing the three months I needed
for my Bronze DofE, but I’m so
glad I stayed on — rugby is such
a huge part of my life now, I can’t
imagine what I’d be doing if I’d never
started playing.”
Now training four times a week at
CRFC, Cerys was also chosen to play
for the county’s development team.
For her Gold Volunteering section,
Six figure sum raised
for charity
A fund-raising ball has raised
an astonishing £100,000 for a
Crowborough-based charity.
The Dragonfly Ball, held every
two years, is a key fund-raiser
for Taylor-Made Dreams, which
was formed in Crowborough
supports children with life-limiting
illnesses and their families across
the south east.
Award winning author, actor and
TV celebrity, David Walliams hosted
the event — a black tie fundraiser
that includes entertainment,
performances, star prizes, a raffle,
casino tables, and a three course
meal — which was held at the Hilton
Metropole Hotel.
The event also featured TV’s Claudia
Sermbezis, who did stage interviews
of some of the TMD families, and
a video message from the charity’s
patron, John Bishop, who is on
tour in Australia.
A spokesperson for the charity
said: “Each and every person that
supported this year’s TMD Dragonfly
Ball, helped to make this our largest
and most magical fundraiser to
date. With your support we have
raised more than £100,000 on the
night! A truly astonishing amount,
that will have an incredible impact
for TMD families.”
The charity’s founder, Suzi Mitchell,
said: “The Dragonfly Ball embodies
everything our charity stands for:
love, support, and the power of
community. Each ball, the generosity
Cerys became an assistant coach for
the under-6 team at Crowborough.
Cerys added: “So many girls are
playing now and I’d love to be a role
model and inspire young girls to take
that step. I saw myself as someone
who would never be good at sport,
and now I’ve scored a try for my
county. I never would have signed up
if it wasn’t for the DofE.”
Funded by The Gosling Foundation,
the Youth Ambassador programme
puts young people front and centre
as future leaders, involving them in
shaping the DofE’s work to benefit
other young people.
DofE Youth Ambassadors have
met Ministers and MPs, spoken at
high-profile events such as party
conferences and DofE Gold Award
celebrations in Buckingham Palace
Garden, represented the DofE at
international forums and played a
pivotal role feeding into key decisions
across the charity.
Ashley Williams, UK youth
engagement manager at The Duke
of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Cerys
has achieved incredible things
through her DofE. As a charity, we’re
committed to putting young people
at the heart of everything we do and
give them the opportunity to make a
positive, lasting impact on the issues
they are passionate about.”
of our guests and sponsors goes
above and beyond to enable us to
create precious moments for children
and their families, who are facing
unimaginable challenges. We are
deeply grateful to everyone who
helped make this year’s event our
most successful yet.”
Photographs by John Bull
and Emily Brown.
Jarvis Brook’s
100-year-old
landmark faces
£30k repair crisis
THERE are renewed calls for
funding support for a building
that has been a community
venue in Jarvis Brook for more
than 100 years.
There’s a big question mark
over the future of the Jarvis Brook
Memorial, a registered charity,
which badly needs thousands of
pounds worth of essential repairs —
including a new roof.
The hall is a historic landmark
and was once used as a World War 2
hospital. But now, the much-loved
and vital community hub, needs at
least £30,000 of urgent repairs. The
GoFund me campaign set up to raise
the money has so far collected £5,000.
The land which the hall is built
on was given to the people of Jarvis
Brook by wealthy landowners in the
1920’s for the purpose of education
and recreation. The hall was built and
handed over to the people.
Over the years it has been home
to a large number of groups and
Fast food plans
withdrawn
THE controversial plan to build a
new takeaway Burger King next
door to a Crowborough care home
has been withdrawn.
Crowborough Town Council and
local residents had called on planners
to throw out plans for a Burger King
fast food outlet in an extension to the
Morrison’s petrol garage shop.
The plan to double the size of
the Morrisons petrol station shop
had been agreed previously by
Wealden District Council (WDC) but
a subsequent planning application
revealed the extension is for a new
shows. These include a playschool,
primary school, scouts, guides, dog
training, ballet, Scottish Country
dancing, Canasta group, Guide Dog
training, Pets as Therapy training,
Yoga classes, Crowborough Pantry
training — and families use it for
children’s parties etc.
Gaynor Kendall, who up the
“GoFundMe” page to raise the much
needed funds, said: “We now have
certain problems which need to be
addressed for the safe keeping of the
hall and so that it may be repaired to
keep for everyone’s use.
“At the moment we have been given
estimates totalling over £30,000 which
may not be the full total. We will have
to apply for a grant from possibly the
Lottery fund and anywhere else that
helps, as our only income is from the
hire charges we get in.”
If you can donate or want to
know more visit: https://www.
gofundme.com/f/repairs-to-jarvisbrook-memorial-hall
Burger King takeaway.
However, that application has been
withdrawn. It is unclear whether
Burger King has dropped the plans or
is amending them.
The town council had said
creating a Burger King on the site
would cause extra noise, litter, and
disturbance which would affect
nearby residents including the
Heather View Care Home. It also
had concerns about the impact on
local businesses, the safety of the
turning into the site, and the safety
of pedestrians.

6 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
The on-going controversy sparked by Home Office plans to use Crowborough Army Training Camp has continued unabated this month. Weekly protest marches have continued to attract huge support.
Because of early print and production deadlines, our roundup below of some of the stories this month may not include more recent developments.
Group insists they are
for reassurance and
are not vigilantes
A new group set up to patrol
Crowborough town centre insist
they are not vigilantes after
being accused of being so in a
national newspaper.
Along with other national
newspapers, the Daily Mail reported
the creation of Crowborough Fast
Reaction Patrol but also reported that
one resident had branded the group ‘a
bunch of vigilantes’ and had called for
the police to step in.
The Mail reported the resident as
saying: “A bunch of vigilantes with
too much time on their hands is the
last thing this town needs. It is already
a powder keg situation and what we
don’t need is for a self-appointed
gang ready to put a flame to it. It’s a
provocation and should be stopped
by the police.”
But the group insists it has the
support of the local community and
has described the vigilante claims
as ‘one comment on social media’. It
said it will not directly intervene in
any incidents, only report them.
Nick Jones from the patrol group
told the BBC; “We’re there to
really just provide reassurance.
We understand that just having a
presence is enough to stop crime.
People will see us in our red hats and
hi-vis jackets and think `perhaps we’ll
take our problems elsewhere’.”
When asked whether it was
vigilantism, he added: “No definitely
not. We are not hands-on we’rejust
there to provide reassurance for the
people of Crowborough.”
Introducing themselves on
social media, Crowborough Fast
Reaction Patrol said they would be
patrolling the town but were not
Residents group
maintains pressure
THE residents group set up to fight
the army camp plans has kept up the
pressure this month.
Crowborough Shield has raised
more than £50,000 to fight the Home
Office plans to house 540 asylum
seekers at the training camp and has
begun legal action.
But they remain angry at the
“inaction” of Wealden District
Council. On social media
Crowborough Shield shared the letter
their solicitors had sent WDC. They
wrote: “Shamefully Wealden District
Council do not respond to our legal
team. The HO now occupy the site —
what are you waiting for?”
At a previous public meeting,
Crowborough Shield called for the
leaders of WDC, Cllr James Partridge
and Cllr Rachel Milward to resign. If
they wouldn’t resign, Crowborough
Shield said they should join the
legal fight and act.
But WDC told the BBC it was taking
action. Cllr Partridge said: “We have
a legal team lined up and we will take
their advice. An awful lot depends on
what decision the Home Office makes
going to be confrontational. They
wrote: “Our aim is simple, be visible
and a deterrent.
“Over the coming weeks and
months, and who knows, maybe
years, you will see us strolling around
Crowborough, taking in the sights
of the hot spots. We aim to be visible
during the morning and afternoon
school runs in term time, and as the
evening sets in each day.
“We are not here to confront, we are
here as local residents, concerned
for the welfare of our town, and
hopefully make a difference between
unwanted activity and a peaceful
place to continue living.”
The spokesperson said all patrol
members must have a DBS check
before starting work.
Organisers say the patrol team
will concentrate their efforts on
the morning and afternoon school
runs and will be on the streets in the
evening. They say if they see any
behaviour they believe ‘warrants
action’ they will have the means to
report it and to contact the authorities.
Photo credit, Crowborough Shield
and how they make it.” He said the
council was “absolutely” determined
to continue fighting the plans.
Town council anger
at how Govt ignored
Crowborough residents
CROWBOROUGH Town Council
says it deplores the arbitrary
decision to open the Crowborough
Army Camp premises as a holding
centre for undocumented asylum
seekers without consultation,
risk assessments or consideration
of the feelings and welfare of
Crowborough residents.
At its most recent full council
it agreed to write to the Home
Secretary, the Minister in charge
of Asylum Accommodation, Mr
Alex Norris and the Prime Minister
Sir Kier Starmer requiring the
cancellation of the projected use
of the camp for undocumented
asylum seekers.
It has also requested that the Home
Office attends an in-person meeting
with directly impacted residents
closest to the site. And has called on
the Govt to share details of any risk
assessments carried out.
At the meeting, town councillors
also aired concerns about the local
cadets who use the facilities. It agreed
to ask the Govt for clarification
on the ongoing provision for both
Cadet Units within Crowborough,
including areas safe to parade and
access to toilets.
To back this up the council is
submitting a Freedom of Information
request to the Ministry of Defence
and Home Office regarding cadet
provision and long-term viability
of the camp as a site for training, as
referred to in Home Office fact sheets.
It will also tell the Home Office that
while Crowborough has welcomed
refugees in the past, this is not
a suitable proposal for the town
and that the number of asylum
seekers is disproportionate to the
population of the town.
Cadets told to leave dashing
hopes of a rethink
HOPES that the Government may be delaying or even rethinking its plans
to use the army camp to house asylum seekers appeared to be dashed
when the local cadets were told to leave.
The head of Sussex Army Cadets wrote to cadets and their parents saying
that all cadet activities at the site would cease from 5 December. He said
options for alternative sites and provision were being explored.
The move followed claims that the Home Office was perhaps pushing back
its plans in the face of such angry local opposition.
But the Home Office said it had never set a “go live” date, and would only
move ahead with the plans once the site was “safe, legal and compliant”.

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8 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Re-wilding project gets go-ahead
BY IAIN LUXFORD
AN ambitious million pound project
to tackle climate change and
protect nature in Crowborough and
the Wealden district has cleared
its final hurdle.
Wealden District Council has
formally agreed to launch the Wilder
Wealden project marking a major
step forward for nature recovery and
climate resilience across the district.
The five-year partnership
between Wealden District Council
and Sussex Wildlife Trust will create
a connected network of habitats,
helping wildlife thrive while
supporting local communities. Wilder
Wealden aims to reverse biodiversity
decline, restore ecosystems, and
embed nature recovery principles
into council policies and planning.
This new initiative builds on the
successful Wilder Ouse project,
which focuses on restoring the River
Ouse catchment, a partnership
project with Sussex Wildlife Trust
and other partners. Wilder Wealden
expands this approach across the
entire district, creating a longterm
partnership to protect and
enhance nature for current and
future generations.
To support delivery, the council
has committed £1,195,039 of
funding, which was agreed
by Wealden councillors at a
recent Full Council meeting,
with Sussex Wildlife Trust
contributing additional ‘in-kind’
support. A dedicated project
board will oversee progress,
and outcomes will be regularly
reviewed and reported.
Wealden is home to some of the
UK’s most treasured landscapes,
including the Ashdown Forest,
ancient woodlands, rivers, and
farmland. But like much of the
country, it faces a biodiversity crisis.
The UK government has pledge to
protect 30% of land and sea for nature
by 2030, Wilder Wealden responds to
this challenge by:
• Restoring habitats and creating
Nature Recovery Networks.
• Using nature-based solutions to
tackle climate change impacts
• Supporting landowners, famers
and local groups to restore nature
and improve access to green spaces
Residents will be invited to
take part through:
• Volunteering opportunities
• Citizen science projects
• Local habitat restoration schemes
Wilder Wealden is designed to
involve everyone. The project will
raise awareness of how communities
can improve their local environment,
encourage volunteering, and work
with landowners to deliver nature
recovery at scale.
Councillor Paul Coleshill, lead
councillor for Climate Change,
said, “This partnership will work to
ensure wildlife can truly flourish
across the Wealden district by
creating connected nature-recovery
networks and expanding vital habitats
in response to the climate and
biodiversity crises.
“By strengthening the natural
environment, the council aims
to bring lasting benefits to local
communities, enhancing green
spaces and securing a healthier,
more resilient Wealden for
future generations.”
Railway stations are busier
but remain well below
pre-pandemic levels
THE number of people using local
railway stations has increased
significantly this year but passenger
levels remain considerably lower
than before the Covid pandemic,
according to figures.
Both Crowborough and Eridge
stations saw large increases in
passenger numbers, according to
figures reported by railwaydata.co.uk.
At Crowborough, passenger
journeys went up by 20,814 or almost
nine per cent between 2023/24
and 2024/25. It had a daily average
number of passengers beginning or
ending their journeys at the station
just short of 700 with almost 20
passengers per service.
With a total of 254,886 passenger
entries and exits in 2024/25,
Crowborough was the 1,247th most
used station in Great Britain out of the
total of 2,586.
At Eridge, meanwhile, the number
of passenger journeys increased by
9,512 which was 13 per cent more than
in 2023/24. It had 82,636 passenger
entries during the year, making it
the 1,842nd busiest station out of
the 2,586 total.
Eridge had a daily average of 226
passengers during 2024/25 with just
over six passengers each service.
But while the increases are
significant, both stations remain
much quieter than they were before
the covid-19 pandemic forced
lockdown and a major cultural shift in
how people work.
In the years leading up to 2020/21,
Crowborough was used to seeing
around 400,000 passenger entries
and exits a year — compared with
the 254,886 total in 2024/25. And
Eridge’s 82,636 passenger entries
and exits remains a long way below
its pre-pandemic annual figure
around 140,000.
Appeal for
volunteer advisers
THE search is on for Crowborough
volunteers who could provide
local residents with free
support and advice.
Wealden Citizens Advice Bureau
(CAB) is looking for new volunteer
advisers to join their teams based at
Basepoint in Crowborough, and also
in Hailsham and Uckfield.
The charity has a 60-strong team of
volunteer advisers but needs more.
It wants people who can volunteer
one day a week 9am to 3pm. No
experience is necessary as full
training is provided.
In 2023/24 the CAB’s team of 60
volunteers and 16 paid staff across
its three offices in Crowborough,
Hailsham and Uckfield assisted
more than 3,300 clients with
over 17,600 issues.
A spokesperson said it was
a rewarding role with out of
pocket expenses reimbursed:
“We provide free, confidential,
independent and impartial advice
and campaign on big issues
affecting people’s lives. Our goal is
to help everyone find a way forward,
whatever problem they face.
“People come to us with all sorts
of issues. They may have money,
benefit, housing or employment
problems, they may be facing a crisis
or just considering their options.”
For more information and
details about how to apply visit:
https://wealdenvolunteering.org.
uk/2025/10/09/volunteer-advisorwealden-citizens-advice/
Thank you Crowborough!
Photo credit: Peter Trimming
THE Crowborough Bonfire and
Carnival Society has thanked the
generous people of the town after
its beneficiary evening.
Following the society’s annual
carnival and torchlit procession
in the autumn, the beneficiary
evening saw each of its five charities
receiving £860 — a total of £4,300.
The money was presented by the
Chairman, Nigel Cassford, who was
joined by members of the society’s
the committee.
The charities receiving funding
were:
• Connections Cafe Crowborough
• Darby and Joan Club
• Jarvis Brook Football Club
• Jarvis Brook Guide
Supporters Association
• Acre Wood Charitable Trust
A spokesperson said: “A huge thanks
to everyone who donated. It was a
fabulous evening spent enjoying
listening how the charities will
use the money!”
Congratulations to Andy Small
from Jarvis Brook Guide Supporter
Association who received the
society’s shield for top group
collectors, and to carnival society
President Rob Taylor who was
presented with the individual top
collector’s shield.

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 9
Have your say on “most
important decision”
for Wealden
BY IAIN LUXFORD
RESIDENTS, businesses and
organisations in Crowborough are
being encouraged to take part in a
government consultation that will
help shape the future of council
services across the county.
Two options have been submitted
to Government for how councils
could be reorganised and the leader
of Wealden District Council (WDC),
Cllr James Partridge, says it is “almost
certainly the most important decision
about the future of Wealden which
will be made in our lifetimes”.
The council is urging people to have
their say on the two options submitted
for East Sussex to the government in
the consultation launched recently.
The first option is the One East
Sussex proposal — which would
create a single unitary authority
covering all of Rother, Eastbourne,
Hastings, Lewes, and Wealden.
Supporters of this proposal say
it would make local government
for East Sussex easier with just one
council providing all services. But
critics say it will be too big and will not
be able to properly represent such a
diverse county with big urban coastal
communities and very different
inland rural areas.
A second option, put
forward by Brighton
& Hove City Council,
would see five unitary
authorities across
Sussex with Brighton
& Hove expanding its
boundary to include
parts of Lewes,
and a Mid Sussex
unitary authority
taking in parts of
Wealden and Lewes.
One East Sussex
Business Case for Local
Government Reorganisation
in East Sussex
Date: 26/09/2025
Submitted by: East Sussex Working Group
(Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council,
Hastings Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Rother District Council)
Earlier this year WDC withdrew its
support for the “One East Sussex”
option for a single council covering
the entire county, warning it would
be too remote to serve residents
effectively. It also said there had
been insufficient time to properly
assess proposals and financial
arrangements for the reorganisation.
One East Sussex: Building the Future 1
Residents have until 11 January on
the options, which are designed to
replace the current two-tier structure
of county and district or borough
councils with new unitary authorities.
Cllr Partridge added:
“This is almost certainly
the most important
decision about the future
of Wealden which will
be made in our lifetimes.
Please take the time to tell
the government which
of the two proposals you
think is most likely to
provide us with a council
which provides good
quality, value for money
services designed for our rural
district and which we can hold to
account for doing so.”
Further information on the
government consultation can
be found at https://consult.
communities.gov.uk/localgovernment-reorganisation/
east-sussex-brighton-andhove-west-sussex/
Inspirational
golfer receives
national acclaim
A Crowborough golfer is on the
fairway to success having scooped
not one, but two national awards.
Beacon Golf Club member, Aimi
Bullock, has won both the Unsung
Hero and Rising Star awards at the
Women in Golf Awards.
Aimi said receiving this recognition
“means the world,” especially
while managing multiple sclerosis
alongside playing elite-level golf
and driving meaningful change for
women in the game.
Her work through @womensg4d
continues to push boundaries and
open doors for others, and in just the
last 12 months she has also founded
the @sport_for_all_uk_foundation,
which—thanks to support from the
Kate & Justin Rose Foundation—is
helping children with upper-body
limb differences learn to play golf.
Aimi said she wanted to thank her
golf network, mentors, supporters,
and the G4D players whose
encouragement fuels her mission.
A spokesperson at Beacon Golf Club
said: “Everyone at Crowborough
Beacon is incredibly proud of Aimi
and all she continues to achieve in
the world of golf. Her commitment,
resilience, and passion make her
an inspiration both within our club
and far beyond it.
“Aimi, we are incredibly proud of
you. Your determination, kindness,
and impact reflect everything
that is great about our game.
Congratulations on two hugely
deserved awards.”

10 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Hub” for health fit for the growing
population of our town.
We will continue our fundraising
efforts through the shop (manned
by volunteers) and our annual
fete on August bank Holiday
Monday. Let’s hope the weather will
again be kind to us.
We are a small body of trustees
and are looking for people who are
interested in our hospital and its
services who would be interested
in joining the board of trustees.
Please email chair@foch.org.uk for
further information.
REV STEVE REES, VICAR
OF ALL SAINTS CHURCH
As a local vicar, this message
continues to put fire in my belly every
year. It steadies me through joy and
sorrow, through celebration and loss
alike. I see its power not only in my
own life, but in the lives of many here
in Crowborough. Time and again,
I’ve watched people find courage in
hardship, comfort in grief, and new
beginnings they never imagined
possible — all rooted in the hope the
resurrection offers.
I don’t know what 2026 will bring for
my family or our town. But I step into
this year hopeful, trusting in the God
who can bring light to every season.
CLLR JAMES PARTRIDGE,
LEADER OF WEALDEN
DISTRICT COUNCIL
Hopes for 2026
MARK PEARSON,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
THE CONSERVATORS
OF ASHDOWN FOREST
A century on from the first publication
of one of the world’s most famous
children’s books, 2026 presents a
significant milestone for the landscape
that inspired the Winniethe-Pooh
stories.
For the Forest, we see this as an
opportunity to celebrate the past
hundred years and critically, to look
forward, ensuring that the Forest is
safeguarded for a hundred more.
In support of this, we will be talking
a lot this year about the future of the
Forest. We would very much like the
community to be involved in this and
look forward to sharing more on our
plans for this soon.
As a large, protected site within
a broader landscape, it is essential
to ensure that the Forest adapts to
climate change and to safeguard
important species and habitats. The
Forest represents just under 3%
of the world’s resource of lowland
heathland — a habitat that is rarer
than rainforest.
And so, there is a bigger picture at
play. Ashdown Forest provides vital
refuges for wildlife, but on its own,
it becomes an ecological island. The
Forest and an increasing number of
landowners are creating a landscape
where wildlife habitats are bigger,
better managed, and more joined up.
By restoring the Forest and making
our wildlife habitats more resilient,
we can also connect them with
the wider landscape, so that the
species living within them can move
through the landscape more easily
and continue to survive and thrive
long into the future. Fundamentally,
this involves reconnecting local
communities with their wild
areas and supporting the local
economy where we can, so that
everyone can benefit.
The second aspect is to upgrade a
range of visitor facilities. Following
on from improvements at the Forest
Centre in 2025 including a café with
a new panoramic window and deck
area, additional work will focus on
continued car park improvements,
refreshed and enhanced visitor
information, trails, and leaflets, and
more — all to ensure those who visit
really enjoy their visit.
One of our critical hopes is that we
continue to attract volunteers who
give their time to manage the Forest.
If you would like to learn new skills,
join a social and enthusiastic group
that makes a difference to the wildlife
of the Forest, please do speak to us.
KAY MOSS, FRIENDS OF
CROWBOROUGH HOSPITAL
One of the main hopes for 2026 is for
the Crowborough Birthing Unit to
be up and running again and with
a secure future. The Friends have
been researching different models of
birthing units across the country and
believe we have found a model that
could be replicated in Crowborough.
We are in talks with various groups to
see if this is a way forward.
Crowborough Hospital is in a fairly
unique position in that services are
provided by both Maidstone and
Tunbridge Wells Trust and Sussex
Community NHS Foundation Trust.
These trusts are funded by the Kent
Integrated Care Board and the
Sussex Integrated Care Board. We
are hoping to work with all these
organisations to ensure services
at the hospital are protected and
new services provided to make
Crowborough a “Neighbourhood
A new year always brings a great sense
of a new start — fresh energy, fresh
resolve. We think, a little less chocolate
and a little more veg, fewer hours in
front of the TV and a few more out
walking. For me, one of the great joys
of January is simply watching the light
return. Each day grows a little longer
and brighter. The first green shoots
push through the soil. After months of
retreating daylight, this turning of the
season never fails to lift my heart.
These rhythms of winter and
spring, darkness and light, decay and
renewal, remind me of the story at
the centre of the Christian faith. The
planet’s cycle of dying back and rising
again mirrors, in its own way, what
I believe is the greatest story ever
told: the life, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. His life literally split
history in two — BC and AD. His
light broke into human darkness.
His death for us was cruel and
undeserved. And his resurrection still
proclaims a hope that refuses to fade.
As Leader of Wealden District Council,
my heartfelt wish for 2026 is that the
government leaves us alone so that we
can focus on our core business of
delivering good, value for money,
services and investing for the future.
We seem to spend more time
responding to poorly thought-out
government initiatives — and the
inevitable U-turns — than we do to
getting local things done.
This probably won’t happen and
so it is good to note that we have
got several things done and more
are on their way.
Our new Farningham Road
business units in will be operational
in January, when the first
tenant will move in.
We are working with Beacon
Academy to build a 3G pitch on their
site, to be available for public use, and
we are supporting Artytime to expand
their offering in Crowborough.
We are working on a new long
term leisure contract to ensure long
term investment in Goldsmiths
and investigating the feasibility of
installing solar car ports in our car
parks in Crowborough.
We have launched the £2m
Community Led Infrastructure
Fund (CLIF) to help local groups
invest in community assets. Two
applications from Crowborough are
being progressed.
We have allocated £10,000 to each
councillor for them to make small
grants to new projects or initiatives
set up by not-for-profit organizations
in their ward.
District wide projects which will
benefit Crowborough include: the
launch of Wilder Wealden, investing
over £1m in rewilding the District,
working with volunteers and Sussex

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 11
Wildlife Trust; a new Climate Strategy
and Action Plan, helping to meet our
net zero ambitions; progressing the
construction of a new waste depot,
future proofing our waste collection
service for years to come.
This shows our determination to get
things done in2026 and so improve
everyone’s quality of life.
SUSANNA WAY,
GREEN TRANSITION
CROWBOROUGH
Green Transition Crowborough has
now entered its fifth year of operating
and has grown beyond our original
expectations. However, of course we
would love to increase our presence in
Crowborough in 2026. As a Transition
Town, we are part of a world wide
movement that recognises that we are
at our most powerful when we bring
communities together to help, in small
ways, to tackle the Climate crisis.
Crowborough has seen good
progress with businesses and homes
increasingly replacing carbon-based
energy systems with solar panels,
heat pumps and electric vehicles.
We would hope to see this progress
continue, in the coming year, with
more of our local businesses, schools
and homes making the change.
Artytime Scrapstore’s biggest hope
is that their new extension will be
under construction. This will mean
that they will be able to save more
items from landfill whilst inspiring
all ages to get involved in arts and
crafts. This will also mean that the
Crowborough youth club run by
ESCC youth services will be able
to be restarted.
Our Wildlife team’s wish for 2026
is to see nature recovery gain real
traction throughout the town, with
landowners with sites included
within the East Sussex Local Nature
Recovery Strategy making genuine
efforts to employ land management
changes that are sympathetic
to wildlife and the priority
habitats identified.
Meanwhile our Community
Orchard leaders would like our
national and local leaders to start
taking the climate emergency
seriously and to start legislating to
mitigate the disastrous changes that
are coming down the track. And,
of course, they hope for another
good harvest at Crowborough
Community Orchard.
We also look forward to seeing the
Community Hub becoming a reality,
providing a new permanent home for
our Community Pantry.
These are just a few of our
aspirations for 2026, but perhaps
it gives you a taste of our hopes
for the future. Would you like to
join us in delivering them? https://
greentransitioncrowborough.org.uk/
NUSRAT GHANI MP,
MP FOR SUSSEX WEALD
Happy New Year! I hope that you had
the chance to relax and reflect over the
festive period, and that you are ready
to embrace 2026.
Since last October, Crowborough
has been the centre of all local focus.
Firstly, with the announcement of
a temporary closure of our best-inclass
Birthing Unit, before the news
of the Home Office’s plans to house
asylum seekers at Crowborough
Training Camp broke.
I continue working with the
Friends of Crowborough Hospital
in collecting data and making
representations to the Maidstone
and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust,
who are due to make a decision in
January. We will fight the Trust until
the end and do everything we can to
ensure that local mums are given the
choice to access midwifery-led care
in Crowborough.
Regarding Crowborough Training
Camp, I made my objections to the
use of the site clear to the Home
Office and Wealden District Council
on the day the news broke, and I
have since held many meetings with
ministers and officials at the Home
Office and the Ministry of Defence
to try and delay or prevent the site
from being used. I recognise that this
campaign will dominate our news for
months to come and I continue to do
everything I can in my power as your
MP to hold the Home Office and the
Council to account.
Despite these major challenges,
we must not forget about the good
news that 2025 brought for our
communities. To name just a few, a
new multi-purpose Community Hub
is underway at the railway station;
the unique charity Family2Family
was recognised by the King’s
Award for Volunteer Services; and
having already secured over £3m,
I continue working with Beacon
Academy on delivering more funding
for the school.
The winter months can be
especially difficult, and many
residents feel isolated, lonely and
vulnerable. I am incredibly grateful
for the network of Crowborough
churches and charities that work
tirelessly to prevent people from
feeling anxious. I want people to feel
supported, secure, and feel that their
families can thrive in Crowborough.
Having joined both the Crowborough
Business Expo and the BasePoint
Business Faire, I continue to work
with the Crowborough Chamber
of Commerce to ensure our local
businesses, High Street, and job
market is thriving.
Please be assured that I always
stand ready to provide assistance to
local residents, and I will continue
campaigning hard for Crowborough
in 2026. My surgeries take place
weekly, so if you need my assistance,
please email me at nusrat.ghani.
mp@parliament.uk, or visit my
website www.nusghani.org.uk for
more information.
FOSTER CARERS LOOK LIKE YOU
LIGHTHOUSE FOSTERING OPENS NEW OFFICE IN EAST SUSSEX
Lighthouse Fostering is proud to announce the opening of our new East
Sussex office in Heathfield, strengthening our commitment to supporting
Foster Carers across the county.
For more than ten years, we’ve provided our carers with 24/7 support, specialist
training, competitive pay, and a dedicated team that ensures no one faces
challenges alone.
Our new office allows us to be even closer to the incredible people who open
their homes and hearts to children in need. Right now in East Sussex, children
urgently need safe, stable, and nurturing homes.
If you have a spare bedroom and the desire to make a difference, you could
transform a child’s life.
If you’re ready to explore fostering — or simply want to learn more — Lighthouse
Fostering is here to guide you every step of the way.
For more details visit our website
lighthousefostering.co.uk or call us on 01424 32002.

12 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
We have enough
school places
BY IAIN LUXFORD
SCHOOL pupil numbers in
Crowborough and Rotherfield are
falling and there is no need for any
extra new school places, according
to the county council.
The council’s findings, which
are contained in its annual
School Organisation Plan, come
despite recent housebuilding
and an estimated extra 800
new homes by 2039.
East Sussex County Council (ESCC)
has to publish its School Organisation
Plan every year containing an
assessment of pupil numbers,
birth rates, new building that
might put pressure on schools, and
projected pupil numbers.
It is a rolling plan and this year
covers the period 2025 to 2029. Its
aim is to ensure there are sufficient
primary, secondary and special
school places in the right locations to
meet demand in accordance with its
statutory duty.
In Crowborough and Rotherfield,
ESCC says, there are six primary
schools and one secondary school.
NHS and GP data shows that the
number of births to families living
in the area has remained consistent
but has fallen from 232 in 2012
to 190 in 2023.
Its analysis of all the data shows
the number of school places needed
for school starters (reception class)
across the area is likely to fall well
below the number available. With
Ashdown Forest unveils
new ambassadors
TV BROADCASTER and former
Strictly finalist, Katie Derham, is
one of three new ambassadors who
will champion Ashdown Forest’s
ecological future.
The forest’s official fundraising
charity, The Ashdown Forest
Foundation, also unveiled two
other ambassadors — New York
Times bestselling author, Kathryn
Aalto, and Neil Reed, owner of Pooh
Corner in Hartfield.
The charity’s Chair, Robin St. Clair
Jones said: “Our new Ambassador
team will help us share the story of
Ashdown Forest and inspire more
people about its conservation work.
In 2026, we’ll be celebrating the 100th
birthday of our most famous resident,
Winnie-the-Pooh.
“The ambassadors will help us share
the story of not just the spectacular
beauty of the Forest as a place to visit,
but also its ecological importance
with the collective goal of protecting
this very special habitat for the next
100 years and beyond.”
The ambassadors hold a long and
fond association with the Forest.
One of the UK’s leading
broadcasters, Katie Derham moved
to the edge of Ashdown Forest
more than 20 years ago and quickly
discovered a passion for its stunning
landscape and huge respect for
the ecological work undertaken by
the Conservators.
“It’s a particularly exciting time
to be joining the Foundation. I feel
very strongly that this precious
landscape deserves to be cherished
and protected for future generations
and I’m looking forward to sharing its
story to wider audiences.”
Kathryn Aalto is a bestselling
author, educator and speaker who
focuses her work on nature, culture
and storytelling. Her 2015 New York
Times bestseller, The Natural World of
Winnie the Pooh: A Walk Through the
Forest that Inspired the Hundred Acre
Wood, inspired a deep passion for the
Forest leading to her appointment
as a Trustee for the Foundation, a
position she held held for a number
of years before becoming an
International Ambassador.
“Winnie-the-Pooh’s adventures
have inspired generations of children
all over the world, yet many don’t
know that Hundred Acre Wood
is a real place. I’ve always been
passionate about connecting children
with nature and as international
ambassador and an American with
dual citizenship, I’m excited to raise
a total of 240 reception class spaces
available across Crowborough’s
primary schools, there was only 186
needed in 2024.
Despite new housing, ESCC says
the falling birth rate is expected
to mean that by 2028 there will be
12 per cent more school places
available than needed. It was seven
per cent in 2017.
As far as secondary places are
concerned, Beacon Academy
has become a popular school
and has seen its PAN (Published
Admission Number) 240, exceeded
each year since 2018. However, ESCC
says looking at the birth and GP data
suggests the number of admissions
peaked in 2024. And the school still
has 20 per cent capacity.
awareness about Ashdown Forest’s
importance to nature and biodiversity
for future generations through public
speaking and writing,” Kathryn said.
A long-term supporter of the
Foundation and its work, Neil Reed
has been part of the Ashdown Forest
community since acquiring Pooh
Corner & Museum in Hartfield in
2019. His passion and creativity has
built Pooh Corner into much more
than a tea room and gift shop and now
incorporates a museum.
He said: “I’m delighted to become
a member of the Foundation team.
Living on the Forest’s doorstep has
shown me how important it is to
protect this vital natural resource for
the future. We can all be a part of its
story. Protecting it is something every
one of us can do and I can’t wait to
make an impact.”
For more information on the
Ashdown Forest Foundation go to
www.ashdownforestfdn.org.
Chairman
pays tribute
to Rotherfield
volunteers
VOLUNTEERS at a Rotherfield
charity dedicated to combatting
loneliness and isolation have been
praised by the Chairman of East
Sussex County Council.
Cllr Roy Galley visited Rotherfield St
Martin, to find out how it has become
a trusted friend to older people in
Rotherfield and beyond.
With 249 members, the charity
provides social clubs, craft activities,
a weekly lunch club, exercise
opportunities and companionship.
The team provides specialist
dementia support, offers a volunteer
repair service and helps in domestic
crises such as water shortages
and power cuts.
Volunteers also support the
whole community with their
‘Feed it Back’ table of surplus
food, some of which they grow
in their own garden, and provide
a vital volunteer driver scheme
to take people to events and
medical appointments.
Cllr Galley said: “Rotherfield St
Martin is a vital part of the local
community having started 21 years
ago, and continues to expand its
services. The staff and volunteers
do an amazing job, and I would
like to put on record my thanks for
their sterling work.
“As people live longer and face
more personal challenges, this is a
model we will need to support and
encourage across East Sussex.”
In recognition of its work,
Rotherfield St Martin was awarded
the Kings Award for Voluntary
Service earlier in the year.
Wellbeing
programme hands
out milestone award
A Crowborough company is one
of only seven organisations across
East Sussex to have achieved a top
award for creating a healthier and
happier workplace.
Servomex has achieved the Gold
Award in the county council’s
Well-being At Work (WAW),
and Wealden District Council is
another of the organisations to have
reached the top award.
Four years after the launch of
the Wellbeing at Work (WAW)
programme, East Sussex County
Council’s public heath team have
reached the 100th award milestone.
WAW helps employers to create and
deliver a health and wellbeing survey,
the results of which highlight priority
areas for support, including mental
health, musculoskeletal health, and
workplace culture and leadership.
Many participating organisations
report significant positive changes
for their staff — from improved
mental wellbeing and reduced
stress to better physical health and
stronger team morale.
Darrel Gale, the county council’s
Director of Public Health, said:
“Reaching the 100th Wellbeing
at Work award is a significant
milestone for East Sussex. By
supporting employers to put
health and wellbeing at the heart
of their business, we are helping
to improve the workplace for
thousands of people.”

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 13
Augmented reality brings
Cuckoo Trail to life
FAMILIES across Wealden are being
invited to explore the Cuckoo Trail
like never before with the launch of
an exciting new augmented reality
(AR) experience.
In a free, interactive adventure,
children can discover wildlife
characters hidden along the scenic
trail, brought to life through the
latest AR technology.
The trail is designed to encourage
outdoor activity and exploration in
a fun and engaging way. By simply
scanning a QR code on a parent’s
or carer’s smartphone, children
can interact with animated wildlife
characters, solving puzzles as
they go. No apps or downloads are
required — the trail is fully webbased
and easy to access for families
with smartphones.
Councillor James Partridge, leader
of the council, said, “We wanted to
offer a free, creative, technologydriven
experience that encourages
children and families to get outside
and enjoy nature. This new AR trail
brings both learning about the former
railway line’s heritage and adventure
together in an enjoyable way.”
By scanning each of the five QR
plaques on the trail, participants will
encounter beautifully illustrated
AR animals, each with its own
unique puzzle to solve. Whether
posing for a photo with a friendly
fox or cracking codes with a curious
badger, children are sure to enjoy the
immersive experience.
The AR experience is available
to explore now and for more
information, visit https://
highstreetsafari.com/cuckootrail
Pothole compensation payouts
in East Sussex are higher
than almost everywhere else
EAST Sussex County Council says
figures which show it paid out more
in pothole compensation than
almost any other council in the
country are misleading.
According to Go.Compare, ESCC
paid £598,112 to drivers between
2022 and 2024, the second highest
amount of any local authority in
England and Wales. Go.Compare
car insurance submitted Freedom
of Information requests to councils
across England and Wales.
East Sussex County Council paid
out almost £600,000 between 2022
and 2024. The total amount paid out
across England and Wales during this
time was at least £10.2 million.
Only Staffordshire County Council
paid out more — more than £1
million in compensation over the
same period. And Derbyshire
County Council came third, having
paid out £526,000.
But a spokesperson for East Sussex
Highways, which manages ESCC’s
roads contract, said: “Compensation
payments do not necessarily
relate to claims made in the same
year, so looking at two years’
worth of payments will not give an
accurate reflection.
“Go.Compare fails to mention that
the compensation paid out in the
years either side of the period they
chose to highlight were considerably
lower — both around £69,000.
The spokesperson added that the
figures also did not compare like with
like. “It is also unhelpful to compare
councils as the size of the local
authority-maintained road network
and the number of major routes
maintained by National Highways
varies greatly from council to council.
In East Sussex, we manage more
than 2,000 miles of road with very
few major routes.”
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be personal and true to the people
it honours.
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share memories, and a space that is also
available for unattended cremations.
Throughout, you’ll be cared for by
Stephen, Kim, Roy and our dedicated
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and quiet reassurance whenever you
need them.
And if you’d like to visit our chapel, or
meet and talk with us at Beacon House
or maybe somewhere more familiar,
we’re here for you, 24 hours a day.
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14 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Hospital fete
Crowborough’s year —
a look back at some of
the positives from 2025
BY IAIN LUXFORD
IT might not feel so when we have
challenges like fighting to keep our
birthing centre and Government
plans to house hundreds of asylum
seekers at our army camp, but
looking back on 2025, there is
much to celebrate and be proud of
in Crowborough.
Crowborough News decided the
best way to look ahead to 2026 was
to reflect on the very many positives
we can draw from 2025. It was not all
petitions, planning and pothole doom
and gloom — not by a long, long way.
We’ve only been in print since
August but we have been active
informing, updating, and celebrating
our Crowborough community on
social media since the spring. And the
number of heart-warming stories of
success, community action, and tales
of inspiration have been many.
Remember some of these…
Let’s start with some (apologies to
anyone we inadvertently miss out)
of the Crowborough individuals who
have done or achieved remarkable
things in 2025. Fourteen-year-old
Gaby Lear from Vision Taekwondo
in the town centre became not
only European Champion but then
World Champion. And Matt Weston
is aiming for GB Olympic Gold in
February having become World
Champion in the skeleton.
And let’s not forget former Beacon
Academy student, James Cooper, who
raised tens of thousands of pounds
running 366 marathons — one every
day — in 2024. Cancer patient Dave
Pettit amazed us in 2025 finishing
the Great North Run despite his
chemo treatment, and similarly
cancer patient Bryanna Ryder raised
thousands swimming 21 miles for
charity. And it was a good year for
Crowborough’s Para Lion, Jake
Heasman, who made the final of the
World Cup with the England partiallysighted
team in Turkey.
Dancer Max McIlvenny won a
prestigious national award from
the Royal Academy of Dance, while
Hamish Wilson vowed to rebuild
his life after having all four limbs
amputated because of sepsis — and
he did, walking back into university in
September like he said he would.
And then there’s, Mabel, who we
featured, in our October edition. If
you’re looking for an inspirational
young person in Crowborough, you
need look no further. At the age of
seven Mabel was diagnosed with
leukaemia. She ultimately won her
two and a half battle against the
disease and now she and her mum
have produced some feel good
cards to help other people manage
their mental health when dealing
with adversity.
Beacon swimmer Bertie became
English Schools 200m butterfly
champion in 2025, while Beacon
lifesavers played a key role in helping
England to Commonwealth medals,
and Duke of Edinburgh Awards
star, Cerys Martin was chosen to be
one of only 31 UK Ambassadors for
the awards scheme. Jarvis Brook
community volunteer, Bev Pashley,
was recognised for her tireless work
with a community award. Friends
Wendy Burns and Alison Green raised
more than £4,000 with a mammoth
trek through northern Spain for
Crowborough’s Good Company
People charity.
As for our community and voluntary
groups, there was also much to
applaud. Family2Family scooped
a hugely prestigious King’s Award
for Voluntary Service in 2025 — the
highest accolade a charity can
achieve, Crowborough’s Community
Pantry won a community award, and
our Repair Café celebrated its third
birthday having repaired and saved
hundreds of household items.
Behind the scenes Crowborough has
scores of volunteers working hard for
our community and the people in it.
Crowborough Bonfire and Carnival
Society raised more than £4,000 at
the amazing 2025 event, and the
Friends of Crowborough Hospital
U3A Open Day
Mabel Mouse
Repair Café
Dave and Becky Pettitt after completing the Great North Run

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 15
Family2family
CAFC celebrate by Luke Hawkes
CRFC Women
once again organised a hugely
successful Hospital Fete which raised
around £15,000.
It’s also important to highlight
individuals who have launched
ambitious schemes in 2025 to improve
or protect important facilities in our
community. Well done to Gaynor
Kendall who has begun a fund-raising
campaign to raise at least £30,000
for urgent repairs to Jarvis Brook
Memorial Hall, and also to Bev
Pashley (mentioned above) who is
spearheading plans to double the size
of the Jarvis Brook skatepark, and also
an ambitious scheme to develop a
new youth and arts centre. And thank
you to David Collumbell and all the
volunteers at Brighter Crowborough
who once again in 2025 were out and
about every weekend collecting litter,
pulling weeds, cleaning signs and
making our community look better.
And in 2025 we’ve also been pleased
to report the on-going success and
vision of all those involved in the
work to create a new Crowborough
Community Hub in the disused part of
the railway station.
2025 was also another busy year of
community events which, as always
attracted huge crowds. Well done
to Crowborough Town Council for
organising the Boundary Walk, the
summer fair, another spectacular
fireworks display, Remembrance
events, and most recently, the
Christmas Cracker event.
Incidentally, while councils
sometimes take flak (and not always
fairly), it is worth acknowledging
some of the other positive things
Crowborough Town Council has done
for the community in 2025. We have
a new burial ground at Summersales,
the Silver Jubilee Play Area is getting
a £55,000 makeover, and the town
council is also consulting on plans for
a major redevelopment of the pavilion
and sports facilities at the Wolfe
Recreation Ground.
We also have a wealth of sport
clubs of whom we should be proud
from 2025. Crowborough Tennis
and Squash Club was named Sussex
Club of the Year by the Lawn Tennis
Association and runner up for the
whole of the country. Meanwhile
Beacon Golf Club was ranked one of
the best 100 golf courses in England.
As well as Gaby Lear’s success,
Vision Taekwondo provided an
astonishing eight members of the
England team taking part in the
World Taekwondo Championships
in Croatia — many of whom came
home with individual medals.
Jumping Juniors was named sports
club of the year for the south east,
and Crowborough Hockey Club was
honoured to be highly commended
as “Emerging Club of the Year” at the
England Hockey Awards.
On the footie pitch, both
Crowborough Athletic FC and Jarvis
Brook FC had their most successful
seasons ever. The Brook won their
league cup and secured promotion to
the Southern Combination Division
One — the highest level the club has
ever played at. And with that came
ground developments including
floodlights and a new spectator
stand. The Crows, meanwhile, were
also cup winners and also clinched
promotion to The Isthmian South East
Division — again the highest level the
club has played at.
Crowborough Rugby Football Club
remained hugely popular and in
2025 was recognised nationally for its
work encouraging girls and women
into the game. The club’s under
11s were invited to Twickenham to
join England for their pre-match
preparations against Australia, and
CRFC’s Woman’s Team wrote a bit
of club history with their first ever
competitive match.
Beacon Academy celebrated its
70th birthday in 2025 and remains,
based on GCSE results, one of the
best performing schools not only in
Sussex but in the country — being
one of only two schools in East Sussex
to be rated in the Govt’s “well above
average category”.
We’ve also been pleased to report
that both Jarvis Brook School and St
John’s Primary School have been rated
“good” by Ofsted during 2025. And
there is hugely positive news at the
newly named Acre Wood Academy,
formerly Grove Park School, which
has just begun a massive £17million
redevelopment scheme.
Any review of 2025 has to applaud
Laura Verbeek who has rejuvenated
our monthly farmers’ market which
is out-growing its location and now
attracts large numbers of shoppers,
and also Carson’s Tea House which,
even though it only opened in 2024,
was named best in Sussex in 2025.
Another jewel in Crowborough’s
crown is the U3A which provides
activities, social and interest groups
for people no longer in employment.
During 2025 this organisation
continued to grow and is now one
of the busiest in the country. It now
has more than 700 members and
85 different groups covering a huge
range of different topics and interests.
These are just some of the positives
we have reported on in 2025 —
there will be many other people
and successes that we have missed
(apologies). Of course 2025 has
brought its bad news and challenges
too — and no doubt 2026 will do the
same. But amidst all the national
and global news doom and gloom,
we mustn’t lose sight of what a great
place Crowborough is, and how many
wonderful people live here.
We hope this round-up of success
has given you as much hope and
optimism reading it as it has given us.
Here’s to another good year in 2026!

16 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Patients bedroom
Hospice in the Weald to
bring ‘outside in’ as part of
major transformation to
better support patients
Hospice in the Weald is embarking
on a major programme to transform
its hospice in Pembury with designs
inspired by light and nature and the
needs of patients at its heart.
The hospice, which provides free
care for adults and children with
life-limiting and life-threatening
conditions across Kent and East
Sussex, opened its building in
Pembury in 1998, and this year-long
programme will be one of its most
significant in recent years.
Award-winning design team, Elaine
Lewis Designs and KKE Architects,
are bringing the transformation to
life, with staff, volunteers, patients
and families helping to shape the
plans. Inspired by the hospice’s
beautiful gardens, the designs aim to
‘bring the outside in’ to create a home
away from home.
Specialist hospice interior designer
Elaine Lewis said: “The aim is to
create a light, calm, warm space.
These rooms are people’s homes for
a time; they deserve to feel special.
We want them to feel supported,
safe and uplifted, surrounded by
light and nature.”
There will be a new-look in patient
ward, visitor areas and spiritual care
rooms, along with a redesigned,
bright and welcoming Living Well
Centre with a new gym area.
Each bedroom will be modernised
to meet patients’ needs, while flexible
lighting and clever layouts will
create a calm, homely atmosphere.
Thoughtful touches include the
addition of desks, allowing visitors
to work from the hospice and spend
more time with their loved one.
Guest bedrooms will be transformed
into sanctuaries for families with a
boutique hotel feel.
Thanks to a bright colour palette,
that complements the more muted
tones of the in-patient ward, the
Staff, patient, carers and volunteers are involved in shaping the Hospice’s plans
main reception areas and Living
Well Centre will offer a warm and
cheerful welcome to all. With a
feature fireplace, panelling and
surrounding seating to create a more
cosy, homely feel, the designs offer a
variety of focal points and maximise
use of the space. The addition of
modern banquette seating, caféstyle
pendant lighting, more seating,
plus a redesigned refreshment area,
offers plenty of opportunity for
conversation, coffee and cake.
The larger gym with glazed
screening will be more spacious and
inviting, while the relocated Living
Well office, also with glazed walls,
will place staff right at the heart
of the space. Adjustable-height,
foldable tables ideal for arts and
crafts, and a new acoustic room
divide will enable the area to be easily
adapted to accommodate multiple
activities from the varied Living Well
programme. Redesigned rooms for
treatment and consultations will
be both tranquil and practical for
multipurpose use.
The redesigned Quiet Room aims to
offer calm and tranquillity, for both
contemplation and prayer. Comfy
seating, recessed bookcases, pendant
lighting, along with acoustic curtains
and panelling, will help maintain
peace and privacy.
Director at KKE Architects Phil
Kavanagh says it will ‘bring the
hospice into the 21st century’ with
increased daylight to boost wellbeing
and technical improvements.
He said: “If you provide beautiful
spaces for patients and relatives, as
soon as they walk in, they know that
somebody’s given it thought, and that
they’re being cared for. You know
you are valued.”
Care and support at Hospice
in the Weald Five Ashes
Ella with parents
Maurice Price, father of Ella, cared
for at the Hospice before her death at
the age of 39, is among those involved.
He said: “Ella would have loved
the ‘outside in’ approach with
the references to nature. The
Hospice gardens were particularly
important to her, and to us as a
family. The design team listened and
incorporated things that might seem
small but make a world of difference.
Having more sofa beds will be a
godsend, and not just for overnight
visitors. Ella’s room didn’t have a
sofa initially, but the wonderful team
carried one in from another room, so
Ella and her husband could cuddle up
and have a movie night.
“The designs show somewhere that
is welcoming to everyone, no matter
your age. If Ella had seen them, she
would have thought ‘that’s the place
for me’. Thanks to their love and
kindness, the Hospice made what
could have been a terrible time a
normal part of life. This will make the
experience even better. After all, if
you are in a lovely environment, you
know you are valued.”
While work is underway at
Pembury, in-patients will be cared
for at Hospice in the Weald in Five
Living Well seating and gym areas — mood board
and artist’s impression. © Elain Lewis Designs
Ashes. Ahead of this, improvements
have been made at Five Ashes
to support those with more
complex health needs.
The beautiful, light-filled building at
Five Ashes opened in 2019 to expand
the Hospice’s care provision.
Meanwhile, the hospice in Pembury
will remain open throughout to
welcome those accessing out-patient
care including Living Well services,
physiotherapy and occupational
therapy. During the refurbishment,
counselling and support services are
being offered at Hawkwell Business
Centre nearby. Outreach services
and home visits for children and
young people will run as normal,
with additional community-based
appointments as needed.
The Hospice in Five Ashes expects
to welcome patients from mid-
November, ahead of work starting at
Pembury. The majority of the work is
expected to be completed by the end
of next year. In-patient care will then
continue at both sites, meaning there
will be two locations offering the best
in end-of-life care.
Nick Farthing, Hospice in the
Weald’s Chief Executive, said: “We
are delighted to be embarking on
this transformation programme. By
improving our spaces, we’ll be able
to offer patients and their loved ones
an even better experience of care.
With money set aside to cover the
costs of this refurbishment, every
pound from our fundraising and
charity shop income can continue to
go where it is needed most. We need
to raise £25,000 every day to be there
for everyone who needs us, which
is why the continued support of our
incredible community has never
been more valued.”
‘Inspired by nature’ — Artist’s impression of the welcome area on the Ward

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 17
Wealden wants to
freeze council tax
Spot the difference
WEALDEN District Council’s
Cabinet has proposed a council tax
freeze to help make the district “a
greener, kinder, fairer place”.
Its Cabinet is proposing using
its reserves (savings) to support
residents with the continuing
cost of living crisis, instead of
raising council tax.
But before you go out and celebrate
with the windfall, remember that
although Wealden administers the
bill and collection of payments, its
share of the bill is only nine percent.
The biggest chunk of the bill, by far,
goes to East Sussex County Council
(72 per cent) which has said it is facing
“the most difficult financial position”
ever with a multi-million pound
budget deficit. The situation is so dire
for ESCC that it has been forced to
seek exceptional financial support
from the government.
It will start considering its budget
and spending options for 2026-27
at the end of January but given its
financial context, it would be unwise
to bet your mortgage on it following
Wealden’s lead. Last year ESCC
increased council tax by 4.99 per cent.
But, even though it won’t make
a huge difference to our pockets,
Wealden says it is time to stop
building up reserves and give tax
payers a break.
Cllr Greg Collins, lead councillor
for finance said: “For many years this
council has built up reserves which
were unspent whilst, almost without
exception, increasing the burden on
local residents by increasing their
council tax. Today that changes.
“A zero-tax rise is affordable and
does not jeopardise Wealden’s future.
We are using Wealden’s reserves,
whilst we still can, to make the district
a greener, kinder, fairer place.”
Wealden District Council collects
the full council tax amount on behalf
of all authorities, but its share is just
a small portion of the final bill. The
remainder is allocated to East Sussex
County Council, the Police and Crime
Commissioner, East Sussex Fire and
Rescue Service and parish or town
councils. Of your council tax payment
the following receive: East Sussex
County Council (including Adult
Social Care Precept), 72%; Sussex
Police and Crime Commissioner,
10%; Wealden District Council,
9%; Local Town or Parish Council
(Crowborough Town Council),
Average of 5% (this exact percentage
may vary slightly by specific parish;
East Sussex Fire Authority, 4%.
The decision will need to be
ratified at a full council meeting
in February 2026.
AT Crowborough News we love this
photo posted into the “Memories of
Crowborough/Rotherfield” group on
Facebook by Robert Pitts last month.
But why do we love it so much?
Simply because, although the photo
was from the 1980s and could,
therefore, be up to 45 years old,
you’d be hard pressed to see any
difference in how the Ashdown
Forest looks today.
It proves the timeless beauty of
the forest on our doorstep, and also
what a good job the Ashdown Forest
Conservators are doing to protect
and preserve this ancient and special
landscape. Let’s hope you won’t
be able to spot the difference in
another 40 years.
Incidentally, if you’re interested in
the history of our town, the public
Memories of Crowborough and
Rotherfield group on Facebook is a
good one to join. Regular posts with
fascinating and amazing glimpses
back in time showing what this area
and previous generations looked
like and lived.
ISLE OF WIGHT ESCAPADES
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Price is per person in a double or twin room,
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YOUR TOUR INCLUDES
l Return ferry crossings
l 4 nights half board in the
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l 1 nights entertainment
l Full English Breakfast
l 3 course dinner with choice of
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l Admission to Carisbrooke castle, visit
to the Isle of wight Donkey Sanctuary,
21/2 hour ‘two ports’ cruise. Visit to Isle of
Wight Pearl, admission to Osborne House,
return journey on the Isle of Wight railway.
• Your local independent funeral director
– Supporting families in Crowborough
and its surrounding villages for 20 years.
• We are proud and active members of
SAIF, the association for independent
funeral directors.
• We can take your call 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. From the first phone
call to after the funeral service, we will
be by your side.
• We adhere to SAIF’s strict Code of
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of our care and professionalism.
• After a funeral has taken place, our
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To book, call Tracey on 01323 808080
• We offer funerals to suit every budget
including direct cremations.
Tester & Jones, London Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 2TT

18 FEATURE
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
New year tips
from one of
the country’s
top weight-loss
consultants
HAVE you decided this new year
that you want to shed a few pounds?
If so, maybe we can help.
Mary Watkins runs the Slimming
World groups at All Saints Church
Hall in Crowborough. But in the
world of weight loss, she’s also a bit
of a star. She has been Slimming
World’s Top Target Consultant
and her story has been shared in
national newspapers, magazines and
Slimming World’s digital platforms.
In October she was asked by The
Sun newspaper to answer reader
questions as a weight loss expert. So,
we asked her to share a few tips...
Mary joined Slimming World as a
member in June 2016. As the mum
of two small children she felt she
needed to get in control of her weight
to best keep up with them. She said:
“Freddie was about to start school. He
never noticed my size but I worried
that other children would and might
tease him about it.
“I was 17stone when I joined
Slimming World. I’d tried lots of
way to lose weight in the past, all
of them left me feeling hungry and
miserable until I eventually gave up
and inevitably regained the weight.
I had an unhealthy relationship with
weight loss until I found Slimming
World. I thought feeling hungry
and lightheaded meant that it
would be working.
“I didn’t know what to expect from
the group, but walking through those
doors to a warm, welcoming group
changed my life. I found a way to eat
and drink the foods I loved without
going hungry, feed my family and
achieve my weight loss goals at the
same time. It was amazing.”
Within a year Mary lost seven stone
and has now maintained that weight
loss for nearly nine years.
She became a consultant in 2017
in order to help other people in the
community lose weight in healthy,
supported and sustainable ways. In
2024 she was named as Slimming
World’s Top Target Consultant and
as well as being featured in national
newspapers and magazines, she has
also appeared as a guest on BBC Radio
Sussex and Surrey.
HERE ARE SOME OF
MARY’S TOP TIPS FOR
SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS
To lose weight you need to be in a
calorie deficit, that’s just science. You
need to be eating less calories than you
are burning each day. But that doesn’t
mean you need to eat less, be hungry
or feel deprived. You can actually eat
lots more! But eat more of the right
things. Food Optimising, Slimming
World’s healthy eating plan, teaches
you which foods you can eat as much
of as you like. They are bulky, filling,
healthy choices which you can safely
fill up on and be getting the calorie
deficit which supports weight loss.
It also teaches you which foods you
need to limit, and by how much. You
don’t need to cut them out completely,
because a little of what you fancy is a
good thing. But too many high-calorie
foods/drinks will cause weight gain. It
teaches you what a healthy, balanced
diet really looks like.
So here are some ideas:
• Fill at least a third of your plate
with vegetables at every meal.
They are your lowest-calorie,
lowest-energy-density foods,
but bulky and filling and a great
source of nutrition.
• Get a good amount of protein into
your meals. It keeps you fuller
for longer and helps your lean
muscle mass too. Meat, poultry,
beans, lentils, Quorn, tofu, eggs
and yoghurt are great sources of
protein. Trim the fat off your meat,
remove the skin from poultry and
choose fat-free, natural yoghurt.
• Try to get three good meals a day.
Then choose fruit or vegetables as
snacks in between meals. Often
the foods that are causing weight
gain are the things we consume
in between meals.
• Get a good variety of food,
especially plant-based and
wholegrain foods. Not only do they
fill you up for fewer calories, but
the variety is really good for your
gut health which helps your whole
digestive system work well.
• Move a bit more. Just adding in
an extra five minutes a day makes
a difference. And find something
you enjoy. One of the things I love
about my role as a consultant is
supporting members to become
more active. The things they
start doing that they would never
have dreamed of doing before,
participating where once they
might have watched from the
sidelines. It is so rewarding.
• Get some support. Lasting weight
loss success takes long term habit
changes and changing the way
we think and feel about certain
foods and drinks. That’s not easy
and takes support. Any weight
loss programme will work as long
as we keep following it, but our
motivation and commitment can
dip. That’s what can stop us losing
weight. If we haven’t worked on
the habits that caused us to be
overweight in the first place, then it
can result in us putting the weight
back on. That is where a group like
Slimming World can be an absolute
game-changer. Having the support
of a consultant and like-minded
people to help us with the trickier
times, identify unhelpful habits
and build new lifelong healthy
habits to successfully maintain our
weight loss for good.
Mary runs award-winning Slimming
World groups at All Saints Church
Parish Halls on Thursdays at
9.30am, 11am, 5.30pm and 7pm.
Fridays 9.30am and 11am. For more
information contact Mary on 07738
014528, or just come along to a group
if you would like her help.

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 19
From left, Gordon Owers, Helen Frost and case expert Diane Janes. Photo credit: BBC
Crowborough’s
chicken run murder
JUST over a hundred years ago
Crowborough hit the national
headlines for all the wrong reasons
when an apparently hard-working
Sunday School teacher and Chicken
farmer, murdered his fiancé and
dismembered her body.
Involving a tragic love triangle, the
case attracted attention from across
the UK and has become known as the
Chicken Run Murder.
Norman Thorne and Elsie Cameron
met in 1920. She was a 22-year-old
typist he, just 18-years-old, was an
electrical engineer. He was also
a Sunday school teacher from
Kemsal Green, London.
At the time it was expected that
young women would marry and
bring up a family and, apparently,
Elsie was worried that if she did
not find a man soon she would
end up left on the shelf – so she
set her eyes on Norman and their
relationship began.
When Norman became
unemployed in the summer of 1921
he decided to go into business for
himself. With £100 given to him by
his father, he bought a small piece of
land in Luxford Lane and began the
Wesley Poultry Farm.
By all accounts Norman worked
hard on this new venture. He built
a series of sheds and runs and
remarkably cycled back to London
at weekends to see Elsie. He then
converted one of the shacks on the
site into living accommodation and
moved in. That meant no need for
any more cycling and so, instead,
Elsie would catch the train down to
Sussex. She would spend the days
with Norman and lodge with a local
family at night.
Elsie and Norman became engaged
at Christmas 1922 and everything
seemed rosy for the couple. But then
things started going wrong. Shortly
afterwards Elsie, who suffered
mental health problems described
as “her nerves”, lost her job. Over
the next few months she had a series
of jobs, all of which she soon left,
for one reason or another. To make
matters worse, despite his hard work,
Norman’s business wasn’t doing too
well. Because of this Norman was
reluctant to fix a wedding date.
And then things took what would
eventually turn out to be a fatal turn.
At Whitsun 1924 Norman went to a
local dance and met another woman,
Bessie Coldicott, a dressmaker.
Bessie was a lot less demanding
and uncomplicated. His feelings
began to shift from Elsie to the
fun-loving Bessie.
In October 1924 Elsie travelled to
Crowborough and stayed a week.
As usual, she lodged with Norman’s
neighbours, Mr and Mrs Cosham,
and spent her days at the farm. After
she returned home she wrote to
Norman informing him that she was
pregnant. Norman promptly wrote
back telling her about Bessie. Elsie
replied the following day, telling him
that he had got her pregnant and she
expected him to marry her before
Christmas. But Norman’s affections
were very much elsewhere.
Norman wrote to Elsie: “There
are one or two things I haven’t told
you for more reasons than one. It
concerns someone else as well … I am
between two fires.”
Elsie seemed to not understand and
wrote back to Norman insisting they
should marry as soon as possible.
So Norman replied more explicitly:
“What I haven’t told you is that on
certain occasions a girl has been
here late at night. I am not going to
mention her name. No one knows …
I must have time to think, she thinks
I am going to marry her, and I have a
strong feeling for her.”
Elsie was distraught but determined
not to lose her man. She replied: “You
have absolutely broken my heart,
I never thought you were capable
of such deception…Your duty is to
marry me. I have first claim on you.
I expect you to marry me as soon
as possible. My baby must have a
name, and another thing, I love you
in spite of all.”
And so it was that in early December
1924, Elsie set off for Crowborough.
She bought her ticket and boarded
the train in the third class carriage.
Arriving, she walked to the farm.
It was the last time she was seen alive.
Days passed and her family grew
concerned. Her father wired Norman
several times and he replied. He
claimed she had disappeared and
he couldn’t understand why. Elsie’s
father informed the police of his
daughter’s disappearance.
It was established that Elsie had
been seen, by two flower-growers,
carrying an attaché case while
walking towards the farm at. When
police officers spoke to Norman
he was adamant that she had not
been to the farm.
At the beginning of January there
was still no sign of the missing
woman. Police paid a visit to one of
Norman’s neighbours, Mrs Annie
Price. She was certain she had seen
Elsie entering the farm on the day
she had vanished. Sussex police
requested assistance from Scotland
Yard and Chief Inspector Gillan
arrived to take over the case.
After reviewing the evidence they
had Chief Insp Gillan decided there
was enough to arrest Norman. The
farm was searched and, in a tin, they
found Elsie’s watch, bracelet and
some jewellery. Having completed
their search of the outbuildings on the
farm they now started to dig. The next
morning they unearthed Elsie’s case.
Norman changed his story. He
told detectives that he hadn’t killed
Elsie but knew where she was
buried. He admitted she had been
at the farm that day. She had been
upset and refused to leave until they
were married. He told police he
had explained about his feelings for
Bessie and they had argued. He had
already agreed to meet Bessie and her
mother at the station and he left to
meet them leaving Elsie at the farm.
Norman told the investigators that
when he returned he found Elsie
had used his washing line to hang
herself from a beam. He had cut her
down and then just sat down and
thought about what he was going to
do. He said he got his hacksaw, and
sawed off her legs, and her head. He
had then buried the pieces under
the chicken run.
His story appeared to unravel,
however, when Sir Bernard
Spilsbury, carrying out the post
mortem, said that he could find no
sign of rope marks.
Norman was charged with murder.
He appeared before Lewes Assizes
on 4th March 1925. Evidence was
given as to the lack of rope marks for
the prosecution. The defence argued
they had found creases on the neck
that may have been made by a rope.
But the police said their examination
of the beams in the shack had
shown no sign of a rope having
been suspended.
On the 16 March Norman was found
guilty and sentenced to death.
The case received considerable
press coverage. Many people,
including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
thought that the trial had not
proved ‘beyond reasonable doubt’
that Norman had killed, or meant
to kill, Elsie.
An appeal was lodged in March
1925, but it was dismissed the
following month. Norman
was hanged on 22 April 1925 in
Wandsworth prison in London
on what would have been
Elsie’s 27th birthday.
Sources: www.Real-Crime.
co.uk, BBC, Wikipedia,
Memories of Crowborough &
Rotherfield Facebook page.
In 2019 the case was examined by
Murder, Mystery and My Family, a
BBC One series featuring Sasha Wass KC
and Jeremy Dein KC., which examined
historic criminal convictions resulting in
the death penalty in order
to determine if any of them
resulted in a miscarriage of
justice. It featured Gordon
Owers and Helen Frost
who, having learned about
this sinister chapter of their
family history were keen to
learn more about the case.
Unfortunately, we’ve not
been able to find footage
of the programme but
apparently the outcome was
that the verdict was upheld.

8 3 4 2 5 7 6 1 9
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JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
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They may run either forwards or backwards, horizontally,
vertically or diagonally, but always in a straight line.
ALMOND
ANISE
BRAZIL
CARAWAY
CARDAMOM
CHESTNUT
COCONUT
CORIANDER
CUMIN
DILL
FENNEL
FLAX
HICKORY
PEANUT
PECAN
PINE NUT
POPPY
WALNUT
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Each letter of the alphabet has a different number. Substitute numbers
for letters to make words that will complete the puzzle. The letters at
the side and the check-box below the grid may help you keep track.
Check-box
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
T
CODEWORD
26 12 5 17 8 12 20 24 26 16 17 1 11 19
10 11 4 12 11 26 16
5 5 23 13 23 1 26 26 5 10 26 21 11 17
12 8 8 19 15 19 12 1
3 16 23 5 12 7 12 2 23 1 12 26 20 22
16 18 2 19 18 18
11 22 11 5 11 1 23 14 24 23 2 11 20 1
26 20 8 22 14 23
2 5 12 20 2 4 11 14 6 11 20 12 1 4
8 5 22 17 20 12
14 1 19 23 20 17 23 1 5 23 20 1 12 2
26 12 9 1 23 5 11 8
25 4 23 5 11 10 26 23 1
T U N L E H B S N E A E E
E S A X O D O A A O T S I
B R A Z I L L J C L E I S
G L Z K P M F I E C E N M
F U R S O I E N P O K A W
R H E N I D N G A C C A C
E S D P M J N E E O L M T
D F I B C G E P N N F U U
N Y E M A Y L S U U N D N
A W A A R B R T Y T T I A
I Y F W D L C O S X E C E
R C P I A U G E K Q T D P
O G E P M R H Y O C I L E
C R N I O C A G A L I I R
Y E N W M P Q C L E J H B
17 19 20 12
11 21 23 13 12 20 11 2 23
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
R
1 23 20 18 26
T
23 17 19
A
19 9 11 19 22
R
A
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
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Y
Z
Across
4 First book of the
Old Testament (7)
8 Once more (5)
9 Shaft in a building
in which a series of
steps is built (9)
10 Copy on thin paper (5)
11 Book containing
a classified list of
synonyms (9)
13 Treeless Russian
plain (6)
16 Sickness (6)
20 Cause to feel selfconscious
(9)
23 Develop (5)
24 Frightened greatly (9)
25 Asian water lily (5)
26 Christmas firewood (4,3)
Down
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1 Strategy (7)
2 Equilibrium (7)
3 Beginning of an
offensive (5)
4 Short, pointed beard (6)
5 Place of complete bliss,
delight and peace (7)
6 Cut the wool from (5)
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8
10
9
11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18
20 21 22
24
26
7 Cut-price events (5)
12 Application (3)
14 Woollen cap of
Scottish origin (3)
15 Incomplete (7)
17 Fill to satisfaction (7)
18 Mollify (7)
19 Audacious (6)
20 Act of going in (5)
21 Coloured transparent
gemstone (5)
19
22 In an unfortunate manner (5)
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
Place a number (from 1 to 9 inclusive) into each square in
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row, each vertical column and each box of nine squares.
3 2
6 5
1 7 4
5 3 6
4 3 7 9 1
8 9 4
5 2 4
7 1
8 9
23
25
SOLUTIONS
3 4 1 7 6 8 5 9 2
7 9 8 5 3 2 1 4 6
5 6 2 9 4 1 3 7 8
6 8 7 1 2 9 4 5 3
4 2 3 6 7 5 9 8 1
9 1 5 3 8 4 2 6 7
2 5 9 8 1 6 7 3 4
1 7 6 4 9 3 8 2 5
8 3 4 2 5 7 6 1 9
8 9
SUDOKU
O I L S K I N J O U S T E R
B E H I E O U
L L A M A T O O L B O X E S
I K K R P R I T
Q U A L I F I C A T I O N Y
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E Y E L E T A D J A C E N T
6 5
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K 5 3L Y S 6 N I
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4
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7
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8 9 4
W H A L E B O A T T A N G O
S5 R 2 4 N I A S R
E7 X A M I N E 1C A R V E R Y
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CODEWORD
T B O G E N E S I S
A G A I N O I H A
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I N T H E S A U R U S
C C E N S
S T E P P E N A U S E A
A A D A P
E M B A R R A S S T P
N E T R A R I S E
T E R R I F I E D A A
R Y A N L O T U S
Y U L E L O G Y E E
CROSSWORD
T U N L E H B S N E A E E
E S A X O D O A A O T S I
B R A Z I L L J C L E I S
G L Z K P M F I E C E N M
F U R S O I E N P O K A W
R H E N I D N G A C C A C
E S D P M J N E E O L M T
D F I B C G E P N N F U U
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Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 NEWS 21
Year in Review and a look to 2026
from the Mayor of Crowborough
BY CLLR NATALIE WHITTLE
AS 2025 draws to a
close, I have been
asked by the editor
to reflect on the
Town Council year.
October saw shock
news that the Army
Training Camp is
to be potentially
repurposed by the Home Office to
house Asylum Seekers. The Town
Council was upset that there had been
no consultation with the town on the
matter and now we learn that our
Cadets have been made to leave the
site. Crowborough’s long tradition
of support for our armed services in
their training has been disregarded
and our Cadets abandoned by this
decision. We will continue to press
the Home Office for answers.
However, these reflections are
on a whole year, one marked by
community spirit, investment in
public spaces, and an increased
focus on youth involvement with
the Town Council.
Councillor Matthew Street was
Mayor for the first five months
of 2025, which saw continued
support for civic traditions, from
recognising centenarians to
representing the town at major
commemorative events.
Both my chosen charities —
Crowborough & Jarvis Brook
Guiding groups and Family2Family
and those of Mayor Street, The
Good Company People and 1st
Crowborough Scouts, have benefited
from a strong programme of
local fundraising.
Crowborough’s much-loved
green spaces, including The Ghyll,
Bluebell Wood, and Goldsmiths’,
Recreation Ground have seen path
repairs, habitat improvements,
and improvements to access. Our
purchase of land adjacent to the Ghyll
protects woodland and the “green
belt” of Crowborough and remains an
ongoing policy of the Town Council.
We hope to improve more pathways
on other Town Council assets over the
next year too.
Our commitment to sustainability
has really moved forward in 2025 too
with a Solar Panel and
Heat Pumps project at Wolfe Yard
and Pine Grove to reduce energy
costs. The Town Council has also
progressed several important
projects. The new Summersales
Burial Ground opened in May and
is set to provide traditional and
natural burial options well into the
Town’s future.
This year it has been an aspiration
of the Town Council to continue
strengthening community
spaces and with the foundation
work now complete, the Wolfe
Recreation Ground Pavilion
advancement will lie at the heart
of 2026 with the aim of creating a
modern, accessible hub for sport,
socialising, and community activity
for use in 2027.
A particular highlight of 2025
was the launch of the Youth
Ambassador Board, which had
initially been proposed by Councillor
Kay Moss, and is starting to give
young residents a stronger voice
in shaping local initiatives. Their
contributions to events such as I
Care for Crowborough have been
warmly received by the community,
and I look forward to seeing
their work in 2026.
The Town Council remains
committed to keeping residents
informed and well-represented as
local and national issues evolve.
We aim to foster constructive
dialogue and strengthen our sense
of community. Wishing everyone
a wonderful 2026 — we look
forward to seeing you at our events
throughout the year.
Rotherfield
charities
benefit from
bonfire
collection
Photo credit Dave Seddon
THE Rotherfield and Mark Cross
Bonfire and Carnival Society said
it was “proud” to hand out its
2025 Carnival Street Collection
cheques to the three unique
charities of the year.
The annual bonfire and torchlit
procession in the autumn
raised £1,500. That meant
£500 for each of:
• Rotherfield
Millennium Green Trust
• Rotherfield Sports Club
• Rotherfield 1st Scouts Group
And well done to Roger Harris, who
received the annual prize for the
highest bucket collector.
Photo credit Dave Seddon
Chamber firms
give students
valuable advice
A host of local employers have
helped students at Crowborough’s
Beacon Academy giving them
practical guidance and insights into
the world of work
Beacon Academy Sixth Form
hosted a UCAS, Apprenticeships and
Careers Day for Year 13 students as
part of the its structured work-related
learning programme.
The event was designed to support
students as they prepare for their
next steps into higher education,
apprenticeships, or employment.
Students attended practical,
interactive sessions designed to
support them in taking their next
steps. These sessions covered a wide
range of topics, including financial
planning and budgeting, delivered by
Funds for boosting physical
activity in the community
DO you run a Crowborough group
aiming to keep people fit and active?
If so, don’t miss out on this potential
funding opportunity.
Organisations are being invited to
apply for funding to boost physical
activity and tackle health inequalities
in their communities.
The funding has come from
East Sussex Public Health and is
awarded to Wealden District Council
as part of the Tackling Inequalities
Through Physical Activity
Prosperity IFA.
Working in teams, students enjoyed
competing in Discover Fortunes,
a game that encouraged problemsolving
while learning about financial
profiles and risk categories.
Students exploring apprenticeship
opportunities attended a dedicated
session led by Cripps, where they
received expert guidance on every
stage of the application process—
from researching roles to preparing
for interviews.
Shannon Marney, a Solicitor
Apprentice at Cripps and Beacon
alumni, shared her personal journey
and offered inspiring advice: “I was
very honoured to be able to come
back to Beacon Academy and speak
to the Year 13 students because this is
programme. This programme has
already successfully supported
17 targeted health activities
and interventions across the
Wealden district.
Wealden District Council use
these funds to support partner
organisations develop place-based
approaches aimed at enhancing
physical activity programmes — the
focus of this initiative is to reduce
health inequalities and improve
health outcomes.
where my journey began.
“I wanted to show the students
that apprenticeships aren’t just an
alternative—they’re an incredible
opportunity to learn, earn, and
grow. My advice? Be brave enough to
explore every option, believe in your
potential, and don’t be afraid to take a
path that feels right for you.”
Students also had the opportunity
to take part in mock interviews
conducted by local employers,
The funding is available to
apply for until 30th January 2026.
Grants are available up to £5,000
and successful applications
must demonstrate how they will
support and encourage Wealden
residents to become more active,
help individuals experience better
mental wellbeing and health
benefits and empower them to
make positive health choices.
Councillor Kelvin Williams,
lead councillor for Public
including members of the
Crowborough and District Chamber
of Commerce, who provided
constructive feedback.
Year 13 student Lilly said: “Today’s
been really helpful—especially
the mock interview. It’s helped
me feel more confident about
what to expect when I have to
experience the interviews for real.
The whole event has been a really
valuable experience.”
Health, Wellbeing and Asset
Management said: “This funding
is essential for empowering
organisations that help our
communities become more active
and connected. By supporting
initiatives that promote physical
activity, we can improve not only
physical health but also mental
wellbeing, helping people feel
happier, more supported, and more
engaged in their communities. This
investment will strengthen social
bonds and reduce inequalities,
creating more active and resilient
communities across the district.”
For more information or to
check eligibility please email
the Leisure and Wellbeing Team
wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk

22 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Position “stark”
as council faces
£56million shortfall
EAST Sussex County Council is
calling on the Government for
extra financial support expecting a
£56million deficit at its next budget.
The local authority has begun
applying to the government’s
Exceptional Financial Support (EFS)
scheme for councils, according to
the Local Democracy Reporting
Service, because it does not expect to
have sufficient money in reserves to
cover the deficit.
The EFS scheme allows local
authorities in the most difficult
positions to apply for extra
financial help.
Speaking at Cabinet meeting
in November, Cllr Nick Bennett,
lead member for resources and
climate change, said: “The position
is stark. We await national funding
announcements, the budget is on the
26th of November and the provisional
local government settlement will be
sometime mid-December.
“The reasons for the shortfall have
been clearly laid out in the context of
increased demand for, and the cost of
delivering, our services, particularly
across social care. I don’t think this
is news to anybody, but the level of
difficulty is profound.”
A Chartered Institute of Public
Finance and Accountancy review,
which the council commissioned
in June, found the authority
demonstrated “sustained financial
discipline” and willingness to take
“politically unattractive decisions”.
But the review, necessary for an
exceptional financial support bid,
also highlighted a risk unallocated
reserves would be exhausted.
However, Government support is
not likely to involve additional grant
funding. Previously, other councils
have been allowed to take loans or sell
assets to cover deficits.
Hospice in the Weald
thanks its supporters
AFTER another year providing
care and support to hundreds
of people with terminal illness
and their families, Hospice in the
Weald has thanked everyone who
has supported the charity. It’s
Director of Income Generation told
Crowborough News:
“As this year draws to a close, we
at Hospice in the Weald would like
to thank our incredible supporters
and volunteers.
“Whether you took part in one of
our many fundraising events – such
as Moonlight Walk, or Hospice Run
— shopped in or donated to one of our
30 charity shops, bought a butterfly
at Meadow of Memories, sponsored
a friend, played our lottery, made a
gift in your will or donated directly
to us, thank you.
“Or perhaps you are one of the
1,000 volunteers who lend your time,
energy and skills — we couldn’t do it
without you, and we thank you. Your
generosity has made a difference
to the lives of adults and children in
our community who are facing lifelimiting
and terminal illnesses.
“Thanks to you, we have been there
for 2,267 people and their loved ones
this past year. Our specialist teams
supported 388 people in our wards,
provided support and advice to 1,809
people in their own homes and in
care homes, and helped hundreds
more to live well with our range of
activities, counselling and therapies.
“Every pound donated helps
change lives. All our services are
provided free of charge. However,
with just 13% of funding coming
from the government, we depend
on our community for the rest. We
need to raise £25,000 every single
day to pay for things like nurses’
salaries, food for our patients, and
therapeutic support.
“2026 is a big year for us. We are
undertaking a major refurbishment
programme at our Hospice in
Pembury to better support patients
for years to come —plus, we will be
celebrating the 20th anniversary of
Hospice Run in Tunbridge Wells.
“We are honoured to be part
of the west Kent and East Sussex
communities. Thank you to all who
supported us in 2025.”
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The GOSTART1968 studio is above Banfields estate agents, Broadway,
Crowborough and is open five days a week viewing is by APPOINTMENT.
What we offer:
Original art pieces and prints
A range of signed books and cards
Advice and practical lessons on how to create art
GOSTART1968 is run by Dr Gary Hatter. Dr Hatter
received his Doctorate in July 2025 from Charter
University.
He has a PGCE, MEd and a degree in fine art.
His last exhibition was in Queens Park, London. In
four days he sold 45% of his art pieces. His next art
exhibition in April 2026.
DBS registered. Come and see a working art studio
in action.
Hatter1968@hotmail.com . Call 07587 273 185
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Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 CROWBOROUGH TOWN COUNCIL 23
Crowborough Town Council update
Crowborough Town Council is working hard to protect the services and facilities that matter most to our
community — and to make sure residents are kept up to date on what’s happening in the town. From health
services and transport to civic awards and local planning, here’s the latest news.
Working towards
a Greener Future
THE council is embracing
sustainable, environmentally
friendly options across all
suitable council owned buildings
and green spaces. Here are a
couple of examples of how this is
working in practice.
Embracing Water Harvesting
options at our allotment sites:
There are three council-owned
allotment sites across the town,
Owlsbury Farm, Herne Road
and Pilmer Road.
In an efort to recycle water and
reduce the use of hosepipes, dip tanks
have been introduced at the largest
allotment site, Owlsbury Farm, and a
similar plan was under consideration
for the other two sites.
At a recent Allotments & Cemeteries
Meeting, the Town Council voted
to pause the planned extension
of dip tanks to the other 2 sites -
opting instead to explore other,
long-term, sustainable waterharvesting
solutions.
The decision came after heartfelt
presentations from tenants’
representatives who raised serious
concerns over water access, safety
and the risk of disadvantaging those
with limited mobility. Councillors
also considered other, practical
dificulties with the proposed diptank
expansion including crosscontamination,
disease transmission
between plants, significant water loss
through evaporation, and poor water
pressure when multiple users drew
from the same source.
A representative from the Pilmer
Road Allotments Society said that
their members viewed the issue not
as a conflict, but as a chance to work
collaboratively with the council. They
outlined alternative water strategies:
rainwater capture from cabin and
polytunnel roofs, redirected runof
from nearby playing fields, additional
storage tanks, and even boreholes
all of which could supply a far more
sustainable, eficient water resource.
One proposal estimated that
rainwater capture alone might yield
up to 90,000 litres per year.
With funding already set aside,
councillors agreed unanimously to
place the dip-tank extension on hold
and commission urgent review of
practical water harvesting systems,
including the possibility of external
grants to fund any works required.
The move signals a commitment
not only to responsible water
stewardship, but also to safeguarding
allotment access for all — ensuring
that community growing spaces
remain safe, sustainable and
inclusive long into the future.
Installation of Solar Power
on suitable council buildings
FOLLOWING a recent study, the
council has installed a solar PV
and battery system on the Wolfe
Tractor Shed, to be followed by a
similar PV system and heat pump
installation at Pine Grove in the
new year. We have partnered with
OVESCO, a Sussex based not-forprofit
community energy company
to deliver the project and work is
complete at Wolfe with the benefits
already apparent.
The first full operational month was
October, and the installation achieved
self-suficiency of 51% despite it not
being a sunny month!
To date the new system has saved
the council 1,939 kg CO2 - the
equivalent of 239 litres of oil and has
generated 2110kWh of electricity
of which, just under 70% has been
re-used onsite. This means the system
is on track to reduce the energy bills
at Wolfe shed by 50-60% over the
course of the year and the Pine Grove
PV system will have a similar %
reduction to the site’s energy use and
carbon dioxide footprint.
This transition to clean energy with
its reductions in energy costs and
emissions, will help us to ensure a
more sustainable and financially
resilient future.
Community Champions
CROWBOROUGH Town Council
values the work of local voluntary
organisations and those who
have made their mark on
Crowborough and recognise
their valuable achievements with
grants and awards.
The Community Grant is a total
fund of £20,000 which is distributed
annually between eligible, local
non-profit organisations who
make a successful application.
Previous recipients of a grant
include 1st Crowborough Scouts,
the Crowborough Connections
Café, Community First Responders
and the Community Orchard , with
requests such as funding extra staf,
refurbishment costs, new equipment
or to help with running costs. To find
out more and apply, visit our website.
The deadline for applications is
20th February 2026.
Civic Awards are awarded to
recognise and celebrate members of
the community who have made their
mark on Crowborough. This could
be an organisation or an individual
who has worked selflessly for others
in our community, someone who has
shown a great act of bravery, or made
great achievements in sport, arts,
culture or business.
There are six categories of award:
• YOUNG CITIZEN — For young
people under 21 who have made
a real diference in Crowborough,
achieved something special, or
overcome personal challenges.
• CITIZEN — A person who lives
or works in Crowborough who
has made a big contribution to
our community, whether it’s
social, environmental, a business
achievement, or overcoming their
own dificulties.
• SPORTS & CULTURE — To
celebrate excellence in sports, the
arts, culture, or entertainment,
bringing pride to themselves and
to Crowborough.
• MAYOR’S AWARD — Given to
someone for a specific act of
bravery or courage, or to someone
who has faced and overcome
extraordinary challenges.
• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT — For
those who have gone above and
beyond in their job or through
volunteering, showing a lifetime of
dedication and outstanding service.
• VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION
— For a group or charity that has
consistently gone the extra mile to
support our community or benefit
residents of the town.
To apply or find out more, just
visit our website and head to the
‘Grants and Awards’ section. Don’t
forget—the deadline for applications
is 31 January 2026! Winners will
be notified by early March and the
presentation will take place during the
Annual Town Meeting.
Community
Events
CROWBOROUGH Town
Council puts on a full
calendar of FREE events
for the community to
enjoy. For the latest details
on what’s happening this
year, visit our website
and keep any eye on our
social media pages.
NEXT MEETINGS
Monday 12th January — Planning & Development Committee
TUESDAY 13th January — Full Council
Tuesday 27th January — Personnel Committee
All meetings are held at Pine Grove Council Offices and are
open to the public. Check our website for timings.
CROWBOROUGH TOWN COUNCIL
Council Offices, Pine Grove, Crowborough, TN6 1DH
Telephone: 01892 652907
Email: info@crowboroughtowncouncil.gov.uk
Website: www.crowboroughtowncouncil.gov.uk
Facebook: @crowboroughtowncouncil
X: @CrowboroughTC • Instagram: @CrowboroughTownCouncil

24 NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
U3A
WHY CROWBOROUGH IS
WILD ABOUT CANASTA
Crowborough U3A is one of the busiest in
the country with more than 700 members
and 85 different interest groups. This
month we focus on its Canasta Group
BY ANNE MARCH
When I started the Canasta group in
2013/14 it was a small group meeting
occasionally at my home. All of them
were beginners, except one. We started
playing once a week and we still do.
It wasn’t long before we outgrew my
lounge, because we could only cater for
10 people. We moved to the Memorial
Hall in Jarvis Brook in 2016. The number
of people gradually rose, but the hall
could cope with the increase.
As the group grew we encountered
a difficulty with the rules. Because all
the new people had played in different
areas, they all had their own variations
of rules. But after lots of discussion
we finally agreed on a set of rules we
would all play to.
The group continued, once a week,
with us missing very few. But then Covid
came! Everything stopped, no more
Canasta for a while. As soon as we were
able to meet others out of doors, we
started playing in my carport.
It was a great laugh, because it was
pretty cold some days. It wasn’t feasible
to have heaters as it was mostly out of
doors, so we made do with hot water
bottles, hand warmers, lots of thick
scarves, gloves, ear muffs, boots, as
well as the 2 or 3 pairs of socks. We
must have looked hilarious, all dressed
up playing cards.
After lockdown restrictions were
lifted we moved to a new venue – the
community centre. We started off in one
of the smaller rooms downstairs, but
within a few weeks our numbers had
increased so much that we moved into
the bigger room.
Before Covid some of us were learning
another form of Canasta. This game
was taught to us by two of our very
experienced players, Jennifer and Geoff
Adams. They were able to teach us
this variation of Canasta called Samba.
It takes more concentration and you
GARDENING TIPS with Rachael Collins from Babylon Eco Centre
JANUARY – A TIME FOR
POSITIVITY AND PLANNING
can use tactics, which basic Canasta
doesn’t really need.
Those of us who learnt it certainly
felt that the little grey cells were now
working a lot harder, and it was far more
competitive than the basic game. At the
moment just over half the group play
Samba every week. The rest decided to
continue playing Canasta.
From small beginnings we now have
45 on the register, with about 32 to 35
playing each week.
Canasta is a great game, very much
worth a visit to come and find out how
it’s played. Just ask and I’ll be happy
for you to come along and see how we
do it. It’s a very sociable game, great to
play with friends over a coffee, or a beer.
Come and see us.
You can find more details about this
group, and the vast number of others
at https://crowborough.u3asite.uk/
welcome/
BEAR with me, this might be a
controversial statement, but I love
January. For me it is a time for deep
breaths and bringing my focus and
observations back to the garden
after a busy month of mostly indoor
festivities. It is a time for seed
catalogues and getting together with
friends to put dates in the calendar to
visit local seed swap events, flower
shows and open gardens.
It is also the perfect time for evaluating
the garden and considering what projects
we might like to tackle in the coming
year. This provides the opportunity to put
to good use all those gardening books,
almanacs and garden journals which
gratefully appear at Christmas.
This year my plans include covering
up a boundary fence which comes right
up to the side of the house by planting
an evergreen Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus
submacrophylla) hedge which has
beautiful silvery leaves; the perfect
match for my (planned) mediterranean
gravel garden. I chose the Elaeagnus
as I needed a hedging plant which was
evergreen, relatively fast growing, would
give winter interest (Fragrant flowers in
Autumn/ winter followed by red berries
in the spring), could cope with my clay
soil — which is on the dry side against the
fence and also cope with the full sun and
wind in my exposed south facing garden.
It has already performed well as part
of an evergreen mixed tapestry hedge
planted halfway down the garden to try
and slow the fierce Southwesterlies. As
an added bonus, the fruits are edible by
both birds and humans, and the flowers
provide essential food for autumn/ winter
foraging pollinators.
I was able to make this choice
confidently because I’ve taken the time
to get to know my garden and its makeup
over a long (some might say too long!)
period of time. I know that my soil is
neutral to alkaline clay which runs on
top of a bed of greensand, I know where
the water sits in the winter, where the
land bakes hard in the summer, where
the wind blasts from in the winter and
then in the summer, where the long
dark shadows are in the winter, and
where there is no respite from the sun
in mid-summer. I know which views
I love and don’t want to block as well
as those parts which I’d rather were
covered with plants.
This knowledge, this observation
or ‘tuning in’ to the patch of land we
look after is the basis for making good,
sustainable plant choices. Knowing what
you have, then what you want, leads
to what you need! This stops us from
making impulsive decisions and wasting
money on plants that just won’t thrive
Rachael Collins
or achieve what you want them to. It is
never a wasted day in January testing
your soil or noting where you have good
vs poor drainage and where your garden
sits in deep shadow.
January is about plans and about the
growing year to come. For me gardening
is as much about the future as it is about
the present. There is no more hopeful,
positive activity than the planning
of a garden. The perfect medicine for
the January blues.

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 SPORT 25
CAFC vs Broadbridge Heath. Photo by Luke Hawkes
Roy of the Rovers stuff
for new Crows signing
LIFE in the Isthmian South East League
continues to be a roller coaster for
Crowborough Athletic FC with a win, a draw,
and a defeat since our last round-up.
There’s still plenty of positives, however, as
the Crows are playing at their highest level ever,
having secured promotion last season.
Like many other teams, they’ve also
suffered the frustration of early December
postponements but at the end of November,
they find themselves mid-table.
But the big story of November has to be Jack
Lyons. Newly signed from Hastings, Lyons
Jack Lyons netted twice on his debut having
come on as sub. Photo by Luke Hawkes
came on just before half-time in the home
game against Broadbridge Heath FC with the
Crows 2-0 down.
Cometh the hour, cometh the super sub
who had the ball in the back of the net on 56
minutes with a spectacular free kick. Into
the last ten minutes and Crows were still
searching for a well earned point when the
debut star struck again. 2-2 a point rescued and
debut to remember.
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE - SOUTH EAST DIVISION – 2025-2026
P W D L F A +/- Pts
1 Three Bridges 24 18 3 3 74 26 48 57
2 AFC Croydon Athletic 24 16 4 4 54 29 25 52
3 Faversham Town 23 14 6 3 52 31 21 48
4 AFC Whyteleafe 23 15 2 6 65 27 38 47
5 Sittingbourne 24 14 5 5 45 26 19 47
6 Merstham 24 12 5 7 45 35 10 41
7 Jersey Bulls 23 10 8 5 40 25 15 38
8 Margate 24 10 8 6 53 42 11 38
9 Herne Bay 24 11 5 8 42 39 3 38
10 Sheppey United 24 10 4 10 44 50 -6 34
11 Broadbridge Heath 24 10 3 11 50 43 7 33
12 Deal Town 23 10 3 10 43 41 2 33
13 Ashford United 23 8 4 11 47 45 2 28
14 Hastings United 24 8 4 12 35 39 -4 28
15 Crowborough Athletic 23 8 4 11 34 47 -13 28
16 Sevenoaks Town 24 9 1 14 36 54 -18 28
17 Eastbourne Town 24 8 4 12 32 53 -21 28
18 Hassocks 24 5 8 11 30 45 -15 23
19 Erith Town 23 4 8 11 29 45 -16 20
20 VCD Athletic 24 5 5 14 32 55 -23 20
21 Beckenham Town 24 4 5 15 33 58 -25 17
22 East Grinstead Town 23 1 1 21 16 76 -60 4
As of 5:30pm, Saturday 27th December 2025
VMA FITNESS with Ellie Lear
KICKSTART 2026 AND MAKE JANUARY
A MONTH OF HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
vmafitness.co.uk
NEW year and January can offer a whole
host of fresh starts, resolutions, new
ideas and intentions. January is the
perfect time to create a new chapter and
make a new routine if you are looking
to make some wholesome changes in
your lifestyle.
Forget about the pressure of
perfection. January shouldn’t be about
overnight transformations, restrictive
rules or unrealistic resolutions. It’s
about small, meaningful steps that
help us feel stronger, clearer, fitter and
healthier into the new year and beyond.
We want to create new lifestyle habits
that are easy to maintain and benefit us
all year round.
Focus on trying things that fit into
your day seamlessly. Try things that you
want to do and will enjoy rather than
forcing yourself to do something that
your heart isn’t into.
New Year resolutions often die out by
February because they’re built on guilt
instead of joy. This year choose activities
that genuinely appeal to you. Go for a
longer walk with a friend or listening
to your favourite podcast, try a new
fitness class to find some new faces to
chat with, go for a swim or maybe find
a new cycle route in a new area. Not all
movement has to be intense and high
impact, making small daily change will
all build up to create positive habits and
have long-term benefits.
Motivation grows when shared.
Luckily, our town is full of opportunities
to connect with others on similar
journeys. There are lots of clubs
including tennis, squah, yoga, Pilates,
petanque, running, dancing, fitness,
martial arts and gyms.
Health isn’t only about new fitness
ventures. We also need to focus in
improved sleep, stress management,
fresh air, and meaningful relationships.
This new year, consider turning your
phone off an hour before bed, read a
book to decompress, keep a daily journal
or try a gentle meditation to help your
mind and soul refresh.
Success can be measured in
consistency, confidence, and feeling
more at home in your own body. Aim
to feel calmer, stronger and build
better energy.
Commit to yourself this month with
kindness. Try something new, revisit
something old, or simply take one small
action that makes you feel good today.
Your fresh start begins now. Enjoy
the Journey and feel that you have
achieved every day

26 SPORT
JANUARY 2026
Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news
Much to applaud as hockey
club reaches winter break
BY VICKY WAYMAN
CROWBOROUGH Hockey have
reached the winter break with
the Men’s Ones, Men’s Twos and
Women’s Twos sitting amongst the
top of the tables.
The Men’s Ones are joint top of
Division One alongside East Grinstead
Threes, with the Crows beating them
8-3 in the final match before the
midseason pause. The encounter
featured a hat trick for man of the
match Cameron McCabe and a flurry
of goals for Hamish Marr, Harry
Turner, Mitch Hawsbe, Dan Credland
and Freddie Lee.
In Division Three, the Men’s
Twos were one point from the top
with 33 points from 12 games, only
bettered by East Grinstead Fours.
The Grinners are unbeaten with a
single draw breaking their winning
spree. Their penultimate game
before the break was a 4-2 win over
South Saxons. The victory featured
braces from top scorer Will Hook
and Chris Cowan.
Also seeking promotion are the
Women’s Twos who, with a match
to go and a game in hand, are just a
Elijah Fuller
point behind first placed Burgess Hill
Threes in Division Three. Their super
season features six wins, a draw and
a single loss. They have been buoyed
by the return from injury of their
captain Josie Mitchell and the fire
power she provides.
The Women’s Ones have battled
this season in Division One showing
great resilience at the halfway point,
Mixed team
exemplified by their 1-1 draw with
Lewes. Nikki Churchward was first
to strike for the Crows, from which
point goalkeeper Sandra Hepple and
the defenders worked like Trojans to
protect their goal.
It has been a solid first part of the
season for the promoted Women’s
Threes side. Currently sitting in
eighth they aim to push further clear
of the danger zone in the second half
of the campaign.
Under the captaincy of Elijah Fuller,
the Men’s Threes have continued
to develop, with one more game
before the winter sojourn. They took
three points the previous week when
Middleton Twos could not field a side
for their Division Four encounter.
Sitting in 10th they have some work
to do to reach their season’s goals.
Meanwhile the 9th placed Women’s
Fours squad signed off with a
performance the league leaders said
had pushed them harder than any of
their opponents they had faced so far.
The table toping Crawley were tested
to the limit by the visiting Crows but
eked out a 1-0 victory.
The Mixed side entered the festive
period with a striking 4-0 win over
Brighton Medics. Two goals from
the effervescent Hamish Marr and
goals apiece for Meg Shaw and Ted
Fulham helped the well-gelled team
to a comfortable win. This was despite
the torrential downpour that
added its own challenge! The side
played with flair and freedom.
The defensive unit inspired
confidence, the midfield carved
out chance after chance, while the
forwards peppered the visitors’ goal
from all angles.
The Boys and Girls development
sides had found their rhythm and
their goalscoring boots with great
progress since September. Both
squads go into the Christmas break
full of confidence. Roll on 2026!
Jarvis Brook FC targets six points
from festive derby double
BY JOSH ALLCORN (CHAIRMAN)
AS we head into the heart of winter,
Jarvis Brook FC prepares for a
crucial run of fixtures that could
help set the tone heading into the
new year. With December always
unpredictable, the weather will
no doubt continue to play its part
in how much football is ultimately
played, but—on and off the pitch—
we’ll be doing everything possible to
keep the games going.
A great deal of unseen hard work
takes place behind the scenes each
week to ensure pitches are prepared,
facilities are ready, and football can
happen whenever conditions allow.
Our First Team faces a busy
December schedule, beginning with
three important league fixtures:
• 13th December – Home vs Ringmer
(a local derby)
• 20th December – Away at Arundel
• 27th December – Away at Uckfield
(another local derby)
With all of these matches still to be
played at the time of writing, we’re
hopeful for positive performances
and a return to the strong early-season
form that showed the potential of
this squad. Six points from these
derby fixtures would be a fantastic
Mile Oak v JBFC
boost as we look to close out the
year with momentum.
Looking slightly ahead, our
rescheduled match away to
Worthing, originally due to be played
on 6th December, will now take place
on 3rd January 2026. It will be an early
opportunity in the new year to start
strongly and carry any December
progress into 2026.
While the First Team remains busy,
our Junior Section has wound down
its fixtures until after the New Year.
That doesn’t mean the football stops,
however—far from it. Training and
development continue at both The
Tester and Jones Sportsground and
other local venues such as Beacon
Academy, ensuring our young
players stay active, engaged, and
ready for their return to competitive
action in January.
As ever, we extend our thanks to
all supporters, volunteers, coaches,
Mile Oak v JBFC
and families who make Jarvis
Brook FC what it is. Your continued
backing—whether standing on the
touchline, helping behind the scenes,
or cheering on our youth teams—
remains invaluable.
Let’s hope for fair weather, strong
performances, and a successful end
to the year. Up the Brook!
RECENT RESULTS IN
SOUTHERN COMBINATION
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIV ONE
• 25 Oct: JARVIS BROOK FC
2 – 0 East Preston
• 8 Nov: JARVIS BROOK FC
2 – 2 Godalming Town
• 15 Nov: Oakwood
3 – 2 JARVIS BROOK FC
• 29 Nov: Mile Oak
3 – 2 JARVIS BROOK FC
NB: Because of early Christmas
production deadlines Crowborough News
was compiled before the club’s December
matches took place.

Latest local news, visit: crowborough.news JANUARY 2026 SPORT 27
Mixed fortunes for Boro
but reasons for optimism
MATCH REPORTS: RICK HOWE
22 November
CROWBOROUGH RFC 7 - 22 Dover
On a miserable afternoon,
Crowborough RFC 1st XV, sitting 7th
in the table, hosted a confident Dover
side in 3rd place.
The match quickly became a
classic “game of two halves,” with
all points scored before half-time
and Crowborough left chasing the
game as Dover’s defence held strong
in the second half. Despite fielding
a strong lineup, Crowborough’s
hopes of turning their season
around were dashed.
Crowborough started brightly,
playing an exciting, fast-paced
style. After just seven minutes, a
well-executed lineout and maul saw
Sam Edwards score, converted by
Jared Herman for a 7-0 lead. Dover
struggled for possession early but
capitalised on an offside to make it
7-3. Crowborough’s tendency to kick
away possession and handling errors
allowed Dover back into the game.
A speculative chip from Dover
led to a fortunate try, putting them
ahead 7-10. As half-time approached,
Crowborough’s Sean Bate was
sent to the sin bin. Still, with only
a three-point deficit and the wind
advantage, Crowborough had reason
for optimism. However, a missed
forward pass allowed Dover to score a
converted try, extending their lead to
7-17. Another Crowborough error just
before halftime resulted in a further
Dover try, making it 7-22 at the break.
Photo, Denys Clarke
The second half was frustrating
for Crowborough, who couldn’t
break through despite Dover losing
two players to the sin bin. The score
remained unchanged as rain and
gloom set in. The home side showed
glimpses of potential but ultimately
fell short. On a brighter note,
Crowborough 2nd XV secured a 34-19
win over Hellingly 1st XV.
29 November
Gillingham Anchorians 20 v 26
CROWBOROUGH RFC
Despite heavy rain earlier, the match
was played on an excellent pitch,
though the disappointingly small
crowd was outnumbered by those
playing the match!
Gillingham started strong,
keeping play tight and denying
Crowborough’s backs any early
opportunities. The first ten minutes
saw Crowborough’s backs unable to
get involved, but after several phases,
Josh Jarvis scored the opening try,
converted by Jared Herman (0-7).
Gillingham responded, capitalizing
on a charged-down kick to level the
score (7-7). Crowborough regained
the lead with a penalty try after
Gillingham’s No2 pulled down a
maul, resulting in a yellow card (7-14
at half-time).
Early in the second half, Gillingham
equalized with a penalty try (14-14).
But adjustments in Crowborough’s
backline paid off, as Will Pitman
finished a flowing move for an
unconverted try (14-19). Gillingham
narrowed the gap with a penalty
(17-19), and Crowborough missed
a chance to extend their lead when
Pitman slipped near the try line.
However, Pitman soon redeemed
himself, scoring again and allowing
Herman to convert (17-26).
Gillingham fought back, taking
advantage of Crowborough’s
yellow cards to score (20-26), but
Crowborough’s 13 men held out in
the final minutes to secure a bonus
point win, remaining seventh in the
league. Meanwhile, Crowborough
2nd XV won 45-29 at Haywards Heath,
moving up to sixth place.
6 December
Old Ethamians 39 – 7
CROWBOROUGH RFC
For Crowborough, this was a great
performance, but the scoreboard
didn’t tell the full story. With their
home pitch at Steel Cross under water,
the fixture was reversed, sending
Crowborough to face league leaders
Old Elthamians, who had dominated
the season so far.
Old Elthamians, aiming for a return
to the National Leagues, fielded a
powerful, professional side with
several National League recruits.
Despite expectations, Crowborough
started strongly, driving into the
OE’s 22 and applying early pressure.
The OE defence held firm, but for
ten minutes the score remained
0-0 as Crowborough pressed. Old
Elthamians absorbed the pressure
and, orchestrated by their excellent
No10, created overlaps to score three
tries out wide, leading 15-0.
Crowborough refused to capitulate,
attacking again before half-time.
However, a crucial interception
by the OE centre extended the lead
to 22-0 at the break. In the second
half, OE’s No10 returned to direct
play, scoring another try, followed
by two more from their halfback,
making it 39-0.
Crowborough continued to fight,
and their persistence paid off
with a late converted try by Will
Pitman, ending the match 39-7.
Although defeated, Crowborough’s
collective commitment and neversay-die
attitude were clear, offering
confidence for future matches.
Rugby Club welcomes English rose
CROWBOROUGH Rugby Football
Club had a very special visit from
Women’s Rugby World Cup Winner
Rosie Galligan recently.
The celebrity visit came after the
club was selected by Cromwell
Hospital as the key location for
a national initiative focused on
women’s health and sports injuries.
The event saw the club partner
with Cromwell Hospital (part of
Bupa), whose recent campaign has
focused on sports injuries in women
and the best way to manage an
injury if one occurs.
Rugby Star Rosie took part
in a training session alongside
Crowborough Rugby Club’s women
and girls’ team and conducted
one-to-one interviews as part of the
media campaign.
The event was a resounding success,
with over 60 women and girls from the
club’s U14, U16, U18, and Women’s
teams in attendance. The club was
selected for this campaign due to its
rapid growth and commitment to
female rugby and its development.
Rosie was actively involved in the
training sessions and then led an
inspiring Q&A session focused on
her elite career, personal health
challenges, and reflections on the
World Cup final.
A highlight of the evening was the
presence of Crowborough Women’s
and Girls’ Rugby sponsor, Servomex.
Representatives from Servomex were
in attendance to witness first-hand the
growth their support has facilitated.
Servomex’s commitment has been
instrumental in growing the female
section at Crowborough RFC from just
five players less than five years ago
to over 70 registered players today,
spanning five full teams (U12, U14,
U16, U18, and one Women’s side),
with many more participating in the
thriving Minis section.
Alex Hunn, CRFC Chairman said:
“Crowborough RFC is immensely
proud to have been selected by
Cromwell Hospital (part of Bupa)
to host this important national
campaign. It shines a spotlight on
the phenomenal progress we have
made in women’s rugby, and it
provides invaluable visibility for our
sponsor, Servomex, who makes this
growth possible.
“Seeing more than 60 girls and
women engaging directly with an
England player proves how critical
their support is. We also want to
extend our heartfelt thanks to
Rosie for dedicating her time; she
is a true inspiration on and off the
field and was a lovely person to
have at the club.”
Victoria Hammond, HR Director of
Servomex added: “We’re incredibly
proud to support Crowborough RFC’s
Women’s and Girls’ section and to see
the wonderful progress being made—
not only in growing participation but
in building a strong pipeline of talent
for the future.”
County
success for
Boro players
WELL done to two Crowborough
rugby stars who have shone on
the county stage.
Lara and Freddie, both under
18 players at Crowborough
Rugby Club, featured in their
respective Sussex Rugby Club
teams in December.
Both playing at openside flanker,
Lara helped the girls to a 38-20 win
over Hampshire, while Freddie’s
team beat Middlesex 21-19.

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